On May 20 and 21, 2019, the Council of Europe organised a conference in Budapest for staff members of the Secretariat of the Ukrainian Parliament, the Verkhovna Rada..

The goal of this conference was to inform the staff of the Verkhovna Rada about internationally proven methods and technologies that can be applied to continuously monitor and evaluate the impact of government policy and legislation in Ukraine, thereby strengthening the rule of law.

Various speakers presented methods that have been successfully applied in countries such as Italy, Belgium, Romania, France, Macedonia, and Latvia.

IMPEC, represented by Carlo Bakker, demonstrated the Impact Communication approach, which, in addition to monitoring and evaluation, particularly highlights the added value of positive communication.

The development and implementation of legislation and policy remain primarily technical and content-driven processes, with little attention paid to evaluation and communication, factors that are precisely what ensure that the target audience stays engaged and involved.

The same applies in the case of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union. We observe a similar trend, where the focus of ongoing programs is primarily on content, with limited attention to how the message is conveyed.

The feedback we received from the staff of the Verkhovna Rada emphasised that soft communication factors—such as culture, habits, and language—are decisive in determining the success or failure of cooperation between Ukraine and the EU. An Impact Communication plan to support the Ukrainian-European Association Agreement would therefore have a positive effect in realising the shared ambitions.

As a follow-up, discussions will take place with the Dutch Embassy in Kyiv to explore how the originally Dutch Impact Communication method can be placed on the agenda of the Ukrainian government.

This initiative aims to support the effective implementation of the Association Agreement and other policy frameworks through improved public engagement, strategic messaging, and evaluation mechanisms. By aligning communication strategies with cultural and contextual understanding, IMPEC hopes to contribute to a more inclusive, transparent, and cooperative European future for Ukraine.