On 4-5 March, a team of experts from the Polaris Programme conducted a working visit to the Oleksandriia hromada in the Kirovohrad oblast to familiarise themselves with the activities of the city council and provide recommendations for enhancing its efficiency.
As part of the visit, Mayor Serhii Kuzmenko met with the Polaris expert group to discuss cooperation between the hromada and the programme, as well as current challenges. Key topics included access to administrative services, veteran policy, and community engagement and information-sharing, where the programme’s support could be particularly beneficial. The experts also met with the leadership and staff of the Administrative Services Centre (ASC) and departments responsible for communications and veteran affairs.
“It is important for us to develop our hromada and improve services for residents. We are grateful to the Programme representatives for their support and expert assistance,” said Mayor Serhii Kuzmenko.
During the visit, the experts analysed existing procedures for providing administrative services and discussed with ASC staff how to improve data collection for service enhancement. They also reviewed the state of veteran policy in the hromada, met with organisations working with veterans, and provided initial consultations on improving veteran support.
The programme also included a training session for local officials and civil society representatives on best practices for engaging the public in governance processes. Experts shared recommendations on enhancing communication between the authorities and residents.
“Thanks to its comprehensive approach, the Polaris Programme helps hromadas implement changes and improve processes, focusing on integration and synergy between all stakeholders,” emphasised Olha Kalinichenko, Senior Expert of the Polaris Programme.
Following the visit, the hromada will receive recommendations on improving ASC operations, integrating veteran initiatives into local governance, and strengthening public communication. These insights will be taken into account in the future work of local authorities and the ASC.
Photo: https://olexrada.gov.ua
