The importance of planning documents
Hryhorii Starykov, a Policy Advisor for Recovery and Development at the Regional Office of U-LEAD with Europe in Sumy Oblast, pointed out that today it would be very difficult for municipalities to function without a clear strategic vision on how to move forward. Prioritisation and planning of specific steps enable efficient resource raising and participation in national and international programmes:
“Today, the development strategy is a key document for a municipality to enter the reform of public investment management. A medium-term plan of priority public investments and a single portfolio of municipality projects are based on the action plan for implementing the strategy. Also, the development strategy is a prerequisite for attracting state and non-state funds.”
The Adviser spoke about the current opportunities for state and international support for the introduction of development strategies, highlighting participation in the State Fund for Regional Development (SFRD) 2025 and future competitions for 2026–2028. To this end, municipalities must meet the proper criteria: projects must comply with strategies of all levels, be in the Unified Portfolio of State Projects and align with priority areas for public investment.
“Municipalities should incorporate the creation of local databases, preparation for municipal statistics, clarification of settlement boundaries, and the drafting of historical and architectural plans as well as comprehensive development plans into their strategy implementation plans,” said Hryhorii Starykov. He also believes that it is important for municipalities to cooperate with the state cadastre, regularly update urban planning documents and train employees in modern GIS tools, including the free QGIS, which allows them to collect, store, analyse and visualise spatial information.
“In general, the current situation can be described as follows: there is no funding without plans and plans without funding,” the Adviser summarised.
Lessons learned by municipalities
The heads of municipalities present at the meeting shared their own experience in strategic planning. Volodymyr Shtanko, the Head of Lypova Dolyna Settlement Council, emphasised that the measures set out in the development strategy had enabled the municipality to channel more financial resources into development. This was achieved through cost optimisation and the reallocation of savings:
“Our goal is a capable and self-sufficient municipality that is comfortable to live in. This is the direction we are trying to move in,” he said.
Leonid Bilyk, the Head of Duboviazivka Settlement Council, spoke about updating the municipal development strategy to account for the challenges caused by the war, and shared examples of recently implemented projects. The first municipal strategy was developed with the support of U-LEAD. In 2024, once the state strategy was adopted, the municipality independently approved its updated version. The head affirmed that the municipality had begun reviewing the document, taking into account the reform of the public investment management system.
Svitlana Kasianenko, the Head of the Education Department of Boromlia Village Council, shared her experience in implementing plans for optimising the educational network, as set out in the development strategy.
“It’s no secret that education usually ranks first in terms of municipal budget expenditures,” said the speaker. According to her, an unoptimised educational network will not only absorb resources that could be directed towards the recovery and development of the municipality, but also fail to provide students with an adequate level of knowledge and socialisation. Moreover, the municipality would not receive a state subvention for institutions with up to 45 students this year and up to 60 next year. Boromlia municipality is one of the first in the oblast to go through this process and is ready to share this practice with other municipalities.
Rostyslav Savchenko, the Head of the Regional Office of U-LEAD with Europe in Sumy Oblast, noted that municipalities of Boromlia, Duboviazivka and Lypova Dolyna designed development strategies with the support of U-LEAD in the first years after the merger. Now, having gained experience, they are independently updating strategic documents to factor in new challenges and needs.
“It is crucial for U-LEAD to remain in close contact with municipalities in order to gain a deeper understanding of their needs. This is especially important now, in conditions of constant threat. The meeting in Lypova Dolyna municipality provided another opportunity for dialogue and cooperation between municipalities of Sumy Oblast, which, while addressing security issues, do not neglect the development of their territories and support for their residents. We are ready to continue to provide assistance to local self-government bodies, including in effective strategic planning,” Rostyslav Savchenko said at the end of the meeting.
