The Polaris Programme – Supporting Multilevel Governance in Ukraine, in collaboration with the All-Ukrainian Association of Amalgamated Territorial Communities, has launched a series of interregional forums dedicated to key aspects of hromada development. Financial sustainability of local self-government, effective tax management, modernisation of the education network, citizen engagement in decision-making, and territorial recovery are among the most pressing issues for hromadas striving to strengthen their capacity and adapt to new challenges.
The first interregional forum, focused on the administration of local taxes and levies, took place on 13 February in the Slobozhanska hromada, Dnipropetrovsk oblast. The event brought together over 40 hromada leaders from Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Lviv, and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts. Discussions centred on the potential transfer of certain tax administration functions to hromadas, ways to enhance collection efficiency, and digital solutions to improve resource management. An additional 148 hromadas from across Ukraine joined the event online.
Svitlana Spazheva, Deputy Head of the All-Ukrainian Association of Amalgamated Territorial Communities, Head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Branch of the Association, Chair of the Gender Equality Platform, and Head of the Pokrovska Hromada, noted:
"Strengthening hromada capacity requires solutions that take into account the unique characteristics of different regions. This is why interregional forums are so important—they enable hromadas at the subregional level to develop common approaches to resource management, education development, and territorial recovery. In partnership with Polaris, we are working to ensure these solutions are both practical and effective."
Key topics discussed at the forum included:
- Increasing transparency and efficiency in local tax collection
- Implementing modern digital tools for monitoring tax revenues
- Strengthening cooperation between hromadas and the State Tax Service
- Best practices from Sweden’s decentralised financial management experience
At the conclusion of the event, participants supported a resolution with recommendations for enhancing the financial capacity of territorial hromadas.
Ayder Seitosmanov, Head of the "Support for Local Government Associations" Component of the Polaris Programme, stated:
"This series of interregional forums will provide hromadas with the necessary knowledge and mechanisms for effective resource management and capacity building. Strengthening financial sustainability, developing education, and rebuilding territories require practical solutions, and initiatives like these contribute to their successful implementation at the local level."
Upcoming interregional forums organised by the Polaris Programme and the Association will focus on the most pressing issues of local governance:
14 March (Odesa) – Forum "Local Democracy in Hromadas"
A discussion on citizen participation in decision-making processes.
19 March (Zhytomyr) – Forum on the Formation of a Network of Lyceums in Zhytomyr Region
Participants will explore the challenges and prospects of secondary education development within the ongoing reform.
May (Zhytomyr) – Forum "Hromadas’ and Association Participation in the Recovery Process"
Discussions on planning and mobilising resources for post-war reconstruction.
