Three communities in the Odesa region have finalized their development strategies

The Avangardivska, Kodymska, and Safyanivska communities have completed the main phase of developing or updating their strategic documents. Some of the documents have already been approved, while others still need to be reviewed by local council members or receive final approval.

The work lasted about nine months with expert support from the Odesa regional branch of the All-Ukrainian NGO “Committee of Voters of Ukraine” and financial support from the International Renaissance Foundation.

The Avangardivska community has updated its Development Strategy through 2027 and approved an action plan for its implementation. The Safyanivska community has developed and approved its own Development Strategy, and the action plan for 2027–2028 is currently awaiting approval. The Kodym community has prepared a Recovery and Development Strategy and an action plan for 2027–2030, which still need to be reviewed by the city council members.

This work took place as part of the “Strategies for a European Future” project. The communities began with a socio-economic analysis, examining demographic, budgetary, and infrastructure indicators, as well as the needs of residents and businesses.

Afterward, working groups conducted a SWOT analysis, identified strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, and formulated a strategic vision and priorities. The next step was to translate the identified goals into specific projects, specifying timelines, potential funding sources, and expected outcomes.

Each community had multi-stakeholder working groups, which consisted of an average of about 40 people. Representatives of the public, the business community, youth, and other organizations made up between 10% and 33% of the groups’ membership. On average, each working group held five meetings.

Separately, experts worked with young people, in particular conducting practical exercises and games for schoolchildren to help them understand the principles of strategic planning and the need to set priorities.

For the Safyanivska community, this process marked its first strategic planning effort since its establishment in 2020. The community comprises 19 villages, and the preparation of the document took place amid a full-scale war, a border location, and significant infrastructure challenges.

According to Anatoliy Boyko, head of the Odesa regional branch of the All-Ukrainian NGO “Committee of Voters of Ukraine,” the project’s goal was not only to help communities prepare documents but also to provide them with practical tools for future strategic management.

The next step should be the implementation of the developed documents—from drafting projects and budget planning to monitoring results and adjusting decisions. The expert team also recommends that communities create separate, permanent sections on their official websites dedicated to the Development Strategy, where its implementation can be tracked.

On September 12, the Odesa Strategy Conference 2026 was held through the efforts of civil society organizations. The one-day event brought together over 140 participants and 40 experts from local government, business, civil society, and academic and professional circles.

Анна Літман