Five years of monitoring of Kharkiv City Council: what has changed

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AMI, together with the all-Ukrainian campaign “Attestation of Deputies of Local Councils”, has completed the fifth year of evaluation of deputies of Kharkiv City Council.

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‍1. As everything was

AMI participates in the campaign “Attestation of deputies of local councils” since 2024 as a regional partner for Kharkiv region. Every year the team of the organization evaluates the work of the deputies of the Kharkiv City Council according to a single methodology: openness of biographies, organization of reception of citizens, communication in social networks, reporting practices.

In 2025, the assessment covered 81 council deputies in their fifth year of office. The work was carried out in parallel with the implementation of the main AMI projects in the communities of the Kharkiv region in the conditions of a full-scale war.

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2. Impressive results

The average council estimate has risen from 2.9 in 2024 to 3.6 in 2025. Five years of monitoring is the best indicator.

For the first time, it was possible to record not isolated cases, but a more systematic practice of reporting deputies. Following AMI's request, the city council provided detailed materials, including the texts of the reports.

Biographies appeared in all deputies, more than half contain a full set of necessary information.

The number of deputies with bilateral communication with voters increased to 60.

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3. Challenges and Achievements

Some deputies combine work in the council with service in the Armed Forces or volunteering, which objectively affects the possibilities of full-fledged deputy activity. At the same time, the overall dynamics are positive even in this context.

The key problem remains: openness at the site level does not equal real contact with the voter. Most deputies disclose information about the reception, but it is not always possible to confirm its actual conduct.

Social networks are used mainly for information - feedback to citizens remains limited.

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4. Impact on the community

Public monitoring in Kharkiv is not the only tool that makes the inaction of deputies visible. The law does not provide for sanctions for failure to make receptions or lack of reports. Therefore, it is the public evaluation that creates the incentive for change, even without a coercive mechanism.

Five years of consistent work have changed the situation: what in 2021 was the norm of absence becomes a deviation from the standard in 2025.

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5. What the project left

A detailed analysis of the evaluation results is available in the full publication:Transparency without contact: have the deputies of the Kharkiv City Council become more open in reality?

Full report with the performance of each MP:Download PDF

AMI continues to work within the 2026 campaign.

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The project is implemented with the support of the Odessa regional organization “Committee of Voters of Ukraine” within the framework of the all-Ukrainian campaign “Attestation of deputies of local councils”.