These regulations are intended to ensure a uniform approach to managing employees and to incorporate the latest legislative developments. They are designed and introduced to streamline internal processes, clearly define responsibilities and improve the performance of local self-government bodies.
Currently, local self-government bodies operate in accordance with the applicable labour law. However, the process of preparing for the implementation of the new law on service in the local self-government bodies has been ongoing. Now is the best time to steadily update internal regulations, bringing them into line with the new requirements step by step.
This approach serves as administrative preparation that enables:
- analysing the current internal regulations;
- identifying provisions that are inconsistent with up-to-date administrative approaches;
- gradually updating internal procedures to reflect the new legislation.
In addition to Law No. 3077-IX, these efforts are guided by the Labour Code of Ukraine and the Guidelines of the National Agency of Ukraine on Civil Service on Developing and Approving Internal Service Regulations in Local Self-Government Bodies.
The integration of established fundamental standards and new approaches, enshrined in legislation and recommendations of the National Agency on Civil Service, underpinned the discussion that took place during the informational session organised by U-LEAD with Europe and focused on the practical aspects of implementing the updated regulations at the local level.
The speakers at the event were Tetiana Korobka and Liudmyla Hurba, Policy Advisors for Decentralisation and Local Self-Government for the U-LEAD with Europe. During their speeches, they emphasised that internal regulations should be designed to serve the people and reflect the actual processes within local self-government bodies, rather than remaining a mere formality.
“Internal work regulations aren’t just there to tick off a box. They are about organising day-to-day work, teamwork and a sense of fairness for every employee,” said Tetiana Korobka.
Specific changes in the approaches to the regulations
The info session highlighted that the Agency’s guidelines set out a rough framework for the regulations, without limiting the local self-government bodies’ freedom to choose additional rules. That is why the emphasis should be placed on practical components, including:
- working conditions and working hours, with the possibility of flexible schedules and remote work;
- internal communication and decision-making procedures, including in digital format;
- codes of conduct and professional ethics;
- occupational health and safety concerns, in light of the ongoing war;
- organising remote work with clearly defined performance requirements.
The speakers stressed that these provisions should reflect the real processes of a particular municipality, rather than being copy-pasted from templates.
When discussing this, they also talked about common mistakes that municipalities should try to avoid. According to Liudmyla Hurba, it often happens that the regulations are not in line with the actual work processes of local self-government bodies. As she pointed out, it is the gap between what is stated in the document and actual practices that leads to the regulations being perceived as a formality and therefore failing to work. Therefore, when developing internal regulations, the first step should be to analyse your own processes and actual working conditions.
This was also mentioned by Liudmyla Tsapenko, the Secretary of Hrebinka City Council in Poltava Oblast, in her comments on the positive impact of the event on her municipality. According to her, these mistakes are not unique to specific municipalities, but are a widespread problem that is important to identify in a timely manner and gradually rectify.
“The info session was useful and came at the right time. Although we have internal work regulations, we have not updated them for a long time, as legislation changes quite rapidly, and we are not always able to respond promptly to all changes. Obstacles such as power cuts, internet outages and heating disruptions remain additional challenges during wartime.
That is why the informational session spurred us to revisit this issue. For our municipality, the starting point for this task is to analyse the current internal regulations, particularly those provisions that no longer comply with updated legislation and the latest administrative practices. After that, we intend to draft a new version and gradually update internal procedures.”
The experts then went on to discuss practical advice that municipalities can follow when updating their regulations:
- Approach updating the regulations as an administrative process;
- Start the task by analysing your actual internal processes;
- Engage employees in discussing the draft regulations;
- Clearly define provisions regarding working hours and flexible working arrangements;
- Factor in safety concerns and the ongoing war;
- Follow the Guidelines of the National Agency of Ukraine on Civil Service as a reference point, adapting them to the specific needs of your local self-government body.
The guidelines also provide for a working group to be set up with the involvement of the human resources department, legal department and representatives of the executive bodies. This approach helps to develop a consistent and actionable document, account for various administrative and legal factors, identify potential risks during the drafting stage and cut down on future conflicts.
In conclusion, the speakers noted that updating internal regulations presents an opportunity to rethink approaches to HR management and lay the foundation for sustainable and reliable performance of local self-government bodies.
