Following an official request by the President of Ukraine for Swiss assistance in decentralisation and SDC’s decision to choose decentralisation as a core area of cooperation in Ukraine, an international consultant, commissioned by SDC, undertook a baseline study on decentralisation in Ukraine and potential intervention options, in February 2006. Because of the positive response by SDC-HQ to the results of the baseline study and in view of the priority attached by the SDC in supporting the decentralisation process in Ukraine, a Project Document and a credit proposal were elaborated in November 2006.  In December of the same year SDC approved the project and entrusted Skat - Swiss Resource Centre and Consultancies for Development –because of  its longstanding experience not only in Water Supply and Sanitation but also in Community Participation and Social Mobilisation in Ukraine, with the implementation of the project. Thus, project operations started officially in January 2007