Your thoughtful and honest appraisal will be most helpful. We appreciate your input and will try to implement as many of your ideas as possible. Continue comments on the back if necessary.
The IFF program pairs each Fellow with one or two mentors who are Soros foundations network-affiliated (usually Open Society Institute and Central European University), as well as one 'external' mentor who is an expert in the field working outside the Soros foundations network. Mentors should: 1) Work with Fellows to devise a brief policy paper in their field(s) of expertise based on a lengthy research paper written over the course of the fellowship year, 2) Maintain contact with Fellows at least once every six weeks or so by telephone, fax or e-mail to discuss the development of projects, 3) If feasible, meet with Fellows at least once during the fellowship year to discuss the project, 4) Facilitate Fellows' contact with other relevant experts and participation in appropriate meetings (IFF has discretionary funds to support Fellow attendance at relevant events), 5) Complete brief mid-term and final critique forms supplied by IFF to provide the program with feedback regarding the Fellow's progress.
Your name: Viktor Lysytsky, National Coordinator of the Project "Ukrainian Gateway", the former Governmental Secretary of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine
Name of Fellow you have assisted: Andriy Vyshnevsky
1. What, in your opinion, have you and your Fellow/program/project gained from your cooperation thus far?
The research and policy development project Development of e-Government as a Key Issue of e-Democracy in Ukraine is an original and revetively new initiative in Ukraine. There are couple of projects related to the issue of establishing e-government in Ukraine, there is a lack focusing on e-governance as a principally new paradigme for public sector. A. Vyshnevsky's project has a chance to tackle this gap.
Cooperation with Andriy helped me to mobilize and concentrate relevant present resources, to pay attantion to some challenges in the National and European policy in the area of e-Government and information society.
I provided advises to the fellow regarding key partners and potential resources for him and helped to organize and facilitate discussing his preliminary results.
2. Do certain areas of this Fellow's work need improvement? Which areas?
Generally, fellow's work looks more or less completed and balanced. It covers all corn challenges in the considered area and relevant policy. I could recommend Andriy to pay more attention regarding e-governance as a new concept or style for public administration.
3. In your opinion, does your Fellow's project make a significant contribution to the field?
YES - NO
A. Vyshnesky works as an advisor to the State Secretary of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, who is directly dealing with e-government issues on the level of central government. The fellow's policy products have a good chance to be taken into account by one of the main governmental beneficiaries.
4. Would the project be important to other countries in the CEE/fSU region?
YES - NO
Some results of Ukraine in the area of building e-government, described in the research paper, and some policy approaches of the fellow could be useful for CEE/fSU countries.
5. Could the proposed policy research make an impact on the policy environment in specific countries or regions? (Policy makers, experts and policy research community)
YES-NO
Although the specificity of each region and policy environment should also be taken into consideration. Widest dissemination of the fellow's products among the stakeholders in form of roundtable discussions and workshops can be the way to achieve this goal.
6. Is the timetable for the project realistic?
YES - NO
7. Could the project benefit a large number of people?
YES - NO See point 5.
8. Does the Fellow show evidence that he/she can think strategically about the relevant project and/or field?
YES - NO
9. If the Fellow were to re-apply for continued OSI funding for follow-up
work associated with the project, would you support continued funding?
YES - NO
I appreciate the assistance of OSI, which is crucial contribution in the development of Ukraine The work of the fellow deserves continued support both for its analytical deepness and practical relevance. I will support him further and to provide my best assistance in continuation of his work.
10. Are there other appropriate funders that may support the project?
YES - NO
But this must be up to the fellow.
Sincerely,
Viktor Lysytsky
National Coordinator of the Project "Ukrainian Gateway", the former
Governmental Secretary
of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine