USAID ERA and DIAM Discuss Modernization of Ukraine’s Border Crossing Points

Modernization of the BCPs

25 October 2024

On October 24, the USAID Economic Resilience Activity (ERA) representatives, led by Cameron Berkuti, USAID ERA Border Crossing Point Director, met with Oleksandr Novytskyi, Head of the State Inspection of Architecture and Urban Planning of Ukraine (DIAM), to discuss the USAID ERA activities, the procedure for obtaining permit documentation, and construction processes.

ERA is modernizing 42 border crossing points on Ukraine’s borders with Moldova, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania to enhance efficiency, accessibility, safety, and logistical potential for cargo export. In its first year, the USAID Project has already commenced urgent upgrades at 29 border crossing points. Currently, 17 major infrastructure improvement projects are in the final design stages and potentially submitted for construction permits after awarding the contracts.

During the meeting, Oleksandr Novytskyi explained the procedure for how to obtain construction permit documentation and the review process, and discussed urban planning reform within which DIAM operates. He stated that design documentation will be submitted to DIA after awarding the construction contract to obtain construction permits. He also mentioned that when a permit is submitted, the electronic EDESSB system automatically provides applicants with prompts regarding potential errors. This allows for corrections at the document submission stage, helping to minimize the number of document rejections. DIAM became a paperless organization in 2021 with 250 staff and specialists nationwide. DIAM currently handles all class consequence 3 (CC3) projects in the country. Construction permits for CC1 and CC2 have been delegated by legislation to local authorities.

Mr. Oleksandr Novytskyi expressed his willingness to send a checklist of items needed to obtain a construction permit by the project owner.

Cameron Berkuti shared his USAID-ERA objectives and multi-prone approach to increase the export capacity of rail and road BCPs. He was impressed with DIAM’s advanced and innovative developments, solutions, and services to reduce corruption and expedite the approval process in the construction industry.

USAID Improves Grain Transportation Capacity for Ukrainian Medium-Sized Agri Firms

AGRI-Ukraine Export Logistics Support

25 October 2024

USAID’s Economic Resilience Activity (ERA) provided five telehandlers to members of the Ukrainian Agrarian Council, Ukraine’s largest public association of more than 1,200 small and medium-sized agribusinesses from across the country.

These telehandlers will bolster operations at Agrofirma Dzvony, Kushpit, AGRO-ORMS, Agroco, and Kischenzi. The equipment will accelerate elevators operations and increase the grain transportation capacity of these medium-sized firms to 185,130 tons annually.

Agrofirma Dzvony, a family-owned enterprise, expects the modern telehandler to optimize overall work at the elevator and amplify its transportation capacity by 150%. The company will use the telehandler to load trailers under the canopy during harvest, transport grain, and fill big bags with grain. Dzvony specializes in growing wheat, corn, soybeans, rapeseed, and sunflowers.

Another beneficiary of the USAID-provided telehandler is Kushpit, a family-owned business that anticipates improvements in grain storage facility operations with the new equipment. Two of the company’s three telehandlers are outdated, impacting overall efficiency. While telehandlers are utilized across various operations, Kushpit plans to use the new equipment to expedite transportation at the elevator. The existing telehandlers will be repurposed for land plot afforestation, grubbing, and chip overloading related to these reforestation efforts.

AGRO-ORMS, an agri firm, plans to increase its grain transshipment capacity and optimize logistics costs with the new telescopic handler. Due to the dispersed locations of its shipping points, the company currently rents an additional telehandler to supplement its own. AGRO-ORMS expects that utilizing two telehandlers will enable simultaneous shipment from two warehouses, ultimately doubling the speed of grain trailer loading. It will decrease downtime and expedite delivery to ports or borders, potentially leading to a 250% increase in exports.

Furthermore, USAID ERA provided a telehandler to Kischenzi, a diversified farm, that integrates agricultural, dairy, vegetable, and pig farming operations. The company will utilize the USAID-provided telehandler to manage grain movement within storage warehouses and facilitate loading onto vehicles for further transshipment to Ukrainian ports. With the new telehandler, Kischenzi anticipates a 50% increase in grain loading capacity, enabling it to handle up to 4,500 tons of grain daily.

