Kateryna Frolova, Head, Global GovTech Centre Kyiv, Ukraine

1) What does public service mean to you? Can you share more about your role in the public sector?

Public service, to me, means building systems that people can rely on — especially in times of crisis.

In Ukraine, public institutions are operating during a full-scale war while simultaneously modernising services and supporting citizens through immense uncertainty. 

My path in the Ukrainian public sector started in 2023, when I came back to Ukraine after almost eight years abroad working in large technology companies across London, Dublin, and Paris. 

I wanted to apply my experience in digital transformation and product development to contribute to Ukraine’s resilience and recovery. 

I joined the Coordination Centre for Family Upbringing and Child Care Development under the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine as Chief Digital Transformation Officer (CDTO), where I led the development of digital products and data systems for child protection services.

One of the key initiatives was launching dity.gov.ua — Ukraine’s national platform for adoption and family-based child care. 

The role required coordinating across government institutions, local authorities, international organisations, and technical teams to align policy, technology, and implementation. 

Today, I continue this work as Head of the Global Government Technology Centre Kyiv, launched by the World Economic Forum and the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, where I focus on strengthening the GovTech industry in Ukraine and globally through partnerships and open innovation. 

For me, public service is about creating long-term impact — using innovation and technology to build a more resilient, human-centred government. 

2) Tell us about a project you championed. What impact did it have on the community?

One of the projects I am currently championing is the development of the GovTech Lab Ukraine programme at the Global Government Technology Centre Kyiv. 

Ukraine has one of the most advanced digital government ecosystems in the world, yet startups and innovators still face barriers when collaborating with the public sector.

GovTech Lab Ukraine was created to provide a structured environment where government institutions can pilot innovative GovTech solutions with startups in a faster, lower-risk and more practical way. 

The initiative is inspired by leading international GovTech models, including programmes in Lithuania, Singapore, and the UK, but adapted to Ukraine’s wartime and recovery context.

Our goal is not only to help government institutions innovate more effectively, but also to create opportunities for startups to scale their solutions locally and internationally. 

The impact goes beyond technology itself.

Better collaboration between governments and innovators can improve public services, accelerate recovery efforts, and strengthen trust in institutions.

At the same time, supporting the GovTech ecosystem creates new economic opportunities for Ukrainian companies and helps position Ukraine as a global contributor to digital public innovation. 

For me, the most meaningful part of the project is building bridges between sectors that do not traditionally work closely together — government, startups, international partners, and civil society. 

3) As a young professional, how has your unique background or perspective allowed you to identify a solution that others in your organisation might have overlooked?

My international experience gave me a broader perspective on how digital products and innovation ecosystems are built and scaled.

It also exposed me to more mature models of collaboration between the public and private sectors. 

When I joined the Global Government Technology Centre Kyiv, it was still a young organisation in its early stage of development. That created an opportunity not only to contribute to existing initiatives, but also to help shape new approaches and operating models. 

In this context, I identified the opportunity to design structured GovTech piloting mechanisms — moving beyond ad-hoc innovation projects toward a more systematic approach where government institutions and startups can test, iterate, and scale solutions together. 

4) What is your personal strategy for maintaining your creative energy when faced with bureaucracy?

My main strategy is to stay anchored in the original purpose of why I chose this path: to contribute to Ukraine’s resilience during a time of profound national challenge.

When processes feel slow or overly complex, I try to step back and reconnect with the people and outcomes behind the work.  

I also remind myself that in Ukraine’s context, innovation is not optional — it is one of the main paths to resilience and recovery.

This perspective helps reframe bureaucracy not as a barrier, but as a system that needs to be worked with and gradually improved in order to enable meaningful change. 

5) If you had just one area to invest in to accelerate transformation in the public sector (regulation, technology, talent, etc.), which one would you choose and why?

If I had to choose one area, I would invest in strengthening public–private partnerships as a core mechanism for innovation in government. 

In many contexts, including Ukraine, there is significant untapped potential in how the public sector collaborates with startups, technology companies, and international partners.

Too often, this relationship is transactional or project-based, rather than structured as a long-term innovation partnership. 

Well-designed public–private collaboration frameworks can unlock much faster experimentation, shared risk, and access to cutting-edge solutions that governments would not typically build alone.

They also help translate private-sector innovation into real public value at scale.

6) What is your greatest ambition as you grow in your public service career?

My greatest ambition is to help sustain a culture of innovation within government institutions.

What inspires me most is seeing how much transformation is possible when people inside government are empowered to experiment, collaborate, and think differently.

Ukraine has already demonstrated extraordinary progress in digital government, especially under the pressures of war.

My ambition is to help ensure that this momentum does not slow down, but instead becomes embedded in the culture of public institutions long-term. 

7) What is a “universal value” that connects everyone in your department – from interns to directors – and how do you use that to drive collaboration?

The universal value at GGTC Kyiv is a shared commitment to Ukraine’s transformation and resilience during wartime.

From interns to directors, everyone understands that our work directly contributes to the country’s ability to function, recover, and adapt under pressure. 

I use this as a constant reference point in collaboration.

When priorities or perspectives differ, returning to the question of how something strengthens resilience helps align decisions quickly and keeps teams focused on impact rather than process. 

8) What is the best piece of advice you’ve got for the next generation of public servants?

Do not underestimate how much impact you can have early in your career.

Some of the most important changes in government today are being driven by people who are willing to challenge outdated assumptions, work across sectors, and bring new perspectives into public institutions. 

9) What is a myth you wish to debunk about young public servants?

One myth I would like to debunk is that young professionals in the public sector are “too inexperienced” to contribute to meaningful change. 

In reality, younger public sector professionals often bring exactly the perspectives governments need most today — adaptability, cross-sector experience, digital fluency, and openness to new ways of working. 

10) Write a letter to your future self in 2035. Please keep it within 200 words.

Dear future me, 

I hope that by 2035 you still carry the same sense of purpose that brought you back to Ukraine in 2023 — the belief that meaningful change is possible when people are willing to build, collaborate, and take responsibility.

I hope you never lose the curiosity and energy to challenge outdated systems and help create institutions that are more open, human-centred, and resilient. 

I also hope you remember that progress is rarely linear. The most meaningful transformations often start with small ideas, difficult conversations, and people who continue moving forward even when change feels slow. 

Most of all, I hope you stayed connected to purpose rather than titles or recognition. If you helped shape a culture where innovation, trust, and collaboration became a natural part of public institutions, then the work was worth it. 

And hopefully, by then, Ukraine is known not only for its resilience during difficult times, but for the future it managed to build afterward. 

The story was made possible due a partnership with the Global GovTech Centre (GGTC) Kyiv.