Expert round table discussion “Development of AHs in the Chernivtsi Oblast: needs, real practice and expertise” was held on Thursday, 7 December, at the initiative of the Chernivtsi Regional Centre for Re-education and Advanced Training. The event was co-organised by the Chernivtsi branch of the Local Government Development Centre in partnership with the U-LEAD with Europe Programme.

The round table discussion, traditionally held on the occasion of the Local Self-Governance Day, brought together experts, scholars and practitioners –  representatives of amalgamated hromadas of the oblast, to jointly summarise the results of this year, as well as identify and plan further directions for cooperation between expert structures and hromadas for efficient development of AHs.

The participants noted the positive dynamics in the activities of amalgamated hromadas: improvement of their financial situation, implementation of many infrastructure projects, etc. At the same time, it was noted that decentralisation covers a much wider range of issues than mere amalgamation of settlements. Issues related to the transfer of a number of powers to local self-government bodies, delimitation of these powers among officials, provision of technical expert support, identification of bodies to carry out supervision and control remain essential.

According to the experts and practitioners, it is equally important to work on changing the mentality of local leaders. In particular, they should not be afraid to take initiative and solve not only current social issues, but also work on the strategy and invest in those projects that will bring in a stable profit in the future. Besides, one of the tasks is to change the consciousness of the population, activation and involvement of people in solving local problems. Provision of microgrants, exchange of experience among hromada representatives in the implementation of mini-projects, etc., can be a promising step in this direction.

According to the organisers, next year considerable attention will be paid to solving personnel issues. Therefore, special training courses will be introduced for AH representatives, and work with higher education institutions will be conducte