The I_CAN National Program(Interinstitutional Capacity Nurturing), implemented by the World Bank Group, the Government of Ukraine, and the Kyiv School of Economics, will strengthen Ukraine’s capacity to manage projects funded by international financial institutions (IFIs). Over 3 years, 6000 specialists from all levels of government will be educated under the program. I_CAN is funded by the World Bank’s Ukraine Relief, Recovery, Reconstruction and Reform Trust Fund (URTF).

The program will improve communication between donors and officials, identify and solve problems that arise during project implementation, and increase knowledge and skills in project management and public investment management. Forming a community of specialized professionals will facilitate effective coordination, exchange of experience, and implementation of proven practices at all levels of donor project management.

‘As part of I_CAN, the Kyiv School of Economics will provide free consultations to support participants. In particular, we will help with paperwork preparation, terms analysis of the IFI programs, and project planning. We strive to provide the necessary knowledge to as many specialists as possible so that Ukraine can effectively attract and use funding from international partners. This allows us to implement more quality projects with donor support and accelerate economic recovery’ said Tymofiy Mylovanov, President of the Kyiv School of Economics.

On April 6, Kyiv hosted the first of a series of I_CAN workshops entitled ‘Unlocking Potential: Enhancing Collaboration and Efficiency in IFI-Funded Projects’. Representatives of the World Bank, the EBRD, the IFC, the Delegation of the EU to Ukraine, the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development, the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Finance, and the Kyiv School of Economics were speakers at the event.

‘We want to build a common space where we can all work together to find solutions. Because this is not within the power of one person, ministry, or agency. The World Bank is here to serve Ukraine. And our common mission is to make Ukraine successful’ said Arup Banerji, the World Bank Regional Country Director for Eastern Europe.

During the event, representatives of the ministries responsible for implementing large IFI-supported projects in Ukraine were provided with detailed information on available financial resources and the priority of donor projects for 2024. The objective of the practical part of the workshop was to assess the challenges in project implementation and find ways to overcome them, improve the quality of management, and identify opportunities to expand the project portfolio.

As a result of the event, the key needs and emphases of the future training program to be implemented over the next 3 years within I_CAN were identified. Identifying the knowledge and skills needed for cooperation with IFIs is an important component of the program’s work, which allows us to continue to offer training products.

‘According to the Cabinet of Ministers and the World Bank, the needs for the reconstruction of Ukraine are around $500 billion. Attracting funds from international financial organizations and the skills of high-quality management of reconstruction projects are of paramount importance. It is extremely essential to have trained professionals who will take the lead in project implementation. This is exactly what the national I_CAN program will be aimed at’ said Deputy Minister of Finance Olga Zykova.

‘Cooperation with international financial organizations provides opportunities to restart the economy and create new sources of economic growth. It is necessary to ensure high-quality management of funds at all levels of government so that specialists from both state and local governments can work directly with IFIs, plan and implement projects. This requires knowledge and skills in the legal field, management, investment management, and high-quality interagency cooperation. The I_CAN program was created to provide this need’ said Volodymyr Kuzio, Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine.

‘Ukraine critically requires thousands of specialists who know how to manage projects. Increasing the scale of foreign loans, grants, and assistance requires an increase in the number of Ukrainian specialists who can handle these processes. We require teams of specialists at all levels: from local governments and communities to ministries. KSE has taken on the responsible task of training such specialists. I hope that the new training center will also contribute to the creation of an active community where graduates will share experiences and practical cases’ said Anna Yurchenko, Deputy Minister for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine for European Integration.

In November 2023, the CARMC, the Center for the Advancement of Recovery and Modernization of Ukraine, which is part of the I_CAN program, was presented in Kyiv. The CARMC is a 3-year initiative that aims to improve the capacity of ministries and agencies, local governments, and the non-governmental sector to manage recovery projects.