Who is an educational environment safety manager? This is a professional that manages the presence of any outsiders in schools, traffic near the educational institution, fire safety and keeping an eye on situations in which schoolchildren may get involved in illegal activities or with destructive youth groups. Their duties also involve the prevention of bullying and discrimination on any grounds, as well as humiliation of dignity and honour.
Educational environment safety managers should be employees of the executive body of local self-government. We offer 9 steps for the implementation of such a project from Andrii Riabukha, Adviser on Decentralisation and Local Self-Government at the Regional Office of U-LEAD with Europe in the Donetsk Oblast, and, Dmytro Fokasiev, Adviser on Decentralisation and Local Self-Government at the Regional Office of U-LEAD with Europe in the Kharkiv Oblast.
Here are the steps for local self-government bodies to implement the project “Educational Environment Safety Manager”:
1. In order to establish the position of Educational Environment Safety Manager in the municipality, the head of a village, town or city (hereinafter the head) or the competent council should issue orders/adopt decisions regarding participation in the pilot project and communicate with juvenile police units in the region. The order/decision should define the person in charge of project implementation. Next, the municipality should await confirmation of participation in the pilot project from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.
2. Upon confirmation, make changes to the structure and staff list of the executive body of the local self-government (e.g. the Education Department).
According to Clause 5 of Part 1 of Article 26 of Law No. 280/97-BP, the approval, upon the proposal of the head of a village, town or city, of the composition of the council’s executive bodies, the total number of the members of the council and its executive bodies is within the exclusive competence of village, town and city councils.
Based on the approved composition of the council and its executive bodies, the chairperson shall approve the staff list with their order.
3. Develop and approve the job description of a safety manager (schedule the mandatory training provided for by Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 867 for the manager in the first year of their service).
Article 4 of Law No. 2493-III sets forth the basic principles of the service in local self-government, including the principle of independence of personnel policy in the municipality.
Order of the National Agency of Ukraine for Civil Service No. 203-19 dated 7 November 2019 approved the Standard Professional and Qualification Requirements for Local Self-Government Officials and recommended city, district, village and town councils to be guided by the Standard Professional and Qualification Requirements when developing professional and qualification requirements and job descriptions for local self-government officials.
4. Adopt a Regulation on the Commission that would determine the order of its work and the criteria for selecting a person for this position (the criteria must meet the general criteria for the recruitment to local self-government bodies and include specific requirements stipulated by Resolution of the CMU No. 867 for such a person).
5. Approve the composition of the Commission (upon approval, it may include members with an advisory vote representing the national police, the State Emergency Service and other institutions with which the safety manager is to interact in accordance with Resolution of the CMU No. 867).
6. Approve the content of the selection announcement by the Commission and publish it on the municipality’s official website, traditional and social media, etc.
7. Conduct a selection and, based on the Commission’s decision, determine which of the selected candidates should be recommended to the head of the village, town or city for the position of safety manager.
According to Article 10 of Law No. 2493-III, recruitment to local self-government bodies shall generally be carried out to the positions such as heads of departments and divisions and other employees of local self-government bodies by appointment by the head of the village, town or city, respectively, on a competitive basis or as otherwise provided for by the laws of Ukraine.
Note that under martial law, recruitment for service in local self-government bodies is carried out by the head of the village, town or city without a competitive basis. Learn more about that HERE and HERE.
Taking into account Resolution of the CMU No. 867 regarding the deadline for the implementation of the project until 31 May 2024, a fixed-term employment contract valid until 31 May 2024 shall be concluded with the employee.
However, we believe that local self-government bodies are autonomous in their personnel policy decision-making, so the option of concluding an open-ended employment contract can also be considered.
8. Second the appointed manager to study at a higher education institution with specific study conditions that are subject to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, according to a programme agreed with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Education and Science, the National Police and the State Emergency Service (up to 4 weeks). During the secondment, the employee should retain their salary at the place of work.
9. The manager should conduct their activities at the educational institution designated by the competent local self-government body.
A manager who has undergone special training (professional training) shall be assigned educational institutions by the local self-government body (the head of the competent military administration) at the rate of up to 1500 students (in one or more educational institutions, but not more than four educational institutions).
These steps were developed taking into account the Procedure for the Implementation of the Experimental Project “Educational Environment Safety Manager” approved by Resolution of the CMU No. 867 of 15 August 2023.
For any additional questions regarding the implementation of the project in the local self-government bodies or additional consultations, contact the teams of the Regional Offices of U-LEAD with Europe in your oblast.
