How many rayons should the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast have? Three or five? What is more important – to follow the rayon modeling methodology or not distort the main content of the reform – bringing services and authorities closer to people? How to achieve a balance in reforming the secondary level of the administrative-territorial structure, on the one hand, sticking to the state positions, on the other – taking into account the features of mountainous areas.

Answers to these complex questions were suggested at the Ivano-Frankivsk Local Government Development Centre, established with the support of the U-LEAD with Europe Programme, within the framework of the seminar "Formation of a new rayon division: peculiarities of mountainous areas" together with representatives of the expert environment, Ivano-Frankivsk OSA and hromada leaders. It was concluded that everything depends on priorities set.

Concerning the optimal number of rayons to be formed in the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, it’s better to decide on five rather than three. The expert environment also supports the option of "five new rayons". This is the way to meet accessibility requirement for residents and put the interests of people in the first place.

Ruslan Panasyuk, director of the Ivano-Frankivsk LGDC adds that the reform of the basic level of local self-government in the oblast should be taken into account when reforming the rayons.

“When we started work on the Perspective Plan and the first hromadas were being formed, we also proceeded from the requirements of the AH formation methodology. Their number should have been 40, now we have 60 taking into account the practical realities of amalgamation,” said Ruslan Panasyuk.

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