Functional Analysis of VRU Committee on Freedom of Speech

The Verkhovna Rada Committee on Freedom of Speech participates in the Model Committee project, receiving expert, organizational, and communication support from the USAID RADA: Next Generation. This support is provided based on the committee's specific requests, with national and international experts engaged in analyzing draft laws and developing analytical documents. The analysis incorporates established methodologies and best practices, particularly regarding rules, approaches, and procedures for enhancing the committee's core functions.

The cooperation framework is grounded in a Memorandum of Understanding between the Verkhovna Rada Secretariat and NGO Internews Ukraine, signed on March 22, 2022. This agreement, along with the USAID RADA: Next Generation work plan for the model committee, outlines the terms of collaboration. One key task in the 2024 Work Plan is conducting a functional analysis of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Freedom of Speech and preparing a report based on the results.

The primary goal of the functional analysis is to identify critical aspects of the committee's operations and propose areas for optimization to improve its efficiency and effectiveness. The following objectives have been outlined to achieve this:

• Assess the strengths and weaknesses of the committee in its legislative, organizational, and oversight functions, and develop recommendations to address any identified issues.
• Determine key areas where optimizing the committee's work could improve its interaction with the structural units of the Verkhovna Rada, MPs, and stakeholders.
• Identify the committee's needs and requests to strengthen cooperation with public authorities, establish international relations, and enhance its role in public policymaking.

It is important to note that the analysis does not focus on the work or roles of individual MPs who are Committee on Freedom of Speech members. Therefore, this report does not include any information regarding their functions.