Our project 'Information system for monitoring the State Anti-Corruption Program' is innovative due to its unique foundation in a state anti-corruption strategy, an original concept. The implementation occurs through a novel program. With 109 stakeholders, we utilize an online platform to streamline coordination and reduce bureaucracy, offering efficient standard reports. We have drawn inspiration from the best government program monitoring systems in England, Australia, and Europe for system development.

The project has already been implemented, and government authorities are conducting regular reporting, typically on a quarterly basis. However, in the presence of progress, reporting can occur at any time.

Currently, information for the second quarter is displayed as of November 17 (reflecting the state of implementation after analysts have completed their work).

All legal entities, who are the implementers, are already in the system and actively working within it.

In the innovation process, the primary research and development efforts were carried out in-house by our IT and digital development units. However, a significant partnership was formed with the European Union Anticorruption Initiative (EUACI). EUACI provided financial support, facilitated the recruitment of experts, which played an important role in refining the technical specifications and economic justifications for the project's success.

Key users include various levels of government officials within government bodies, from ministers responsible for task allocation to deputy ministers serving as managers and verifiers, and heads of structural units in charge of implementation. Furthermore, NACP analysts play a vital role in the system. In addition, civil society, anti-corruption experts, and journalists benefit by accessing the results of the implementation, enabling them to monitor compliance and progress effectiveness.

The innovation has resulted in increased public access and transparency of the State Anti-Corruption Program , fostering engagement with stakeholders and the wider community. Monitoring and analysis by NGOs, utilizing information cards for each action, allows for a comparative assessment of the problem and expected outcomes. The innovation encourages government agencies to consult with the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP), fostering their willingness to implement reforms inside their's institution. NACP anticipate the participation of anti-corruption experts and organizations, as well as increased lobbying and pressure on government authorities to make them more transparent and accountable. Notably, public feedback and the function for any user to sign up (authenticate) and submit feedback to NACP's analysts are expected to generate tangible, quantitive outcomes in terms of improved governance and reduced corruption.

The first challenge was the need to onboard stakeholders (including top-level officials) into the system, as it was implemented in June (prior to the first reporting period in July). Ensuring that all necessary information was provided posed a challenge, especially when certain authorities hindered the process due to issues like a lack of understanding, absence of leadership, etc.
Coordinating the efforts proved to be challenging. We conducted a series of online training sessions to educate stakeholders on how to work within the system, with most issues arising from the Communication Encryption Protocol (Digital Sign).
Another challenge was how to communicate with the analysts and how the implementer should convey the information already provided. To address this, we expanded the functionality and ensured real-time communication between the NACP analyst and the responsible party.

Conditions for success in this innovation include:

1. An internal tech team capable of responding swiftly to changes in project requirements and legislative updates.
2. Effective internal communication and meetings with prospective users from various government agencies are essential to emphasize the importance of their involvement.
3. A powerful and efficient team of analysts within the organization is intended to coordinate and lead the entire process.
4. The support of the European Union Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI) and in-house resources played a significant role in achieving success.

The approach to analyzing and monitoring any government policy or program, as well as the internal system where all agencies collaborate, can be replicated in various sectors of government policy and data analysis. This methodology could extend to different areas of public governance, both within and beyond the organization.

The centralization of data from 109 stakeholders (government institutions) is a notable feature. The public feedback aspect can be integrated into any government entity effectively. Implementing a "feedback" button is straightforward; the key is understanding the appropriate recipient of the feedback and whether that individual has influence in a specific domain (e.g., analysts for different sectors at NACP). This approach has the potential for broad application across different government agencies and organizations, facilitating transparency and public engagement.

The main thing we immediately noticed is that despite the relatively high level of bureaucracy within Ukrainian government agencies, which are stakeholders in the implementation of the State Anti-Corruption Program, and despite the outdated and inflexible nature of the civil service, innovative projects are generally well-received by government institutions.

We felt that government institutions, in their past, are mature enough and not as slow in adopting modern digital monitoring tools.

We expected resistance from stakeholders, but a user-friendly IT tool is a point of growth for any institution.

The last, but not the least lesson that was learnt is a need for ongoing internal monitoring to improve processes in the organization.

NACP implemented this system for the first time, and additional features were incorporated as the system operated. During the development and preparatory phases, it is challenging to foresee and mitigate all possible shortcomings. In swift development, considering every aspect without overcomplicating the system can be difficult. Some of the key principles for 'rapid' development and implementation involve streamlining functionality and diligently managing concurrent processes.