The Foreign Service Journal, October 2022

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | OCTOBER 2022 37 The Critical Role of the Private Sector American companies and international partners can play a critical role by bringing global expertise to Ukraine reconstruc- tion, but will need significant clarity and advance consultation. First, strong partnerships should be established with the many qualified Ukrainian firms. While many of these local firms might not have the scale and financial capacity for larger projects, the deep talent pool of qualified engineers, IT professionals, agricul- tural specialists, and logisticians should be fully deployed. Second, prequalification of bidders for primary and sub- contracts will need to be carefully thought through to ensure transparency, competition, and public confidence in the process. Third, the debate on sole source and open competition procurement strategies will have supporters and detractors. However, especially in the emergency phase of the rebuild, a firm’s capability, experience, and speed to mobilize should be strongly considered to ensure quick wins early in the process. Ukraine’s globally recognized ProZorro procurement system should be leveraged to ensure Ukrainian companies can access tenders and provide transparency for all stakeholders. Finally, private sector entities should ensure that the spend- ing stays in Ukraine as much as feasible, with incentives for local sourcing (which is often cheaper, faster, and even better than many offshore options). Key financial institutions such as the Development Finance Corporation, the Export-Import Bank of the U.S., and their international counterparts should consider Ukraine-dedicated funds and programming with authorities that allow creativity and fewer restrictions that govern traditional portfolio. Our embassy in Kyiv should retain and, when possible, surge resources to assist private sector–led reconstruction efforts. Ukraine is fighting not just for herself, but for Europe, trans-Atlantic values, and the ideals of democratic gover- nance. “Reconstruction of Ukraine is not a local task of a single nation,” President Zelenskyy noted. “It is a common task of the whole democratic world.” Unfortunately, no one can accurately predict when the war in Ukraine will end. The daily carnage from Russian bombardment of Ukraine can often make a reconstruction effort hard to ponder. But we know now that a well-coordinated, long-term, international effort—done in partnership with the vast resources of the private sector—will be essential for success. The same decisiveness, cohesion, and determination of U.S., E.U., and NATO efforts to respond to Kremlin perfidy will be required for Ukraine reconstruction over the long haul. The world has much at stake in Ukraine’s ultimate victory. n “TWO KITES,” BY MARIA PRIMACHENKO WIKIOO.ORG -THEENCYCLOPEDIAOFFINEARTS