On November 1, 2005, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, the Canada-Ukraine Partnership Project for Regional Governance and Development (RGD Project), which is managed by the Canadian Urban Institute in association with the Institute for Regional and Euro-Integration Studies and funded by the Canadian International Development Agency, held its first Zaporizhzhia Regional Forum to engage stakeholders in discussion about the current status of regional governance and development in Zaporizhzhia, to understand the concerns and needs of local stakeholders and where the RGD Project can assist, and to demonstrate the benefits participatory, strategic planning has brought to Central and Eastern European regions.
Canadian Project Manager, and Ukraine Director, introduced the RGD Project to the participants. Representatives of academia and civil society organizations as well as leading Canadian, European, and Ukrainian experts on regional governance, development and planning issues also participated in the forum.
Zaporizhzhia Oblast was represented by Oleksandr Syn, Deputy Head of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast State Administration, and Svitlana Krugljak, Head of the Division on Regulatory Policy and Entrepreneurship of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast State Administration. Mr. Syn remarked that Zaporizhzhia oblast attaches great importance to cooperation with RGD project. He emphasized that elaboration of participatory strategy for the oblast will be an important contribution. Mrs. Krugliak noted that creating favorable conditions for the development of entrepreneurship is one of the priorities of regional government.
The contribution of international experts allowed Zaporizhzhia officials and stakeholders to understand the Canadian and European contexts of regional governance and development and how their methods apply to Ukraine in general and to Zaporizhzhia specifically. The discussions throughout the forum on the needs of Zaporizhzhia in terms of regional governance, development and planning will allow the RGD Project to move forward towards meeting those on-the-ground needs.
The Regional Governance and Development (RGD) Project is a seven-year initiative that promotes regional economic development (RED) in Ukraine. RGD’s current efforts focus on working with its Ukrainian partners to establish a practical in-service training program on RED for some 600 civil servants from 13 oblasts across Ukraine.
Project undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada provided through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Projet réalisé avec l'appui financier du gouvernement du Canada accordé par l'entremise de l'Agence canadienne de développement international (ACDI). Проект впроваджується за фінансової підтримки уряду Канади наданої через Канадське агентство міжнародного розвитку (КАМР).
