On 4 October, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced a partnership with 25 newamalgamated hromadas. They will be supported by the “Decentralisation Offering Better Results and Efficiency” Programme (DOBRE).

 

 

“Now the Programme involves 75 AHs, and we are interested that they become a success model for others to follow. When AHs succeed, nobody has any reason to doubt the appropriateness of decentralisation – the way the country has been on from 2014,” said Vyacheslav Nehoda, announcing the results of the third cohort of DOBRE partner hromadas.

He also noted that these 25 AHs are lucky enough to have such support. But for them, this is not just the honourable status of a Programme partner, hromadas have a lot of work ahead, because they have to prove their ability to use the assistance as efficiently as possible and create a new quality of life, new quality of service provision, and move to a new level of local self-government.

“I appeal to leaders of hromadas. Do not expect the Programme to come and solve all your issues. Take the initiative in your hands – elaborate development strategy, involve the public, business, youth in the implementation of projects. The result is achieved only by those, who do something, and not expect that someone will do it for them. Our ministry is ready to help such hromadas in everything,” said Vyacheslav Nehoda.

Barry Reed, Director of the USAID DOBRE Programme, noted that the Programme partners will receive technical assistance and co-financing of projects in priority areas the hromadas will work in: local economic development, quality of service delivery, youth involvement, decision-making, communication with residents, etc.

“You have done a lot to become partners of our Programme. But the most difficult stage is ahead. It's not just prestige, it's hard work for the result. These are years of work for success,” said Barry Reed.

List of the third group of hromadas – partners of the DOBRE Programme:

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast:

Petrykivska settlement AH

Pishchanska rural AH

Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast:

Dzvynyatska rural AH

Lanchynska settlement AH

Pyadytska rural AH

Kirovohrad Oblast

Dmytrivska rural AH

Kompaniyivska settlement AH

Novoprazka settlement AH

Smolinska settlment AH

Pomichnyanska rural AH

Mykolayiv Oblast:

Арбузинська селищна об’єднана територіальна громада

Вознесенська міська об’єднана територіальна громада

Шевченківська сільська об’єднана територіальна громада

Ternopil Oblast:

Borshchivska urban AH

Zborivska urban AH

Zolotnykivska rural AH

Lanovetska urban AH

Pidvolochyska settlement AH

Khorostkivska urban AH

Kharkiv Oblast:

Zolochivska settlement AH

Malynivska settlement AH

Kherson Oblast:

Velykokopanivska rural AH

Vysokopilska settlement AH

Novorayska rural AH

Stanislavska rural AH