Lviv, February 20 – Representatives from 10 communities in the Lviv region and the Lviv Regional State Administration met with the USAID HOVERLA Activity team to discuss HOVERLA’s initiatives for 2024, the communities’ needs, as well as develop an annual work plan.

Communities emphasized the importance of the equipment provided to them (kitchen appliances and dish sets, generators, heat pumps, backhoes) and the creation of an analytical portal for the Lviv region. These tools allowed them to improve the quality of services to residents during the challenging times of war. They also noted HOVERLA's assistance in developing development strategies, educational programs for local government officials, and sharing experiences with other communities.

In the meeting, HOVERLA identified the needs of communities, which included support for auditing communal enterprises to make them independent and transparent and allow them to compare their expenses with other communities. The communities also expressed the need for creating their investment portfolios to present to investors during events, exploring subsoil and creating Mineral Resources Portfolios, since communities are not aware of the resources beneath the surface and how to use them.

The top three needs identified by the communities were:

• Learning English.
• Updating development strategies and monitoring their implementation.
• Creating a Comprehensive Spatial Development Plan.

Volodymyr Levko, Zhydachiv Mayor, noted that during the meeting, he gained a broader understanding of the cooperation with the USAID HOVERLA Activity and learned about the possibilities of legal assistance:

“I understood how HOVERLA can help register community property rights. We started this before without much success, but now it seems we are on the right track! Besides material support, HOVERLA provides professional support in training and consultations. You don't need to search for tons of information on the Internet and attend dozens of webinars. Here at the HOVERLA training, everything is concentrated, concise, and results-oriented. I see how our economic department draws on this knowledge and develop and implement the strategic development plan. We hope for such fruitful cooperation in the future.”

Representatives of the Lviv Regional Military Administration were also present at the meeting — Stepan Kuybida, Director of Economic Policy, and his deputy Vadym Tabakera.

Vadym Tabakera stated:

“Communicating with local governments and hearing their problems is important because it helps us understand the real picture and work of the communities. The USAID HOVERLA Activity indeed has an impact because I see how the level of questions from communities has changed and what they understand is that HOVERLA is about quality management. It's nice to hear their suggestions and requests regarding strategies, comprehensive spatial development plans, investment portfolios, audits, and the development of communal enterprises. I am also glad that the HOVERLA will help the communities learn English. This is extremely necessary to attract investments.”

Community leaders agreed to meet more often and exchange experiences, with the next meeting taking place in Zhydachiv.

Close cooperation and strategic sessions with partners allow HOVERLA to tailor its support for partner communities, contributing to their sustainable development and growth.