Leading the Charge Against Corruption: Who Will Helm the NACP?
Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, the issue of corruption has become even more sensitive, and any instance of corruption is more intolerable because every misappropriated hryvnia could have been used to strengthen the state, save lives, and achieve victory and peace.
Prevention of corruption is the cement that holds the architecture of good governance in place. The National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) executes a central function by establishing policies, monitoring mechanisms, integrity standards, internal controls, and professional capacity to deliver transparent and honest public services across government.
That is why so much attention is paid to the careful selection of heads in such bodies as NACP.
The government has formed a special Selection Commission to conduct the competition for the appointment of the Chairperson of NACP, which I have the honor to chair. And here, I'd like to get to the essence of my post - the competition for the position of the NACP Chairperson that is currently ongoing.
Who We Are and Our Mission
The Commission comprises six members nominated, on one hand, by international donors supporting anti-corruption initiatives in Ukraine and, on the other, by the Ukrainian government (three representatives from each side). My Ukrainian colleagues Natalia Onishchenko and Alla Ivanovska and my deputy in the commission, Tetiana Tsuvina, represent the Ukrainian academic legal community. My colleagues nominated by international donors bring deep expertise in corruption. Andrii Kozlov has previously participated in the work of other selection commissions for judicial and anti-corruption bodies in Ukraine, while Laura Stefan was one of the independent experts appointed by the Ukrainian government to conduct the NACP Performance External Assessment for the period of 2020-2022.
Personally, I have fought corruption as a practitioner in the field over the past twenty-five years in high-risk nations, I served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Europe, the Middle East and Africa and Senior Advisor at USAID for the Obama-Biden Administration; and am an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University.
Our primary task as Commission members involves assessing the professional experience, knowledge, qualities, and personal integrity of candidates vying for the position of the Chairperson of NACP.
The Selection Process and Our Commitment to Transparency
To achieve our objective, we rely on a robust internal team of professional lawyers and other experts within the Secretariat that supports the Commission. We also draw ideas, insights, and expertise from civil society. We engage Ukraine’s leading anti-corruption organizations to provide advice and recommendations. We strive to eliminate any human bias where possible, even utilizing randomizers to assign commission members for specific tasks, among other measures. All decision-making and key discussions of the Commission will take place solely in an open, public format. In the process, we implement safeguards to ensure impartiality, prevent external influence, and apply every available tool to foster citizen confidence and trust.
Despite the tight timeframe (the current Chairman of NACP's mandate expires on January 15, and it is desirable to appoint a new leader as soon as possible), our priority lies with identifying the most qualified candidate, not the speed of the selection process. One of the primary challenges today is to attract a sufficiently broad pool of candidates who genuinely possess the professional and personal qualities required for leading NACP. If we receive an insufficient number of applications, we'll consider extending the application deadline. However, we hope all interested persons have enough time to apply, especially since the document submission process is straightforward and conducted entirely online, enabling even those in military service to apply online.
At every stage, we'll maintain open communication, ensuring information accessibility through our channels (Telegram, Facebook, and X) as well as on the Cabinet of Ministers' website. Commission sessions and candidate interviews will be broadcast in real-time.
There are still a few days until December 1 for submitting applications. I appeal to Ukrainian citizens who excel in their professional disciplines and who feel energized and impassioned to help lead your nation to stop corruption – submit your candidacy!
This is not a time for you to hesitate or to doubt. The next Chairperson of the NACP can help transform Ukraine’s government to become a model of corruption prevention and integrity that is widely trusted and supported by its citizens and international partners across the globe.
With faith that this selection process will produce a new champion of Ukraine’s victory over corruption.
Matthew Murray, International Expert on Innovating Solutions to Systemic Corruption; Adjunct Professor at Columbia University, Chairman of the Selection Commission for the Competitive Selection of the Chairperson of the National Agency on Corruption Prevention of Ukraine (NACP)