Lastly, USAID ERA provided a telehandler to Agroco, a diversified agri enterprise. Founded in 2001, Agroco cultivates corn, soybeans, sunflowers, and wheat while operating a dairy farm. The new telehandler will enhance the company’s grain handling efficiency at the elevator. Previously, relying on shared equipment from their livestock operations, Agroco expects to double their daily grain loading capacity from 500 to 1,000 tons with the telehandler. This improvement will accelerate technological processes and reduce costs associated with loading rented rail wagons.

Background: Assistance to agricultural producers and infrastructure companies is part of the Agriculture Resilience Initiative (AGRI) – Ukraine, implemented by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It aims to help Ukraine increase its capacity to produce, store, transport, and export grain.

Agri Companies Embrace Lean Methodology for Enhanced Efficiency and Reduced Costs

Increasing Opportunities

23 October 2024

On October 14 and 16, more than 50 representatives from four USAID Economic Resilience Activity (ERA) agri company partners, including Agro-Region, Soufflet Agro Ukraine, MHP, Kernel, and Ukrzaliznytsia, participated in two webinars organized by one of ERA’s grantees, NGO Lean Institute Ukraine. Lean Institute Ukraine consultants, Andrii Dmytriiev and Tetiana Oztunch, hosted the webinar, with the aim of improving various company processes through continuous learning.

Lean methodology is a set of management practices that provides value for customers by encouraging companies to find ways to reduce delays and eliminate waste, focused on people, goals, and processes. Through the webinar, agri companies gained knowledge that will help them optimize logistics processes and reduce time spent on daily grain export operations.

Webinar participants analyzed value cases for the customer in the grain shipment process, identified what constitutes as value for the customer, and what represents losses. Among the eight main types of waste are excessive transportation, inventory, unnecessary movements, waiting, overproduction, excess processing, defects, and unrealized employee potential. Participants mastered the structure, tools, and objectives of mapping using a wheat receiving example.

“This is a great opportunity for companies to reduce their production costs by reviewing their work processes,” said consultant Dmytriiev. “Daily processes must be structured in such a way that the needs of the customer come first. The customer is not interested in how you prepare the contract or why the truck was delayed at the border; they want to receive their goods on time. Thus, customer value is about solving problems where they arise – quickly, fully, without unnecessary time wastage, and minimizing the number of decisions.”

These webinars are the first of seven for agri-logistics companies, which will run until November 6. In addition to this course, there are plans to conduct Kaizen events for agri-logistics companies, rapid training for agri-logistics personnel, a course on service and technical maintenance of agricultural, logistics, and laboratory equipment, as well as systematic post-training support.

Information Communications Technologies (ICT) Manager

23 October 2024

Lviv/ Kyiv

ERA BACKGROUND

Ukraine’s efforts to win the future – emerging from Russia’s full-scale war ready to accelerate its development as a sovereign, independent, democratic, and prosperous state – require a dynamic, inclusive economic recovery. Through partnerships with the government and robust private sector engagement, ERA has supported economic growth and resilience in Ukraine since 2018. Following Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and subsequent occupation of the part of Ukraine, ERA shifted from its focus on Eastern Ukraine to cover development priorities across the country that address Ukraine’s urgent needs in export logistics and infrastructural improvements.

AGRI-UKRAINE GRAIN EXPORT LOGISTICS

USAID’s Economic Resilience Activity (ERA) is one of USAID’s core partners implementing the $350 million Agriculture Resilience Initiative – Ukraine (AGRI-Ukraine) that was established in 2022 to bolster Ukrainian agricultural exports and alleviate the global food security crisis exacerbated by the war. Under AGRI-Ukraine, ERA partners with public and private companies to complement and leverage urgently-needed grain transportation and transshipment investments.

INFRASTRUCTURAL IMPROVEMENTS

ERA also directly supports the Government of Ukraine, including the State Agency for Restoration and Development of Infrastructure of Ukraine (SARDI), the State Customs Service and Ukrainian Railways, to upgrade 42 of Ukraine’s border crossing points (BCPs). Modern and more efficient border infrastructure and customs procedures will reduce export costs and increase export capacity, enabling Ukraine to scale trade and advance its path to EU integration.

ENERGY AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE (EER) SUPPORT

As one of USAID’s most flexible activities that responds to emerging and/or emergency needs, ERA is expanding its interventions that assist Ukraine businesses, communities or individuals in the fall and winter (September 2024-December 2025). The goal is to minimize the impact on the Ukrainian people and economy given recent power deficits. This is an adaptive component and ERA may also need to respond to other emergency needs in the face of ongoing Russian aggression and attacks on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure.

