Yevheniia Stoliarchuk, a Chief Specialist at the Department of Urban Design, Architecture, Housing, Utilities and Municipal Property of Liuboml City Council, spoke about updates to the Strategy:
“We are very pleased with the result, although it was incredibly difficult. Looking back, it’s hard to believe we did it. But U-LEAD experts were always by our side — on call, offering advice, insights, and support”.
According to her, the municipality essentially started strategic planning from scratch. The Development Strategy until 2019 was more of a formality than a functional tool:
“It was far from a comprehensive strategy. There was no actual implementation plan. We kept referring to it, but it didn’t work”.
Yevheniia Stoliarchuk joined the local governance team in 2021, bringing with her nearly 25 years of experience in district state administration, notably in the development of strategic documents. This helped her to learn the ropes faster, although there were still plenty of difficulties.
“The most difficult challenges were visualisation, working with maps in QGIS, clarifying territorial boundaries and preparing the technical documentation. Fortunately, the ability to always reach out to U-LEAD experts made the process much easier. If you had any doubts, you could call, write, ask. When you submit a completed assignment, you receive feedback — making it easy to make corrections”.
Work without days off and results that make it all worthwhile
The strategy update process required total involvement: “To be honest, the process was so exciting that we were eager to get everything done. It was difficult, especially due to the reform of public investment projects, as there was no specialised department yet, which created an additional burden. Still, we pulled through,” says Yevheniia Stoliarchuk.
As a result, the municipality not only updated its strategy, but also developed a detailed action plan and technical data sheets that make the document understandable and implementable: “The working group deliberately cut out everything superfluous, leaving only what could actually be done. Now the strategy looks structured, logical and clear,” she added.
Three strategic objectives and a look into the future
The updated strategy sets out three key strategic objectives that remain unchanged for the municipality. The first is economic development, the second is a comfortable, safe and environmentally friendly community, and the third is the advancement of human capital and improvement of the quality of life. The document has been updated and includes an action plan until 2027, stated Yevheniia Stoliarchuk.
The expert emphasises that the strategy must address current challenges: the war, accessibility issues, the needs of internally displaced persons and public investment management reform:
“Now any project can be immediately linked to the strategy, its implementation can be tracked, and its impact on municipal development can be understood”.
Engaging the public in the development of the Strategy
The Head of Liuboml City Council, Roman Yushchuk, stresses that the updated strategy is among the key documents for the further development of the area:
“This is a crucial document not only for internal planning but also for attracting investors, both Ukrainian and foreign. The Strategy makes the activities of the municipality transparent: residents can see what we are planning and the direction we are heading in,” he said.
According to him, the municipality actively engaged residents in the process of updating the Strategy by placing advertisements, distributing printed materials, holding discussions with businesses and conducting public hearings. Strategic objectives were set based on people’s feedback, and the document itself is now a key tool for international partnerships.
“We used to have a ‘humble’ strategy, which was insufficient for proper work. Now we have a clear action plan and can use this document as a meaningful tool for municipal development,” the head said in conclusion.
The document has already been published on the official website of the municipality and is now available for review: https://lubomlmisto.gov.ua/strategiya-rozvitku-lbomlskoi-miskoi-tg-do-2027-roku-11-07-25-14-12-2021/
The Strategy as the primary planning document of the municipality
The Regional Office of U-LEAD with Europe in Volyn Oblast worked closely with the municipality, studying its needs and involving officials in training programmes, information sessions and other initiatives. Through this ongoing collaboration, the municipality has become a role model of systematic and effective cooperation with the U-LEAD Programme and has updated its Development Strategy.
Since its launch in Ukraine, U-LEAD has placed significant emphasis on strategic planning and has consistently supported municipalities in this area, both through training initiatives and consultations. Hryhorii Starykov, a Policy Advisor for Recovery and Development at the Regional Office of U-LEAD in Sumy Oblast, underlined the importance of strategic planning for municipalities:
“Why is this important? The strategy is the core document for municipal development, helping to plan recovery, attract investment and finance projects. High-quality planning documents and an effective mechanism for their implementation are prerequisites for receiving state funding and international assistance. It’s a simple principle: no money without plans, no plans without money”.
The adviser concludes that, as such, Liuboml’s updated Strategy is now a working tool for development, aiding in planning, attracting resources and strengthening the municipality.
