How digitalisation is changing Ukraine's social sphere. Results of the year since the beginning of automation of volunteer activities

During a year of operation, the Automated Humanitarian Aid Registration System has shown how digital technologies can influence the efficiency, transparency and speed of processes. Yuri Konovalov spoke about the main challenges of the launch, the adaptation of volunteers, the results of the platform and its future improvements.

Find out how the system works, who gets help and what innovations await the social sphere of Ukraine already next year.

Tell us about the results of the implementation and update of the Automated System for Registration of Humanitarian Aid. Have Ukrainian volunteers adapted to it?

on the 1st of December, it was one year since the introduction and launch of our system.

At the start, we faced several key challenges. Firstly, many users had no experience with such systems. In the first five days after the launch, I personally worked in the contact centre helping the support team, as many people had to explain basic things: how to log in, what to click and so on.

Secondly, the use of CEP (qualified electronic signature) became a challenge for many people. There were cases when users did not understand the principles of working with the signature, so we created hint instructions to minimise such problems.

Thirdly, for the first four months, we worked in a hybrid format. Organisations could register both paper declarations and electronic declarations through our system. This slowed down the processes but was necessary for a gradual transition to a digital format.

At the end of the year, almost 130,000 cargoes were registered through the system. We carefully collect statistics, which include 12 categories of humanitarian aid by the decree, in particular fuel, medicines, clothing, footwear, foodstuffs and so on. Some data we cannot disclose because of the military component.

At the moment about 11 thousand recipients are registered in the system - these are charitable organisations, public associations, foundations and volunteers. This is a significant number, which shows the successful adaptation of the volunteer community to work with our platform.

From which countries does the largest amount of aid come from?

The largest amounts of humanitarian aid come from Germany and Poland, which remain our key support partners. In addition, aid is constantly coming in from other countries around the world such as Canada, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Although these countries are small in size, they regularly transfer humanitarian supplies, demonstrating their sustained support for Ukraine.

Our system is transparent and has greatly simplified the border-crossing process for humanitarian aid. For example, it takes only a few minutes to clear and enter vehicles with humanitarian cargo into the system - on average about three minutes per unit of transport. This confirms the efficiency of our work and helps to quickly deliver aid to those who need it.

Yuri, this system was created in response to certain requests. Why are you the developers of this system? Is it more about streamlining, and control or what is this system about?

We created this system to solve a set of problems that arose when importing humanitarian aid. Firstly, it is a question of efficiency. Ukraine receives a significant amount of aid from different countries, and it is important to ensure a fast, smooth process of its registration and distribution. Our system automates these processes, eliminating the need for paper bureaucracy.

Secondly, we strived to make the process transparent. The system allows us to keep track of who is bringing in what, and also ensures that all humanitarian aid is properly documented. This is important not only for Ukrainian organisations but also for international donors who want to be sure that their aid reaches its recipients.

Thirdly, the system is user-friendly. We have taken into account the needs of both large organisations and individual volunteers. Thanks to the simplicity of the interface and the ability to fill in data in advance, the system helps to significantly reduce border crossing time.

This system is about the synergy of technology and human effort, about trust between all participants in the process and about working together for the benefit of those who need help. We are not only developers - we are part of the volunteer community that strives to make the humanitarian aid process as efficient as possible.

Are there any requests for improvements and enhancements to this system from volunteers or partners?

Yes, there are indeed a lot of requests, and we actively collect them and organise them into a backlog for further implementation. Our users, both volunteers and partners, constantly share ideas that can make the system even more convenient and efficient.

One of the most popular requests is to create an English language version. Given that many international organisations and donors interact directly with our system, an English-language interface has become a priority for us and is in our immediate plans.

Another common request is the development of a mobile application. This is especially important for volunteers who often work in the field and need quick access to the system.

In addition, our partners are requesting enhancements to reporting features and the addition of tools to better manage their operations. For example, we plan to integrate a mini-CRM system that will simplify user interaction with the platform and help coordinate work with partners more effectively.

And reporting - how complex or simplified is it for users? How is it presented?

We strive to make reporting as simple and intuitive as possible. We have implemented automatic mechanisms in the system that minimise manual data entry. For example, automatic filling of fields has been added, which helps avoid errors and speeds up the process. Product names are pulled from created directories, which removes the need to re-enter this data manually.

For small charitable organisations that work with a limited amount of aid, for example, 5-10 items, filling in reporting takes minimal time. But for large international organisations, such as the World Food Programme, that handle thousands of items of humanitarian goods, it is a real challenge.

We are constantly collecting feedback from users to understand where they are facing difficulties and working to improve. Even with limited funding, we try to add new tools that make reporting easier. This can include integrating new directories, optimising forms, and automating processes for large consignments.

Please tell us about the recovery project. Are there any interim results? How many people applied, who received help?

