From 6 to 8 August, the expert team of the “Education at Local and Regional Levels” component of the Polaris programme carried out a series of working visits to Chernivtsi Oblast. The purpose was to expand regional cooperation, strengthen partnerships, and enhance the institutional capacity of community-level education management.
Over three days, programme experts – Oleh Fasolia, Viacheslav Dolid, and Serhii Diatlenko – held a number of meetings with representatives of the Chernivtsi Oblast Military Administration, the Department of Education and Science, hromadas, the State Service for Education Quality, and in-service teacher training institutions. Discussions centred on effective policy solutions in the context of constantly changing legislation, institutional sustainability, and strategic planning.
Strategy is Born in Dialogue
“The best way to predict your future is to create it,” – Viacheslav Dolid, Polaris expert, quoted Peter Drucker. With this approach, the team began its visit in Chernivtsi. In open conversations with Deputy Head of the Oblast Military Administration Roman Hreba and Director of the Department of Education and Science Oksana Sakrier, they discussed not only current challenges but also opportunities for the future. The dialogue addressed the present state of the education sector, growth prospects, and mechanisms for implementing education reform. “It is in such dialogues that strategy is born. The courage to address the difficult issues holds the key to sustainable solutions,” Dolid emphasised.
New Approaches to Complex Challenges
“Multilevel governance is a complex mechanism of connecting and delineating powers at different levels to fully implement tasks in various spheres of public life, including education. The effectiveness of this mechanism directly impacts the quality of services provided,” said Team lead of the Local Education component Oleh Fasolia, commenting on the start of the visit. According to him, it is important not only to analyse the situation but also to work with partners to identify realistic paths for change. This was the focus of meetings with all key educational institutions in the Oblast – from local departments to the in-service teacher training institute.
Vyzhnytsia: Education as an Investment in the Future
The Polaris team paid special attention to the hromadas of Vyzhnytsia Rayon. In Vyzhnytsia, programme experts met with Acting Head of the Rayon Military Administration Hanna Hrynchuk, deputy mayor Serhii Kotylo, local administrators, and education managers. As a result, the parties agreed to conduct a series of activities to develop effective education networks and improve the quality of educational services.
In Vyzhnytsia, the team also held a seminar for education stakeholders on ensuring quality education services at the hromada level, as well as a workshop, “The Ideal School in the Hromada”, with the participation of teachers, parents, and students. Together, participants defined the criteria for a modern school, assessed the state of the hromada’s educational institutions, and developed practical solutions to improve the learning environment. According to the experts, this hands-on approach allows for maximum openness and objectivity, clearly showing the need for change.
The Ministry of Education of the Hromada
The final highlight of the visit was a discussion on the role of local self-government bodies in conditions of regulatory uncertainty.
“Today, education management in hromadas often functions under conditions of regulatory uncertainty, when the rules of the game change every month,” noted programme expert Serhii Diatlenko. “In such a situation, the local education authority becomes the ‘ministry of education of the hromada’ – with all the responsibility, risks, and potential for change.”
“A hromada and its residents are fortunate when they have such a ministry,” the expert concluded.
A Shared Vision That Shapes Decisions
The visits to Chernivtsi Oblast demonstrated that many stakeholders are ready not only to respond to challenges but also to jointly shape policy – flexible, realistic, and strategic. The Polaris programme will continue to support educational hromadas in building high-quality education services and strengthening institutional capacity.
As the experts stressed, in complex reforms it is vital to have partners and a shared vision – only then can education at the local level become a foundation for the sustainable development of the hromada.
Photo: Polaris experts and hromada websites
