On 2^nd July 2013 presentation of Swiss-Ukrainian project “Decentralization Support in Ukraine” Third Phase took place in Kyiv.

Project most important objective is to implement and to develop the mechanisms of decentralized public services on small towns’ and villages’ levels as well as to integrate them into national reforms processes in decentralization sector and their further dissemination among other regions of Ukraine.  First of all it concerns co-financing of community projects on water supply, sanitation and solid waste management (SWM) in project target regions.

DESPRO second objective is to facilitate decentralization and local self-governance reforms in Ukraine, i.e. to support the activities of key national institution and local self-government associations related to self-governance reforms.

“DESPRO is a leading Swiss technical assistance project in governance sector. The peculiarity of the project is that it interacts both with communities and their needs and with priorities of national development, using the experience of Switzerland related to decentralized services provision and local self-governance”, said Guido Beltrani, Director of Swiss Cooperation Office in Ukraine in his introductory speech. “Without any doubt, models of services provision used by DESPRO are successful. This is confirmed by the fact that target communities members are ready to invest substantial own funds into project implementation as well as by the fact that in many cases DESPRO approach is applied independently in other villages and regions without financial support from the project”, stressed Mr. Beltrani.  

According to Nadiya Bondarchuk, Director of Regional Development and Project Management Department, Ministry of Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine, continued cooperation with DESPRO will make it possible to further promote reforms related to local self-governance and decentralization of power and to increase the efficiency of public development. “I am convinced that ensured by “Decentralization Support in Ukraine” project analytical support on local self-governance and decentralization, recommendations on amendments to current legislation in the sphere, specific professional expertise as well as a system of comprehensive education and training programs will serve for the development of effective mechanisms for qualitative public services on community level and strengthening of national dialogue on reform of local self-government and decentralization”, said Nadiya Bondarchuk in her speech. 

Oksana Garnets, Senior Project Coordinator in Ukraine told the audience about project activities for the period of 2013 – 2017, i.e.:

• Development and implementation of innovative mechanisms for water supply services provision on small towns’ level and sanitation services on village level.
• Implementation of the model on integrated approach to SWM.
• Ensuring support to development and improvement of national legislation on decentralization.
• Strengthening the capacity of Local Self-Governance Associations.
• Development and implementing the training programs for local self-government officials aimed at their public management capacity building.
• Conduct outreach activities aimed at raising awareness of the reforms on decentralization.
• Capacity building of the specialists of Training and Re-training centers in the sphere of project management.
• Conducting information and education events and distribution of manuals “Decentralization and self-governance”, etc.
  
  

Since current year two new Oblasts became DESPRO partners – Dnipropetrovs’k and Ivano-Frankivs’k Oblasts.  During the selection process both Oblasts demonstrated great potential, readiness for cooperation and great enthusiasm. DESPRO already has considerable experience of collaboration with Vinnytsya and Sumy Oblasts and AR Crimea.

“DESPRO cooperation with local communities and power is based on common goal and mutual trust. This collaboration is the ground for implementation of the projects on improving the living environment of rural inhabitants. DESPRO experience proved both the readiness of people to solve the most urgent challenges and their readiness for reforms. Therefore, only working together we can contribute to the process of local self-government reform”, said Oksana Garnets, Senior Project Coordinator.

Within the framework of the presentation, press-conference took place. Following people took part in it:

Guido Beltrani (Director of Swiss Cooperation Office in Ukraine); Nadiya Bondarchuk (Director of Regional Development and Project Management Department, Ministry of Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine); Ihor Krevsky (First Deputy Head, Vinnytsya Oblast Council); Anatoliy Tkachuk (Director, NGO “Civil Society Institute”); Oksana Garnets (Senior Project Coordinator in Ukraine, Swiss-Ukrainian Project “Decentralization Support in Ukraine”, DESPRO).