In 2025, the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) focused its activities on implementing anti-corruption policy in local state administrations and local self-government bodies, based on the principles of partnership, communication, and providing practical support to communities. The Agency's work focused on establishing a sustainable system for managing corruption risks at the local level that could function effectively in conditions of wartime, recovery, and European integration, developing methodological tools, and establishing and coordinating the institution of authorised persons for the prevention and detection of corruption.
«Local governments are the main administrators of community budget funds and are therefore most vulnerable to corruption risks in various areas, including reconstruction, public procurement, municipal property management, land use, urban planning, etc. Therefore, the NACP has built its work with the regions primarily based on analysing their specific characteristics and developing recommendations for minimising corruption risks,» said Serhii Hupiak, Deputy Chairman of the NACP.
Regional trips became an important part of this approach. In 2025, the NACP team made trips to Kropyvnytskyi, Ternopil, Poltava, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv region, Odesa, and Sumy. To form a comprehensive and objective view of the situation in the regions, NACP experts conducted analytical work to identify the areas most vulnerable to corruption in the region, utilising both their own information and data obtained from national and international partners. In each of these regions, meetings were held with heads of local state administrations and local governments, civil society activists, the media, law enforcement officials, and the educational community. During the meetings, specific corruption risks and management challenges inherent in the respective territories were discussed, and after each visit, representatives of regional authorities were provided with practical recommendations on improving anti-corruption work and minimising existing corruption risks in specific areas of activity.
The regional trips showed that for most regions of Ukraine, the areas of reconstruction and public procurement remain the most corruption-prone. These areas require a systematic approach, increased transparency, and public involvement in monitoring the use of public resources.
During visits to the regions, communities were provided with a set of methodological guidelines developed by the NACP, taking into account regional specifics and characteristic challenges. In particular, research in the areas of reconstruction and restoration, land relations, forestry, medicine and social sphere, public procurement, education, and urban planning.
In addition, in 2025, the NACP resumed the approval of anti-corruption programs. This practice has proven its relevance, as the analysis of the programs submitted for approval revealed a number of systemic problems. In particular, corruption risks are not fully identified, functions and processes that are potentially vulnerable to corruption are determined in violation of the Corruption Risk Management Methodology, and corruption risks and their descriptions do not correspond to the term “corruption risk.”
To avoid these shortcomings, the NACP, together with its partners, developed a package of basic methodological tools for communities during the year.
The guide to developing an anti-corruption program for local self-government bodies introduces a universal six-step algorithm that allows communities, even with limited financial or human resources, to independently create an effective anti-corruption program and foster an environment of integrity. An important component of the guide is the Model Anti-Corruption Program, which serves as a methodological basis for small and medium-sized communities that are not required by law to adopt such documents but are proactively implementing transparency tools.
Among other tools in the Guide is a Model Register of Corruption Risks by Basic Functions of Local Government, which includes typical threats in the areas of land relations, utilities, and urban development. The register provides examples of how to formulate the content of the risk, its sources, and mitigation measures.
Also in 2025, a Methodology for assessing the Integrity of Public Utilities was presented, which introduces a single standard of accountability in the public sector through a five-level maturity assessment system. The document covers seven key areas of management, including corporate governance, procurement, and anti-corruption compliance, and is supplemented by industry-specific matrices for transport, healthcare, water, and road management companies. This approach allows communities to carry out accurate self-assessments, taking into account the specific nature of the enterprises' activities, and creates the conditions for improving management efficiency and investment attractiveness.
Coordination of efforts and exchange of best practices took place within the framework of the 2025 Community Integrity Forum, which for the third time became a platform for interaction between representatives of state authorities, international partners, and local self-government bodies. In 2025, representatives of more than 40 communities from all over Ukraine took part in the Forum.
Throughout the year, the NACP systematically developed its educational work with communities, conducting training for authorised persons, local government officials, and representatives of municipal enterprises.
«Building an ethical environment at the local level is a dynamic and ongoing process. The NACP's approach in 2025 demonstrated a consistent and comprehensive model of working with local authorities, in which strategic analysis of corruption risks, methodological support, financial control of asset declarations and acquisitions, training and public dialogue logically complement each other to form a sustainable system of integrity at the local level,» Serhii Hupiak emphasised.
