On July 16, the Polaris Programme “Support to Multi-Level Governance in Ukraine” held a training for members of the AUC Board, executive office management, experts, regional coordinators, and secretaries of the association’s regional branches. Participants, who directly shape the network of interaction between the association and local hromadas, worked on the topic “Regional representation as the foundation of a strong, democratic, and membership-oriented local government association.”
“We are sincerely grateful to our partners – the Polaris Programme ‘Support to Multi-Level Governance in Ukraine’ – for supporting the institutional development of the association. Together we are focusing on addressing the needs of the multi-level governance system, while simultaneously strengthening the capacity of hromadas to deliver public services and contribute to recovery and reconstruction. Today, however, we explored how to strengthen the work of the association’s regional branches. We defined the main tasks, advantages, and challenges in the activities of AUC’s regional offices,” – said Ivan Slobodyanyk, Executive Director of AUC.
During the event, participants identified key tasks and priorities for regional branches, worked through practical cases of interaction with member and non-member hromadas, the executive office, regional authorities, international projects, and other associations. Special attention was given to aligning statutory documents with the real needs of regional branches and agreeing on an initial set of criteria for assessing their effectiveness.
Key results of the training included:
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defining seven principles for the operation of an ideal regional branch and developing initial indicators for self-assessment;
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drafting an action plan for 2025–2026 for the Board, office, and regional council to strengthen the role of regional branches;
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preparing recommendations for updating statutory provisions to improve coordination and enhance service delivery at the regional level.
“Regional representation is a vital foundation for the development of democratic procedures and for strengthening membership-based associations of local governments. In partnership with associations, we aim to enhance their institutional and professional capacity to ensure a strong and influential voice of local self-government in dialogue at both national and regional levels,” – emphasized Ayder Seitosmanov, Team leader of the “Support for Self Government Associations” direction of the Polaris Programme.
The training became an important step in consolidating the network of AUC regional branches and enhancing their ability to effectively serve hromadas and strengthen association membership.
