On 29^th October – 3^rd November 2012, study tour of Ukrainian delegation to Norway “Reform of local government” took place. It was organized with the assistance of and financial support of Council of Europe Program “Strengthening the Local Democracy and Support to Local Government Reform in Ukraine” and Swiss-Ukrainian project “Decentralization Support in Ukraine” (DESPRO).

 

Main goal of study tour to Norway was to familiarize civil servants and local government officials of Ukraine with successful models/approaches to local government development and public services provision, with elaboration and implementation of sectoral reforms (education, public health) related to local government reforming, local democracy development, engagement of citizens into planning processes, management and implementation of inter-municipal projects and institutional capacity building of local governments’ associations. 

 

Participants visited the Parliament of Norway, got acquainted with the policy of regional and local development in the Ministry of local government and regional development of Norway, conducted a number of interesting meetings, i.e.: meeting with Mr. Per-Kristian Foss, First Vice-Speaker of the Parliament of Norway; Mr. Tore Opdal Hansen, Mayor of Drammen; Mrs. Gunn Marit Helgesen, President of the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities; the authority and members of Permanent Committee on local government and public administration; representatives of the Ministry for Children, Equality and Social Services of Norway.

 

Articles of DESPRO experts, the participants of study tour are listed below:

 

·         Anatoliy Tkachuk, “MINREGION in a Norwegian manner”;

·         Anatoliy Tkachuk, “Drammen is a city, which gas gone through transformation”;

·         Vyacheslav Sorokovsky, the secret of Drammen’s success”. 

 

Ukrainian delegation included the following persons:

 

1.      Anatoliy Miarkovsky, First Deputy Minister of Finances of Ukraine;

2.      Ivan Tkalenko, Director, Department for cooperation with Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the regions, Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine;

3.      Vyacheslav Nehoda, First Deputy Director, Department for cooperation with Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the regions, Head of the Division of territorial organization of power, Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine; Advisor of All-Ukrainian Association of Local Self-Government Bodies “Ukrainian Association of Rayon and Oblast Councils”;

4.      Olena Nyzhnyk, Director, Regional policy Department, Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine;

5.      Anzhela Maluga, Head of Secretariat, Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine committee on state construction and local self-government;

6.      Mykola Fursenko, Head of All-Ukrainian Association of village councils, Fursivs’ky village head (Bila Tserkva rayon, Kyiv Oblast);

7.      Serhiy Odarych, Vice-President, association of the cities of Ukraine, Mayor of Cherkassy;

8.      Valentyna Poltavets, Executive Director, All-Ukrainian NGO “Association of small towns of Ukraine”;

9.      Anatoliy Tkachuk, Director on science and development, Civil Society Institute; expert of Council of Europe Program “Strengthening the Local Democracy and Support to Local self-governance Reforms in Ukraine” and Swiss-Ukrainian Project “Decentralization Support in Ukraine” (DESPRO);

10. Iryna Scherbyna, General Director, Institute of Budget and Socio-Economic Researches; expert of Council of Europe Program “Strengthening the Local Democracy and Support to Local self-governance Reforms in Ukraine”;

11. Olena Lytvynenko, Manager, Council of Europe Program “Strengthening the Local Democracy and Support to Local self-governance Reforms in Ukraine”;

12. Vyacheslav Sorokovsky, Expert of Swiss-Ukrainian Project “Decentralization Support in Ukraine” (DESPRO).