In mid-August, heads and deputy heads of municipalities of the Khmelnytskyi and Chernivtsi Oblasts visited municipalities of the Vinnytsia Oblast as part of a study visit organised by U-LEAD with Europe. The delegation observed the good practices of arranging medical, educational, social, utility, housing and solid waste management services. In addition, the guests studied the management mechanisms of municipal facilities.
“Experience exchange visits are a chance to study good practices o scale them up to other municipalities. At these events, heads of municipalities can exchange practical experiences, as well as find ways to solve common problems in a given area,” said Vitalii Shvets, Head of the Regional Office of U-LEAD with Europe in the Vinnytsia Oblast.
Municipality of Kalynivka: focus on education and healthcare
The way medical services are organised in the Kalynivka municipality is worth learning about. The central district hospital and the city’s primary healthcare centre operate here. Institutions are constantly updated and modernised, attracting funds from various sources. In August 2024, a 20-bed rehabilitation department was opened at the Kalynivka Central District Hospital. Here, military personnel and veterans will be able to recover their strength and receive quality medical care.
Over the past year, the key educational institutions of the Kalynivka municipality have provided conditions for face-to-face classes. The participants of the study visit saw Lyceum No. 3 and Lyceum-Gymnasium No. 2, discussed the ins and outs of arranging the educational process in wartime and took a look at bomb shelters and renovated classrooms. Interestingly, the bomb shelter of the lyceum-gymnasium mirrors the second floor, and there is also an interactive laser tag space that hosts the Defence of Ukraine class.
The visitors also checked out Kalynivka’s Avangard Youth Sports School, which now hosts a newly opened hotel for athletes and the Kalynivka Technological Vocational College.
Presenting the municipality, Vasyl Polishchuk, Mayor of Kalynivka, shared his management experience and talked about the municipality’s cost-saving economic solutions. The city council uses available resources, such as its own vegetable garden for fresh produce, as well as attracts grant funds and charitable support from local entrepreneurs. This partially covers the meals for children in schools and kindergartens, as well as for patients in the hospital.
“The municipality of Kalynivka is proud to have been able to present its successes in the management of municipal services and exchange experiences with our colleagues from other oblasts. We believe that the knowledge and ideas learned will be useful for all participants of the visit and will contribute to the further development of local self-government in Ukraine,” reads the municipality’s statement.
What happens when the young and ambitious are in power
For the majority of participants of the study visit, the Ladyzhyn municipality is now associated with project management, the arboretum and public spaces. As part of the visit, the guests attended the Open Space for Public Development and the Spadshchyna Creativity Centre, the Ladyzhyn City Hospital and the future Veteran Rehabilitation Centre, as well as the Ladyzhyn Arboretum.
Oleksandr Kolomiets, Secretary of the Ladyzhyn City Council, and Maksym Chekryhin, Deputy Mayor, told the guests about the development and ambitious projects of the municipality. They also spoke about the history of the creation of the Open Space for Public Development, attracting investments into the municipality and the specific features of the integration of IDPs.
The project activities of the Ladyzhyn municipality cover almost all public sectors. In 2023, the outdated premises of the Spadshchyna Creativity Centre were renovated here with donor funds. Now, a sustainability centre is being built here at the expense of benefactors.
A rehabilitation centre for defenders of Ukraine, war veterans and all residents of the municipality is being created in the Ladyzhyn Health and Recreation Centre. Funding for this project comes from various sources. Part of the funds for the development of the facility will be received from the Vinnytsia Regional Council as the winner of the Safe and Resilient Municipalities Competition. Negotiations are ongoing with French benefactors regarding the EUR 5 million project of reconstruction of the rehabilitation department.
“Senior officials of the Ladyzhyn municipality are actively working on programmes and grants. Having a sufficient budget of their own, they rely only on it while also seeking extra-budgetary sources for development. In case, however, the local budget allocations are lacking, they attract additional resources and implement initiatives,” said Ivan Hanhal, Deputy Mayor of Sokyriany, Chernivtsi Oblast.
The sports capital of the Podillia region or sports as a tool for the socio-economic development of the Bar municipality
Bar can be described as “a municipality that is friendly to every resident”. At a meeting with colleagues, Mayor Volodymyr Savoliuk talked about implemented projects, social protection and provision of services, challenges in ensuring the day-to-day operation of the municipality in wartime and channelling resources to help the Armed Forces. In addition, international partnerships of the Bar municipality were discussed, in particular the one facilitated by U-LEAD, a partnership with the city of Bar, Montenegro.
The mayor also shared his plans:
“I firmly believe that Bar will become the sports capital of the Podillia region and that historical, sports, and recreational tourism will develop around the local sports culture. We plan to hold championships, competitions, practices and other large-scale events here.”
The sports-loving nature of the municipality is evident with all sports grounds and gyms that have been renovated and made available for practice. Kolos Junior High School is kept up-to-date and regularly modernised. Ukrainian sports clubs chose it as a training site for their athletes.
“Today, the best thing you can do for your body to distract it from stress is to do sports. Classes are free for 600 local children. Moreover, for kids aged 4 and 5, we organise a bus to the sports school where they can learn to play football. Four groups of 25 to 30 children were formed initially, and now there are 6,” said the mayor.
The participants of the study visit saw the sports school, talked with its director and attended the practice of the basketball team from Kryvyi Rih.
The delegation was also curious about the experience of providing social services of the Social Services Centre, including the operation of departments, addressing problems related to domestic violence, providing care at home, maintaining the Mercy Centre, supporting defenders of Ukraine and their families and maintaining a special focus on the needs of these families, veterans and children of military personnel, with whom the Strong and Resilient Veteran Space actively works today.
As part of the visit, the guests attended the local Inclusive Resource Centre, the Bar Vocational Transport and Construction College under the National Technical University and talked with the Sh-Pak Charitable Foundation, whose volunteers help the Armed Forces by making parts for drones, power banks, lanterns, FPV drones and loitering munitions and have already launched their pilot school.
Next, the guests got a first-hand look at the waste management practices in the Bar municipality, the smooth process of solid waste collection from 70 settlements and the operation of the waste sorting line. This location was of particular interest to every participant, as the problem of spontaneous landfills and waste management is familiar to every municipality.
Mykhailo Tenenev, head of the Teofipol municipality, Khmelnytskyi Oblast, believes that sharing experiences is the best way to grow:
“You come, take a look at how others are doing things, study their experiences and implement what’s best for you. Don’t be afraid to share your success. When it comes to the development of the country, this is the only way: go and share.”
He emphasised that he was particularly interested in the experience of the Bar Vocational College and is already planning an experience-sharing event for the principal of the municipality’s college.
Yuliia Povar, Deputy Head of the village of Chemerivtsi, Khmelnytskyi Oblast, shared her impressions:
“Comparing all three municipalities, each had their own highlights, but they all have teamwork in common. They all have a leader whom everyone understands and hears, and sees the vision. The Kalynivka municipality has a very strong volunteer and economic direction. They focus on education and cultural institutions. Ladyzhyn succeeds through modernity — project work and grants. Their attraction is the arboretum. The Bar municipality centres on sports, social services and excellent teamwork. No one is ever left behind. These events motivate us not to stop, working step by step for the development of our municipality.”