JOB OVERVIEW

The ICT Manager assumes a pivotal role in overseeing the project’s IT System management, encompassing the integration of new hardware and software for program operations or essential upgrades. A key responsibility involves the comprehensive management of the project’s ICT network and computer equipment, ensuring the optimal maintenance and functioning of servers and other technological assets. Moreover, the ICT Manager takes a proactive stance in implementing and managing robust IT security systems, which is crucial for safeguarding sensitive data and ensuring compliance with pertinent regulations. The ICT Manager oversees the team of three IT officers ensuring equipment provision and IT safety and security in three offices, namely Kyiv, Lviv, and Odesa, which means maintaining IT infrastructure and ensuring seamless operations across multiple locations, further highlighting the significance of effective IT management.

The ICT Manager is at the forefront of maintaining a secure and reliable IT environment for all stakeholders, emphasizing the importance of data integrity and confidentiality. Operating within a collaborative team environment, the ICT Manager engages in close coordination with both Operations and Technical teams. This role entails managing IT systems and assessing, enhancing, and aligning IT security measures with industry best practices to mitigate potential risks and vulnerabilities. This position is based at the Lviv ERA office and operates under the supervision of the Chief Financial Officer-CFO.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Lead the strategic organization and continuous oversight of the project’s IT infrastructure, ensuring seamless integration of new hardware and software to support program operations or essential upgrades.
Identify, assess, and manage the procurement needs of IT equipment across three offices – Kyiv, Lviv, and Odesa – collaborating with Procurement Team to ensure timely and cost-effective acquisition while adhering to organizational procurement protocols.
Take charge of the comprehensive management of the project’s ICT network and computer equipment, overseeing the optimal maintenance and ensuring the smooth functioning of servers and other technological assets.
Use established DAI ICT Security protocols and guidelines to design, implement, and manage robust IT security systems to safeguard sensitive data, ensuring compliance with relevant regulations and mitigating potential cybersecurity threats.
Document and articulate security standards for a wide range of products, including network devices, virtual machines, mobile devices, and application development.
Maintain a vigilant approach to ensure data integrity and confidentiality, playing a pivotal role in upholding a secure and reliable IT environment for all stakeholders involved.
Monitor compliance with security processes, policies, and procedures;
Conduct regular risk identification and assessment of Infrastructure & Business Systems security;
Configure and manage dashboards and reports to improve monitoring of security controls;
Maintain ICT disaster recovery plans and ensure they are documented, implemented and tested;
Manage the ICT Needs Assessment (Needs Assessment, Report and Recommendations, Preparing Specifications and implementation plans, preparing approval documentation, Procurement, Implementation and transfer of ICT systems/solutions, Monitoring and Evaluation);
Coordinate user management for all staff and maintain confidentiality of all passwords and other restricted information;
Maintain the project servers’ maintenance throughout three ERA offices. Ensure that the servers are being regularly backed up and functioning properly;
Work with the Administration Procurement Assistant to maintain a list of the project’s IT related inventory;
Coordinate checking systems in order to optimize performance and initiate recovery action after system failures;
Take a leadership role in ensuring efficient and effective IT management across the specified offices, emphasizing the importance of streamlined IT operations, technical excellence, and proper equipment provisioning.

QUALIFICATIONS

MBA/MA in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field. Relevant certifications in IT management, IT System Administration, security, or project management are a strong plus.
A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in IT management, including network infrastructure, hardware/software integration, IT security, and equipment procurement.
Demonstrated expertise in designing, implementing, and managing robust IT security systems, including knowledge of Windows Server & Windows Client operating systems, as well as knowledge of Windows network services: AD, DNS, DHCP, WSUS, Print and file sharing.
Proficiency in a wide range of IT technologies, including network administration, hardware maintenance, software deployment, cloud computing, and server management.
High level of integrity, maintaining confidentiality and adhering to ethical standards in handling sensitive information.
Ability to respond effectively to time-sensitive demands and inquiries.
Ability to multi-task and prioritize tasks. Excellent organizational skills and ability to work as part of a team;
An extremely well-organized and self-directed individual with sound analytical ability, good judgment, and strong operational focus;
Fluency in English and Ukrainian is required.

