Decentralisation in Ukraine, delegating powers and resources to territorial hromadas, poses new challenges and demands for local council deputies. To create comfortable living conditions for residents, local authorities must have not only appropriate resources but also be able to manage them efficiently. Thus, local deputies’ proficiency, knowledge level, competences, responsibilities and skills define the quality of decisions made by them and a successful development of a hromada.

The Capability Improvement of Deputies and other Local Self-Government Representatives Programme was developed on the basis of researching deputies’ needs as a result of surveying 500 respondents-deputies, 100 in-depth interviews and three focus-groups in 25 hromadas. According to the research data analysis, implementing a complex training, aimed at improving deputies’ professional competences at AHs, is just in time.

The training curriculum is based on three important constituents: a detailed study of local council deputies’ status, rights and responsibilities; strategic thinking development and an ability to speak in budget categories; a profound study of land relations as well as housing and utility issues.