Transparency as the Foundation of Trust: Tips and Examples for Organizations in Ukraine, Georgia, and Armenia

In countries undergoing complex transformations and fighting corruption, transparency is not just a trendy term but a critically important component of success and survival. For Ukraine, Georgia, and Armenia, where civil society actively upholds the right to information, and the trustworthiness of a business or NGO is a key factor in decision-making, transparency becomes a powerful competitive advantage.

This article is a practical guide for managers and communication specialists who want to build trust through openness.

Why is Transparency So Important in Our Region?
Combating Stereotypes: Historically, the region has had high levels of corruption and opacity. Actively demonstrating transparency is a way to break these stereotypes and build a new reputation.

Requirements of International Partners: Donors, investors, and international organizations working in Ukraine, Georgia, or Armenia often have heightened requirements for financial reporting and openness as a condition for funding or cooperation.

Active Civil Society: All three countries have strong media and activists who use tools like public information requests and journalistic investigations. It’s better to be prepared for requests in advance than to deal with a scandal later.

Building Trust in Times of Crisis: In conditions of war (Ukraine) or political instability, trust in institutions becomes a primary social asset. Organizations that operate transparently gain significant public support.

Key Areas of Transparency and Practical Examples
Here are the aspects of activity to focus on, along with successful regional case studies.

1. Financial Transparency
This is the cornerstone. The public and donors want to know how and on what funds are spent.

What to do:
Publish financial reports: Place annual reports, audit conclusions, budgets, and budget execution reports on your website.
Detail expenses: Don’t just write “operational expenses.” Disclose what that includes: rent, utilities, salaries, procurement, etc.
Use interactive formats: Create infographics, charts, and online dashboards that make the numbers understandable to a broad audience.

Example from Ukraine:
The «Diia» (Action) Platform publishes data on public procurement in real-time through the ProZorro system. This is a benchmark example of how technology can make processes maximally transparent and close off potential avenues for abuse.

2. Transparency in Decision-Making
People want to understand the logic behind your actions, not just see the final result.

What to do:
Publish meeting minutes: If you have a board, board of trustees, or other governing body, publish the minutes (key decisions) from their meetings (excluding confidential information).
Explain the motivation behind decisions: When announcing a new project or policy change, publish not only the decision itself but also the analysis that led to it, the options considered, and the arguments for and against.

Example from Georgia:
The Georgian government actively uses e-government portals to publish draft laws at the public discussion stage. This allows the public and experts to contribute their suggestions before final decisions are made.

3. Transparency in Procurement and Spending
This is the most vulnerable point for corruption, and therefore the most important for demonstrating transparency.

What to do:
Use electronic systems: Conduct all procurement through official electronic platforms (analogous to Ukraine’s ProZorro, Armenia’s AMSEP, or Georgia’s state procurement systems).
Publish contracts: Place signed contracts and certificates of work completed in the public domain (with reasonable redaction of personal data).
Announce tenders: Even if the procurement is small, announce it publicly on your website and social media to attract more suppliers and avoid accusations of cronyism.

Example from Armenia:
The AMSEP (armeps.am) system is a centralized platform for electronic procurement that ensures transparency in public procurement in Armenia. All procedures, documents, and results are public.

4. Communication Transparency
Be open to dialogue and prepared to answer questions.

What to do:
Implement a clear information request policy: Clearly state on the website which email address to send requests to and the timeframe within which you are obligated to respond.
Actively use social media: Don’t just announce news; engage in dialogue. Respond to comments, host Q&A sessions, and live-stream important events.
Do not hide problems: If a mistake is made or a scandal arises, it’s better to be honest about it, apologize, and present a plan to resolve the issue. Attempting to cover it up in the modern information space will lead to much greater reputational damage.

5. Transparency in Reporting to Beneficiaries
This is especially important for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and charitable foundations.

What to do:
Report on impact (impact reporting): Don’t just report what you did (“built 5 schools”), but what change it brought (“as a result, 500 children gained access to quality education”). Use photos, videos, and human stories.

Create special reports for donors: If you raised funds for a specific project, create a separate report showing every hryvnia, lari, or dram spent.

Example from Ukraine:
The “Come Back Alive” Charitable Foundation is a model of transparency. The fund regularly publishes detailed financial reports, reports on the procurement of specific equipment for the Armed Forces of Ukraine (from coffee to drones), and even has a public dashboard with statistics on inflows and outflows. This is the foundation of their incredible public trust.

Tips for Successful Implementation
Create a transparency policy. This should be an official document describing exactly what information you publish, how often, and in what format.

Use technology. Open data, APIs, and interactive dashboards are now the standard, not a luxury.

Respond to all requests. Even critical and uncomfortable ones. Your goal is not to ignore, but to convince.

Start small. If you’re not ready for full openness, start by publishing an annual report or audit results. Step by step.

Train your team. All employees, especially management, must understand the value of transparency and adhere to unified communication rules.

Conclusion
For organizations in Ukraine, Georgia, and Armenia, transparency is not an expense, but an investment. An investment in trust, reputation, and, ultimately, in stability and success. In societies that value honesty and openness, the most successful are those who are not afraid to operate in plain sight. Start today—and your audience will reward you with loyalty and support.