JOB EXPECTATIONS:

In this position, you are expected to share the DAI four core values:

Integrity: commit to civil and ethical behavior, play by the rules, and do the right thing;
Responsibility: be accountable to clients, partners, grant recipients, beneficiaries, colleagues, and communities where we work. If you fall short, you own up, fix the problem, and get it right the next time;
Excellence: adhere to the highest technical and professional standards in innovation, learning, and service;
Global Citizenship: respect the cultural diversity and treat everyone everywhere with professionalism and dignity to make the world a better place.

WE OFFER

Contract length: 12-month employment agreement with a possibility of extension.

Benefits Package:

28 calendar days of annual leave
10 days of internal well-being paid leave per annum
Medical Insurance for ERA staff and their families
Life Insurance for ERA staff
Coverage of all expenses for the business trips
Military reservation is possible and granted if you are on a relevant military register

Start date: November 2024

Application process

All applicants must send a cover letter and updated CV (no longer than four pages) in English to ukraine@dai.com

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or status as a protected veteran.

Closing date for applications: November 20, 2024.

For further information about DAI GLOBAL LLC, please consult our website era-ukraine.org.ua.

USAID-provided Pilot Boat Speeds Export Operations in the Danube Ports

AGRI-Ukraine Export Logistics Support

22 October 2024

In May 2024, the state enterprise, Ukrainian of Sea Ports Authority (USPA) received a pilot boat from the USAID Economic Resilience Activity (ERA) to strengthen the export capacity of seaports, by transporting maritime pilots between land and inbound/outbound ships, impacting logistical efficiency of cargo and export processing.

Since July 17, the Ukrainian flag raising ceremony symbolized placing the Hennadii Zhuravkov pilot boat into service, delivering pilots to facilitate commercial shipping on the river and sea ports. During the three months of active use (July-September), the team on Hennadii Zhuravkov, delivered pilots to more than 400 jobs, accounting for 20% of all pilot services.

On board Hennadii Zhuravkov there are usually two people, a captain and a sailor, working an 11-hour shift, and it generally takes 1 hour 7 minutes to complete one pilot delivery operation. This is 33% faster than on previous pilot boats that took 1 hour 40 minutes. In total Hennadii Zhuravkov processed 417 vessels, 57 in July, 203 in August, and 157 in September.

“Most of the ships where we delivered pilots by boat, are dry cargo ships that mainly transport grain cargo for export from Ukraine, as well as construction materials and livestock,” says Oleksandr Holodnytskyi, Head of the Delta-Lotsman branch of USPA. “The new pilot boat ensures uninterrupted operations in the seaport, which is very important for the Ukrainian economy during the war. This has a positive effect on the growth of the seaport’s logistical capabilities, avoiding delays in the pilot service work, and increasing the port’s potential daily throughput capacity. It was with clear and convincing calculations that USAID ERA provided us with such a valuable pilot boat built for our needs, and we are grateful for that!”

Recently, the second pilot boat USAID is building for USPA, named Pilot Cheberiakov, successfully completed sea trials. In total, USPA will receive three pilot boats to further strengthen the export capacity of the Ukrainian economy on the Danube and Black Sea ports.

USAID ERA builds new strategic partnerships to develop the agricultural sector’s export potential

AGRI-Ukraine Export Logistics Support

21 October 2024

In September, the USAID Economic Resilience Activity (ERA) formalized partnerships with the Ukrainian Club of Agrarian Business (UCAB), Ukrainian Grain Association (UZA), and Spike Marketing LLC. The signed memorandums outline plans to participate in international conferences and export exhibitions in and outside Ukraine, extend invitations to key buyers to visit Ukraine to familiarize themselves with the market, hold B2B meetings in potential markets, as well as improve the skills of employees of Ukrainian companies in the agricultural sector.

The Ukrainian Agribusiness Club (UCAB), a business association, will develop market connections and new opportunities for exporting agricultural products, improve employee qualifications within agricultural companies, and inspire younger generations to get involved in agriculture.

The Ukrainian Grain Association (UGA), a business association, will focus on developing export sales and connections with international markets for grain and oil crop exports.

Spike Marketing LLC, who specializes in logistics and agricultural exports, will increase the export potential for farmers and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

These strategic partnerships will contribute to increasing Ukrainian producers’ competitiveness in the global market and contribute to making Ukraine an attractive market for future business opportunities.

Background: Assistance to agricultural producers and infrastructure companies is part of the Agriculture Resilience Initiative (AGRI) – Ukraine, implemented by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It aims to help Ukraine increase its capacity to produce, store, transport, and export grain.