U-LEAD with Europe presented the updated training programme “Steps for Specialists. Designing a Municipal Development Strategy”. Participants of this initiative from 70 municipalities from different oblasts of Ukraine were selected back in 2021, but due to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the start of the training was postponed.
Our experts have prepared six online seminars and a final info session that will explore each stage of strategy development in detail. The initiative will be active from April to November 2023.
“Participants will receive basic knowledge about the stages of designing a local development strategy and an action plan for its implementation for further coordination in their working groups,” said Nataliia Onyshchuk, Head of the Regional Office of U-LEAD in the Ternopil oblast.
According to her, a municipality needs a strategy to boost its competitive edge, achieve the desired changes and balanced management taking into account the interests of all people living there. It also helps attract public and private investments as well as international technical assistance and is a tool for effective use of local financial resources.
The first online seminar was held on the basis of the Regional Office of U-LEAD in the Ternopil oblast. Municipal officials analysed the methodology of strategic planning, including the stages of socio-economic analysis and surveys of residents or businesses. During development planning, experts advise focusing on three strategy components: local economy development, human capital development and environmental protection.
“During the entire time of their training on the U-LEARN platform, participants of the initiative will have access to draft solutions, presentations and templates of various documents necessary for the strategic planning process. On the same platform, our experts will give professional answers to the general questions of the training participants,” said Heorhii Fedoruk, Adviser on Municipal Finance and Management of U-LEAD in the Zhytomyr oblast.
The municipalities participating in the initiative should hold the first meeting of the working group by the end of April, then conduct a socio-economic analysis of their territory as well as a survey of residents and businesses. In May, they will attend a new seminar, “Application of Data. Drafting a Local Development Strategy".