Letter of Vision and Personal Contributions – TI Ukraine Juhani Grossmann 10 October 2016
In preparing for this assignment and deciding whether and how to apply, I reviewed my two-year-old vision paper for TI. At the time, I noted with hope that TI Ukraine could play a central and constructive role in the development and passage of key anti-corruption legislation and become an increasingly wellregarded team player. I am very pleased to see that this has wholly come true during the last two years. TI Ukraine was not only able to ensure the passage of key legislation, but also stood at the defense when key anti-corruption milestones were threatened, as recently highlighted by the asset declarations. In this I think it is worth taking a step back and reflecting on the TI Ukraine Team’s achievements with pride. Furthermore, the institution successfully underwent the first leadership transition in its history. These moments are always fraught with risk to the very survival. Yet, we see that TI Ukraine is stronger than ever before. This is a credit both to the outgoing and incoming Executive Directors and their leadership skills. The new leadership has swiftly introduced a range of reforms, including the geographical relocation of the office and establishment of a functional physical space. While these are not a guarantee for further success, they are a necessary prerequisite. Having said this, it is too early to rest on our laurels. Corruption obviously remains rampant in Ukraine. Our mission remains unfulfilled. While the government has to move to the next level if it has any chance at decreasing the level of corruption, so do we. In last paper, I noted the need to establish a more cooperative environment within the anti-corruption CSO community. Clearly we have made great progress here. Now is the time for us to become more robust from a competitive standpoint to ensure sufficient financial flows to allow us to realize our vision and further professionalize the organization through both quantitative and qualitative growth. We clearly have a leader who is able to lead such a transition and it would be my honor to support this process by continuing to serve on the Board. Having said this, one has to be realistic both in terms of what can be contributed from afar, with relatively few visits envisioned during the upcoming Board Term, and that I have already served on the board for a lengthy period of time. What I can offer is to continue sharing my strategic advice for the institution and provide an outside-the-box view on ongoing processes. I am also happy to continue advising on donor and fundraising strategies. Finally, my experience working with dozens of CSOs and many anti-corruption agencies in different countries allows me to being in both expertise and examples that might be useful. Kind regards, Juhani Grossmann