On 13-14 July 2026, Ternopil hosted a two-day thematic session of the Community of Practice on Transparency, Accountability and Citizen Participation dedicated to advancing e-governance and e-democracy tools. Organised with the Congress support, the event brought together representatives of more than 25 Ukrainian communities, including frontline and temporarily occupied communities, as well as representatives of the Association of Ukrainian Cities (AUC).
The first day focused on the practical experience of Ternopil City Council in implementing digital tools to strengthen interaction with residents. Participants explored the 'e-Ternopil' mobile application and the 'Resident's Portal', which provide access to municipal services, public consultations, participatory budgeting, electronic surveys and public discussions.
Opening the session, Ternopil Mayor Serhii Nadal emphasised that "e-governance and e-democracy are fundamentally about building public trust in local authorities. They enable residents to influence decision making, submit documents quickly and access the services they need, while also helping to remove bureaucratic barriers and minimise the human factor in administrative processes that can delay the delivery of public services. This approach has led to the creation of a comprehensive digital ecosystem in Ternopil, centred around the 'e-Ternopil' mobile application and the 'Resident's Portal'. Today, these platforms are used by more than 180 000 people, including not only residents of our municipality but also people living in neighbouring communities."
In his address, AUC Executive Director Oleksandr Slobozhan highlighted that, "thanks to the joint efforts of local authorities, effective transparency and e-democracy practices have been successfully introduced at the local level in Ukraine."
The agenda also featured practical demonstrations of digital services and discussions on approaches to adapting and introducing these digital solutions in other municipalities. During a practical workshop, participants further developed and presented their own e-democracy initiatives tailored to local needs.
The Community of Practice was established following the Third National Open Government Competition to strengthen a professional network of Ukrainian municipalities, promote the exchange of successful open government practices and support peer learning.
The event was organised in co-operation with the Association of Ukrainian Cities and Ternopil City Council within the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine "Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction" for 2023-2026 and the project "Strengthening multilevel governance and local democracy to support Ukraine's recovery", implemented by the Council of Europe Centre of Expertise for Multilevel Governance at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities.
