Democratic development and participatory planning are integral elements of good governance in communities. Residents know their needs best, and it is important to listen to their opinions for successful development. When the authorities truly listen to people, the community begins to grow together, creating an environment that meets their expectations. This approach became the basis for the process of developing and implementing the 2027 Development Strategy Implementation Plan for the Novoodeska community of Mykolaiv region, which was created as part of the project “Strengthening Democratic Processes in Territorial Communities” implemented by the Centre for Innovations Development.
In the spring of this year, a survey of community residents was conducted, which was open to everyone. The survey results showed which development areas are the most important for the community. This allowed us to efficiently allocate resources to improve infrastructure, improve the quality of life and develop the local economy. All the data collected was visualised on an interactive dashboard, which allows you to get acquainted with the survey results in detail and analyse the key priorities of the community.
The main areas that received the most support among residents:
- Creating a comfortable living space – this area received 58.1% of the votes. It includes infrastructure development, improved living conditions, better medical and educational facilities, and improved conditions for inclusion and safety.
- Increasing the efficiency of using the existing economic potential – 38.7% of the vote. The main tasks are to support local businesses, develop tourism potential and create conditions for attracting investment.
An effective community security system – this area received a smaller number of votes – only 3.2%, but remains an important component of the Strategy Implementation Plan, as security is a prerequisite for community development.
As part of the Community Development Strategy Implementation Plan, the most significant projects that meet the needs of residents were selected, including
- construction of housing for internally displaced persons;
- creation of an industrial park and development of creative industries;
- modernisation of educational institutions: creation of a hub academic lyceum and improvement of the material and technical base of schools;
- construction of a sports complex in Nova Odesa for the development of youth policy;
- improving the condition of municipal roads and introducing new technologies in the housing and utilities sector;
- support for the development of river tourism and creative crafts, etc.
The full list of projects and the results of the survey can be found on the INTERACTIVE DASHBOARD
The results of the community survey have become a solid basis for identifying key areas of development until 2027. The Strategy Implementation Plan, developed with the community’s opinion in mind, will help create comfortable living conditions, ensure sustainable economic growth and improve security.
You can view the Implementation Plan of the Novo Odesa Community Development Strategy HERE.
For reference: The creation of this material was made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) with the support of the Democratic Governance in Eastern Ukraine project. These opinions and conclusions are those of the Innovation Development Centre and do not necessarily reflect the position or views of USAID or the United States Government. Other partners may not agree with these conclusions.