The Novi Odesa City Territorial Community in Mykolaiv Oblast became one of four pilot participants in the project “Strengthening Democratic Processes in Territorial Communities ” implemented by the Centre for Innovations Development with the support of the USAID Democratic Governance in Eastern Ukraine Project. This project has given a powerful impetus to community development and the introduction of democratic planning tools, which are especially important in the context of the frontline.
As part of the project, a draft Implementation Plan for the Development Strategy of the Novi Odesa City Territorial Community for the period up to 2027has already been developed and public discussions have been held. An important milestone was the two-day ideation event “Novoodeshchyna-2027: Creating the Future Together!” on 15-16 April 2024. This event brought together representatives of local authorities, business and the public to jointly plan the future of the community. A special feature of the Ideaton was the creation of working groups in the areas of education, culture, healthcare, utilities, economy and tourism, and social security. The working groups included representatives of local authorities, NGOs, business, youth, education, IDPs and active residents who formulated project ideas for the community development strategy, discussed them together and recommended them for the strategy implementation plan.
Mayor Oleksandr Polyakov, together with project expert Volodymyr Kondziolka, took an active part in the work of each group, which ensured the high quality and realism of the proposed ideas.
“This approach allowed us not only to generate ideas, but also to immediately assess their feasibility and potential impact on the community,” said Oleksandr Polyakov.
As a result, more than 30 project proposals were developed. Here are some examples:
- The Effective Network project envisages the creation of a hub educational institution and a specialised academic lyceum with a boarding house. This will optimise the network of educational institutions and improve the quality of educational services.
- “The Veterans Support Centre is a project aimed at creating a space to support veterans and their families, which is especially important for the frontline community.
- “Creative Novoodeshchyna is a comprehensive tourism cluster development project that includes the development of authenticity, the creation of tourist routes, support for green tourism, and festivals.
- “Providing community residents with round-the-clock water supply of adequate quality” is a project to reconstruct and replace water supply networks to solve one of the most pressing problems of the community.
An important result of the project was the establishment of partnerships with other communities. In particular, on 17 July 2024, a delegation from Nova Odesa visited Drohobych, where a memorandum of cooperation between the communitieswas signed. This opens up new opportunities for the exchange of experience and the implementation of joint projects in agriculture, livestock, farming, and especially in the areas of rehabilitation of military personnel, support for military families, and educational reform.
Indeed, Drohobych community is one of two in Lviv Oblast to have a separate department for social and psychological legal support and interaction with defenders and their families. Its task is to create a single database of all possible services that military personnel, veterans and their families can receive. This way, Ukraine’s defenders can get the help or advice they need in one place, without having to visit dozens of different offices.
The project also contributed to strengthening the capacity of local authorities in strategic planning. A detailed analysis was conducted of the compliance of the Socio-Economic Development Plan with the strategic goals of the community. This allowed us to identify gaps and make the necessary adjustments, particularly in the areas of economic development and the environment.
“Participation in the project not only gave us new knowledge and skills, but also helped us take a fresh look at our capabilities. We have learnt how to effectively engage the public in planning, which makes our plans more realistic and responsive to people’s needs. It is especially valuable that we were able to develop projects that take into account both the current challenges of the frontline area and the prospects for post-war recovery,” said Oleksandr Polyakov.
The experience of the Novoodesa community demonstrates how the use of democratic planning tools, such as the ideaton and public discussions, can contribute to sustainable development and community cohesion even in the face of wartime challenges.
The projects developed cover a wide range of community needs, from basic infrastructure to innovative economic initiatives. This example can be useful for other communities in Ukraine, especially those in difficult circumstances and seeking to strengthen their capacity and ensure effective development.
For more information: The project “Strengthening Democratic Processes in Territorial Communities” is implemented by the NGO “Center for Innovations Development” thanks to the generous support of the American people provided through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) within the framework of the USAID Democratic Governance in Eastern Ukraine Project.