International
Workshop in Uzhgorod: “Zakarpattya Regional Development Strategic Planning: Subsequent Steps”- March 31, 2006
On 31 March 2006, in Zakarpattya oblast, Ukraine, the Canada-Ukraine Partnership Project for Regional Governance and Development (RGD Project), which is managed by the Canadian Urban Institute and funded by the Canadian International Development Agency, held a second International Workshop on “Zakarpattya Regional Development Strategic Planning: subsequent steps” and a round table meeting on the “Present Situation and Prospects: discussions on the present state of regional governance and development in Zakarpattya oblast and follow-up steps needed”. The main objectives of the above-mentioned activities were to: • Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the existing regional development planning process, which were outlined during the previous seminar; • Determine the issues to be included into the regional strategic development plan; • Discuss the problems of strategic planning process organization; • Establish the Strategic Planning Committee and corresponding working groups for the basic problems; • Discuss the experts’ recommendations and proposals of participants concerning further steps and activities to be undertaken during the next years within the “Regional Governance and Development” project to improve the present situation.
Experts from Canada, Central and Eastern Europe, and Ukraine, representatives of the Regional and Local authorities, self-government, NGOs, businesses, study and research entities of Zakarpattya oblast took part in these activities. Mr. Volodymyr Hoblyk, Deputy Head of Zakarpattya Regional Sate Administration and Head of the Steering Committee of the “Regional Governance and Development” project, and Mr. Ernest Nuser, Head of the Main Department of European Integration, External Economic Affairs and Tourism, welcomed the participants and outlined the main subjects to be discussed during the seminar and round-table meeting.
International experts, Dalia Bardauskiene and John Gladki, presented and analysed the positive and negative aspects of regional governance and development strategic planning, and outlined possible ways to improve the existing situation. Teamwork exercises followed concerning composition problems with strategic development plans, and with the organization of their elaboration process. First, the participants formed 6 groups, each of which outlined the main components that need to be included into the plan. Afterwards, together with the experts, the groups came together to summarize them. The second teamwork exercise asked the participants to analyze the basic elements of the strategic planning process.
Then followed presentations by project experts. Ms. Myroslava Lendyel, Uzhhorod National University, outlined the main problems of regional governance and development in Zakarpattya, and proposed possible ways to optimize it on both the national and regional levels. Mr. Fedir Shandor, Uzhhorod National University, analyzed the role of the civil society in the regional governance and development process and outlined proposals for strengthening its role in the process. Ms. Oksana Stankevych, Director of the regional youth association “Ecosphere”, presented the possible variants of coalitions between the authorities, the public, businesses, and NGOs in joint elaboration of the regional strategic development plan. Ms. Tetyana Medvedyeva, Director of the Gender Resources Center, explained the gender equality situation and key problems in the region.
The contribution of international experts allowed Zakarpattya officials and stakeholders to better understand the Canadian and European contexts of regional governance and development and how their methods apply to Ukraine in general and to the region specifically.
About the project
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). Ïðîåêò âïðîâàäæóºòüñÿ çà ô³íàíñîâî¿ ï³äòðèìêè óðÿäó Êàíàäè íàäàíî¿ ÷åðåç Êàíàäñüêå àãåíòñòâî ì³æíàðîäíîãî ðîçâèòêó (ÊÀÌÐ).