The "єOzdorozdolnenya" project is an important step in supporting the most vulnerable families and was successfully implemented in 2023. It is a pilot initiative that has demonstrated significant results: more than one million hryvnias were allocated for public funds, which allowed health improvement for more than 13 thousand children for the amount of about 200 million hryvnias.

The project aims to provide low-income families and families raising children with disabilities or large families with the opportunity to choose a health improvement institution from those participating in the programme. This approach allows for flexibility and convenience for families, as well as transparency in the use of public resources.

The Ministry of Social Policy and I plan to expand and improve this project in 2024 so that even more families will be able to take advantage of this opportunity. All these steps are aimed at supporting the well-being of children and strengthening the social policy of our state.

So now it is in test mode? What regions does it cover?

It is the whole country. The Ministry launched it as a pilot project to assess the needs of the population. The project is working remarkably well; we see how many children are being recuperated. We want to improve it; we have several requests from the Ministry in other areas. We are striving to make it even easier.

We support the Ministry's point of view, which wants to provide targeted assistance, not just hand out money. We are working with the banks that set restrictions so that the funds only go to the child's health improvement.

Yuri, tell us about the system for internally displaced persons (IDPs). What makes it special and who can use it?

There is a public dashboard on our website that shows data on IDPs. This data is updated once a day. You can see up-to-date information on the number of IDPs by region, and population groups (children, pensioners and so on). This is an automated counter with constant updating.

We also have internal dashboards for work. We are constantly refining the system together with development partners as the government optimises costs and needs.

What other partners or contractors do you collaborate with on other projects?

The UN World Food Program (WFP) has already been actively supporting our initiatives, helping to implement projects aimed at improving the living conditions of Ukrainians in difficult social and economic conditions. This partnership has become an important basis for us to innovate and ensure high-quality services.

We also cooperate with UNICEF, the Eastern Europe Foundation, and international financial and humanitarian organizations such as USAID, Visa, and Mastercard. In addition, we are actively expanding our circle of partners, both international and national, which allows us to share experiences and implement modern technologies. These efforts allow us to implement ambitious projects for the benefit of Ukrainian society.

What independent projects does your state-owned enterprise implement?

We develop humanitarian aid independently. The health improvement project is also ours. There is a project of social services, in particular a citizen's cabinet, where we co-operate with the companies "Medirent" and "Renome-Smart". We are certified developers of registers on the "Dia Engine" platform and develop electronic registers not only for the Ministry of Social Policy but also for the Ministry of Health. Now we are working on a register for the Ministry of Health and are looking for new projects to develop this area.

You are engaged in artificial intelligence. Do you train it?

We are actively implementing artificial intelligence in our work, in particular in the CRM system developed by Creatio to improve communication with users. We are currently in the process of training AI models that will answer popular questions, provide instructions and promptly resolve common user queries.

This is especially important as the user base for our services is growing rapidly. From the new year, the Pension Fund and all CNAPs in the country will join the system, which amounts to about 5,000 access points. In addition, we have launched case management services that cover the entire population, which requires high-quality and fast support.

Trained artificial intelligence will significantly reduce the burden on contact centre operators and ensure that our services are convenient for every citizen.

Tell us more about the Unified Social Information System.

The Unified Social Information System (USIS) is becoming the foundation for the implementation of key changes in the social sphere. It has already united 10 types of social assistance, ensuring a transparent and automated process of their provision. This greatly simplifies the lives of citizens, as the time to review applications has been reduced, and the system itself provides reliable monitoring and control over payments.

We pay special attention to the introduction of case management, which has become a real breakthrough in the provision of social services. This approach allows us to work individually with each application, offering comprehensive support for people in difficult life situations.

These solutions are just the beginning of our work. We strive to make the USIS not only a tool for payments and services but also a platform for sharing relevant information between authorities, which will reduce the burden on users and provide a better service for everyone.

Our course remains unchanged: we are creating a social sphere that meets the needs of modern society, and we are ready to move forward to achieve even greater results.

What about optimising processes for citizens who apply for social assistance?

We have a task from the Ministry to optimise the acceptance of paper documents as much as possible, so as not to require scanned copies and not to overload the systems. We are working in this direction to simplify processes for social workers and citizens.

Yuri, how is the "YeDoponoga" service being used now?

"YeDoponoga" was relevant at the beginning of the war, when there were no other tools. International partners did not understand how to work, and it played a key role. Now the Ministry works according to other formats, and payments are made differently. Donors themselves determine who to help, and we use the Unified Information System for this. "YeDoponoga" has fulfilled its function, and we plan to switch it off.

What are your plans for the next year? What will the state enterprise be working on?

The Ministry has completed the development of a strategy for the digitalisation of the social sphere. We took part in the development of this document and are now using it to form our strategy. In parallel, we are working with Deloitte on a new operating model for our enterprise, taking into account the Ministry's strategy and our own. We plan to complete this by the end of the first quarter of 2025, after which we will have a roadmap for the development and expansion of our activities.