Today, the Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine acts as a communicator and coordinator between state bodies and international organisations in coordinating the development and implementation of reforms aimed at regional and local development. The main goal and task of the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) is to increase the competitiveness and sustainable development of each hromada. Therefore, the issue of sustainability of the RDA is crucial.

This was reported by Dmytro Zhyvytskyi, First Deputy Minister of Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine, during the Forum of Regional Development Agencies “RDAs – an Effective Regional Development Instrument”, held on 2 October in Kyiv.

“The Ministry plans to build a model of cooperation with the RDA on the following principle: project management office in the Ministry – regional development agency – project management office in hromadas. This structure will coordinate projects both at the national and hromada level,” Dmytro Zhyvytskyi said.

He noted that the initiative for implementation of projects aimed at regional development should come from RDAs, since they are the link between the hromadas and the central executive bodies.

“Today, we need to understand what the Agencies lack, in order to become true leaders of change on the ground. Next year, the principles and approaches of project selection for financing from the State Fund for Regional Development will be changed: the impact of the projects on regional development will be measured, whether new jobs will be created or the gross regional product will increase. And it is up to the RDAs to work with local authorities to develop and implement projects aimed at developing territories,” he stressed.