This book is an in-depth analysis of some unexpected consequences of international aid for
transition in a post-communist state. Examining the reform efforts of relations between Kiev
and the regions of Ukraine Duncan Leitch explores how and why fiscal decentralization and
regional policy programs initiated by the Ukrainian government and supported by the Western
donor community failed to achieve a sustained outcome. Drawing on concepts from Institutional
Theory Comparative Politics and Development Studies Leitch explains the complex interactions
between external donors and the domestic recipients of their advice. His findings throw a light
on the narrow circumstances under which short-term success can be achieved but also point
towards the failings of the donor community to lay the groundwork for lasting reform. A
valuable resource for anyone working in the development sector in Eastern Europe or beyond
this book provides a new outlook on the political realities of the reform process the
relevance of international advice and the domestic pressures leading to the Maidan uprising of
2013.
