On 16 October 2014 the Third phase of the EU / UNDP Community-Based Approach to Local Development (CBA) Project was launched today in Lviv oblast with regional and local authorities, civil society organizations, private sector companies and the media. During the regional seminar participants discussed perspectives for further cooperation for promoting community-led activities to improve the living conditions of people in Sumy oblast.

Distinguished attendees included the Head of Oblast State Administration Yuriy Turiansky, Head of Oblast Council Petro Kolodiy, UNDP in Ukraine Senior Programme Manager Oksana Remiga, Community Development Specialist of joint EU/UNDP Project “Community Based Approach” Olena Ruditch, leadership of rayon state administrations and rayon councils; and heads of village and city councils.

“Cooperation with UNDP is not only about attraction of additional costs, but also about gaining new leading experience and innovative approaches. That is 11 implemented innovative microprojects, which mean innovative technologies in energysaving and energy efficiency of buildings. It is important that more than 40 thousands of people benefited from them, and more than 1000 children. Thanks to this technolohies, expected annual economy from the implemented technologies is from UAH 28,0 ths. to UAH 70,0 ths. on each object, depending on the type of object and type of heating system”, - mentioned Petro Kolodiy in his welcoming speech.

Yuriy Turiansky addressed the participants and underlined “We expect that communities of small cities will actively respond to this opportunity and would implement their projects. Communities of our oblast will receive support in self-organisation, capacity building and implementation of their initiatives. It is accumulation of costs on all levels: community, rayon, oblast and international donors level. Along with this, Lviv oblast state administration always welcomes new opportunities and ready to be a reliable partner”

CBA activities will focus on rehabilitating basic social and communal infrastructure in the priority areas of energy efficiency, health, environment and water management together with promoting small farm and non-farm businesses in rural areas. In its third phase, CBA project will strengthen capacities of regional and local authorities to practice participatory governance, as well as intensify community-based approach in Lviv region.  It will support the Ukrainian Government in developing policies in the area of decentralization and share innovative approaches and good practices on participatory governance and community-led local sustainable development through knowledge hub and the curriculum of twenty regional universities

Implementation of the first phase of CBA Project commenced in Lviv region during March 2008. First phase was succeeded by a second phase in July 2011. Over these two phases, about 94000 men, women and children of the region have benefitted from improvement in 83 schools/kindergartens, 17 healthposts, 5 water supply, 2 environment, 11 street-lightning and so on. This happened through joint effort of the citizens, oblast/rayon/local level governments, CBA Project and the private sponsors.

Third phase of CBA project will be implemented during 2014-2018 with a total budget of 23.8 million Euro, provided by the European Union (23 million Euro) and UNDP (800,000 Euro). Its objective is to promote sustainable socio-economic development at local level by strengthening participatory governance and fostering community-led initiatives across Ukraine