Kherson, 25 February - Oblast Coordination Council meeting was held in the premises of Khersonska Oblast State Administration. The meeting was chaired by deputy head of Oblast State Administration Mr. Hradil, with participation of the head of External Policy and Foreign Economic Activities Department Mrs Samsonenko. Agenda of the meeting included such issues as preparing the report on documentation of regional experience in development of local communities. Representatives from 8 pilot communities expressed their ideas on future perspectives of the community based approach. The proposals included the necessity to shoot a short film about the Project’s activities in the oblast in the last two years and to prepare a printed report to disseminate among representatives of local executive bodies, local deputies, partner- and potential partner communities. Mrs Samsonenko pointed out, ‘First of all, we should demonstrate the way the community was mobilized and united, how planning, selection of priority problems, dissemination of information about the community’s potential were organized, whether they issues were set up with the help of local deputies, or active community members, or with an active leader that managed to lead the community’. First deputy head of Velykolepetyska rayon state administration Mr Antypenko emphasized that the main achievement of CBA Project is mobilization of people through holding regular meetings, self-organization and joint planning of future activities, while improvement of technical state of social objects in the framework of the CBA Project is a result of community’s activities. Deputy head of Velykooleksandrivska rayon state administration Mr Ryzhnyov expressed his opinion that communities grow, performing one mocro-project after the other (Velykooleksandrivsky and Vysokopilsky rayons participated in project of the Fund of Social Investments and thus, these communities easily accepted CBA methodology). Participants of the meeting plan that the repord on documentation of regional experience should contain information and statistical abstract about the results of joint activities, but also it should be a kind of a strategy of future cooperation between local authorities and communities to improve standards of living in their settlement. One of the proposals that oblast leadership expressed was the possibility to joint financing of making a short film and printing a report from the oblast budget. Besides, issues of the development of community resource centers were discussed at the meeting. As of today, it is necessary to create and formalize rayon community resource centers in both pilot rayons and the ones that do not participate in the CBA Project but still realize the importance of extending cooperation between local communities, authorities and international organizations. The meeting resulted in a decision to elaborate Regulations of Rayon Community Resource Center clearly defining their functions and powers on the basis of the existing experience with RCRC. Despite low level of staffing in rayon state administrations, specialists from Economy Departments of RSA can be appointed as RCRC coordinators. The meeting also resulted in charging responsible persons to prepare a final draft report till 15 March 2010 that will include information given by partner rayons, and in solving questions of functioning and the status of rayon community resource centers.