The Zhytomyr Oblast keeps its leadership in the AH formation. The hromadas of the Poltava and Vinnytsia Oblasts cooperate the best. Most starostas are elected in the Khmelnytskyi Oblast. The Zakarpattia, Donetsk, and Kharkiv hromadas have been the fastest to submit projects for the infrastructure subvention... The monthly monitoring of the process of decentralisation of power and the local self-government reform, carried out by MinRegion (DOWNLOAD), features in what the regions lead and lag behind, how the state support funds are allocated and used, and what is going on in the healthcare, educational, youth and social policy and administrative service sectors, etc.

“The data of the monthly monitoring shows that due to decentralisation processes directed at the territories’ development continue everywhere in the country – in the regions and hromadas. Voluntary amalgamation of hromadas is underway in each oblast; more and more hromadas cooperate to solve common problems. Kindergartens, schools, healthcare facilities, ASCs and other social infrastructure units are being built or renovated in many cities and villages. The figures and facts stubbornly prove that the reform does not stop and that the local authorities understand how important it is to support these changes and move quickly,” said Vyacheslav Nehoda, First Deputy Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine.

According to MinRegion, perspective plans for the formation of hromadas’ territories, approved by the Government, cover 76% of the country's territory. “Thus, an absolute majority of hromadas already see where to move to come to the development path. We expect that in the nearest future, perspective plans will cover the whole territory of the country. The oblast state administrations are tasked with it,” said Vyacheslav Nehoda.

As you know, the territory of Kirovohrad and Rivne Oblasts is completely covered by perspective plans. Changes regarding the perspective plan of the Chernihiv Oblast are at the consideration of central executive bodies. The oblast councils of the Ternopil, Kherson and Khmelnytskyi Oblasts adopted changes to the perspective plans that now cover the whole territory of these regions.

The First Deputy Minister also reminded that in Ukraine there are still 128 out of 465 rayons (not including 25 occupied rayons), that do not take part in the processes of voluntary amalgamation of hromadas.

“MinRegion, with the support of international projects and participation of Ukrainian experts, has intensified the educational work in these rayons. However, it is felt that the main problem there is not a lack of information about the reform, but the lack of desire to change. Therefore, we count on the activity of local leaders – journalists, activists, deputies, heads of non-amalgamated hromadas. The more you remind hromadas’ residents, colleagues and heads of rayons about the benefits, and hence the need for decentralisation changes, the more likely your hromadas will still be able to take their chance and make a breakthrough in development this year. Leaving everything as it is and waiting for the hroamdas to be amalgamated through an administrative way is a very weak stance for those who want to be a leader and have people's support,” said Vyacheslav Nehoda.

The monitoring of the decentralisation process and the local self-government reform as of 11 June 2018 is available HERE