On 20–21 October, a launch conference was held in Lviv, during which eight hromadas joined the Polaris Programme as partners under its 'Locally-Led Recovery' component by signing Memoranda of Cooperation. With Polaris's support, hromadas will strengthen their capacity for comprehensive development planning, setting recovery priorities, attracting investment, and improving service delivery to residents.

The conference was attended by the heads and representatives of the Berdychiv, Boyarka, Chyhyryn, Verkhnodniprovsk, Hrebinka, Mena, Nosivka, and Pervomaisk hromadas.

Erik Faxgård, Programme Director at SALAR International, attended the event and noted: “From my work across many countries, I can say that what Ukrainian hromadas have learned to do under pressure is exceptional. You have kept institutions functioning, made tough calls under constant pressure and continued to serve the people when they needed you most. In many ways, you are already working at the frontier of challenges that local governments elsewhere are only beginning to faces.”

On the first day of the conference, participants presented their hromadas, describing their unique characteristics, potential, and the challenges that must be taken into account when providing expert support.

Klas Groth, Strategic Lead for the Polaris Programme’s 'Locally-Led Recovery' component, presented planning mechanisms in conditions of uncertainty, shared European approaches, and discussed practical examples. This was followed by workshops where participants worked with stakeholder mapping tools for strategic planning and data collection to develop strategic documents.

The second day began with a discussion of European integration requirements and their impact on strategic and spatial planning in Ukraine. Participants also examined the approaches of Northern Environmental Finance Corporation (NEFCO) to preparing infrastructure projects, and experts presented a territorial approach to hromada development planning using geospatial tools.

The future partnership will be based on the following interrelated components:

1. Integrated planning — aligning strategic and spatial planning.
2. Strengthening institutional capacity — acquiring knowledge and skills through consultations and joint practical work with experts.
3. Preparation and implementation of recovery — identifying priority projects, preparing them for funding, and working together on the implementation of a single investment project.
4. Sharing of experience — summarizing best practices, engaging in dialogue with national stakeholders, and promoting policy improvements in the field of recovery.

Support for hromadas will continue through November 2027. They will gain the knowledge and tools to independently plan their development, set priorities, and implement their plans even after the support of Programme finishes.