Ten communities of the North and South of Ukraine joined the "REPAIR Ukraine" initiative

During December, experts of the project "Promoting Improving the Standards of Planning and Implementation of Recovery at the Municipal Level" held introductory and training seminars in 10 communities of Mykolaiv, Odesa and Chernihiv regions. This project is implemented by the Partnership for Transparency Europe in partnership with the NGO "4U" and the Odesa regional organization of the NGO "Committee of Voters of Ukraine" in partnership with the NGO "Agency for Urban Initiatives", NGO "Agency for Economic Development" and the Kherson regional organization of the NGO "Committee of Voters of Ukraine" with funding from the Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ) and the Czech Development Agency (CZDA) within the framework of the "REPAIR Ukraine" initiative.

During the meetings in Beryslav, Vysokopillia, Karolino-Bugazka, Koblivska, Kuyalnytskyi, Mykolaiv, Mykhailo-Kotsiubynska, Novobilouska, Novobuh and Ochakiv territorial communities, our experts conducted training on the standards and principles of reconstruction and recovery, presented the purpose and stages of the project, joined the discussion on the challenges faced by communities during recovery, exchanged views on the implementation of the principles that must be met in planning, recovery and reconstruction processes in communities. Despite the serious challenges that communities are currently facing due to the losses caused by the war, representatives of local self-government noted that now it is especially important to carry out reconstruction procedures transparently, openly and in close cooperation with residents:

"We understand all the challenges facing us and are ready for them. It is important for us not only to achieve short-term results, but also to create a foundation for sustainable development that can support the community in the long term. We strive to attract all available resources, innovative approaches and partnerships to make our community more successful and competitive," said Serhiy Fedoseiev, Director of the Local Development Agency of the Koblivka Village Council.

According to Angelina Ursul, project manager of the Kuyalnytskyi village council, this project will allow communities not only to overcome current challenges in compliance with transparency and accountability standards to the public, but also to lay the foundation for sustainable development in the future.  

Dmytro Fedorov, Novobilouska village head, spoke about the importance of auditing restoration documents that have already been developed in the community: according to him, the community has a recovery plan and a comprehensive development program, so now it is important to try to do everything to ensure that these processes comply with the basic principles of good governance practiced in the European Union member states.

"We believe that public involvement has a positive effect on the development of the community itself. We are now trying to comprehensively involve the public in decision-making of the city council, the executive committee, we have created a public council, a youth council," Oleksandr Alchiev, head of the frontline Beryslav City Military Administration, shared his experience.

The project "Promoting Higher Standards of Planning and Implementation of Recovery at the Municipal Level" includes, in particular, a pilot study of reconstruction and recovery processes in communities, as well as their compliance with the basic principles of good governance of the Council of Europe. Its implementation aims to assist communities in strengthening transparency, accountability and public participation in the recovery process and providing appropriate recommendations.

During the implementation of the project activities, experts will provide prompt feedback to community representatives, which will make it possible to quickly adjust the recovery strategy and plans. The recommendations to territorial communities that will be provided as a result of the project are designed to improve the recovery process, make it more efficient, as well as ensure a systematic approach to the reconstruction of not only physical facilities, but also to comprehensive recovery in the community through the establishment of procedures and effective resource management.

In addition, on the basis of the pilot study, recommendations will be prepared for state authorities and international organizations on the current challenges of the recovery processes in Ukraine and the priority steps to address them.

The results of the project will become the basis for the development of recommendations and standards that can be applied for scaling up and implementation in other communities or regions of the country, taking into account specific conditions and needs.

The REPAIR Ukraine (Recovery & Reconstruction embracing Participation, Accountability, Integrity) initiative is a comprehensive initiative aimed at helping to raise the standards of reconstruction and recovery processes in Ukraine.

The project "Promoting Improvement of Standards of Planning and Implementation of Recovery at the Municipal Level" is implemented by the Partnership for Transparency Europe in partnership with the NGO "4U" and the Odesa Regional Organization of the All-Ukrainian NGO CVU within the framework of the "REPAIR Ukraine" Initiative funded by the Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ) and Czech Development Cooperation.