The Swiss-Ukrainian Decentralization Support Project in Ukraine, DESPRO, has established an Expert and Advisory Council of the project. Leading experts in local self-government, regional development, state administration, information technology and other areas were invited to participate in the Council.

The Project Information and Monitoring System (PIMS) is an electronic online database of planned, ongoing and completed activities and sub-projects of the Swiss-Ukrainian Decentralization Support Project in Ukraine, DESPRO. PIMS is linked to the project objectives defined in the project document. It ensures the accumulation of information to be transformed into knowledge and experience; vertical and horizontal contact between users; transparency and control over project management; and the production of statistics and report data.

The knowledge management system (KM system) in the sector of decentralization and local government is an integrated, systematic approach to defining, managing and disseminating knowledge among local government officials and civil servants at different levels for the reform of public authorities in Ukraine, thereby enhancing the quality of government services to the population. The aim of the system is to strengthen the institutional capacity of local governments and local state administrations as well as to collect in one place information and knowledge in the area of decentralization and reform of the system of authority. Civil servants at all levels, representatives of local government bodies, self-governing community-based organizations, NGOs, think tanks, universities and specialized educational institutions, international agencies and the media are among those envisioned as being the users of the KM system. The system should complement the current system of professional training for civil servants and take into account existing experience.

The round-table "Needs and possibilities of solving solid waste management problems in the cities of Ukraine" was held in Ivano-Frankivsk on May 27-28, 2010.

National round-table "Prospects for reforming of the local self-government in Ukraine" was carried out with the support of the Swiss-Ukrainian Decentralization Support to Ukraine project DESPRO in c.Kyiv on May 27, 2010.

Ukrainian Parliament Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn supports the need for elections to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine by open party lists and return to the majority system for elections to the local self-governments.
V. Lytvyn spoke for introduction of the appropriate amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine, while opening the parliamentary hearings on the issue: "Reforming the legislation of Ukraine on local elections taking into account interests of local communities” on May 12, 2010.

International Conference on "Democracy and Decentralization" was held in St. Gallen (Switzerland) on May 3-4, 2010.

Expert discussion on the implementation of the effective models of knowledge management in the area of decentralization was held in Kyiv on April 15, 2010.
The discussion was elicited by the need of taking into account the views of national experts and partners, as well as identifying approaches, concepts and methods of management DESPRO’s knowledge and experience.

DESPRO project was presented to the participants of the conference of the Municipal Governance and Sustainable Development Program UNDP

Issues of applying the successful experience of Swiss-Ukrainian Decentralization Support to Ukraine Project DESPRO in the area of decentralization and support of local governance, project participation in support of regional development in Ukraine were discussed during the conference "Decentralization in Action” carried out in Kyiv on March 16. DESPRO partners summarized the activities of the first phase of the project in 2007 - 2009 years, and discussed the main challenges and priorities for the second phase.

The results of work of Crimean housing and utility infrastructure in 2009 were summarized at the board meeting of the Ministry of Housing and Utility Infrastructure of AR Crimea, which was held in Simferopol on March 3, 2010.
Minister of Housing of AR Crimea Volodymyr Bazhenov reported to the Board on the results of 2009 and informed about the main directions of the housing industry development in 2010-2014.

Swiss Cooperation Office (SCO) has celebrated the tenth birthday together with its partners on February 25, 2010. The event was attended by distinguished guests such as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Switzerland to Ukraine HE Mr. George Zubler and Minister of Regional Development and Construction of Ukraine Mr. Vasyl Kuybida. Also among the invited guests were representatives of the projects implemented by SCO, in particular, Oksana Garnets, Decentralization Supporting to Ukraine DESPRO Project Leader.

Monitoring visits of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and Decentralization Support to Ukraine project DESPRO leadership to Bakhchysarai rayon of AR Crimea was carried out on February 11, 2010.

Meeting of the DESPRO Steering Committee of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea was carried out in Simferopol on February 10, 2010.
The results of the first phase activity (2007-2009) of the Swiss-Ukrainian Decentralization Support to Ukraine DESPRO project in AR Crimea were summarized during the Steering Committee meeting.

27-29th  of January. Koncha-Zaspa, Kyiv rayon. Swiss-Ukrainian DESPRO project organized and conducted the training for trainers on regional and local development programs.