Kyiv, February 25, 2016. Admission to the second “School of Mayors” program has started today. Last year the school’s first edition was a success. It prepared new leaders for Ukraine’s local communities. In the course of decentralization reform heads of local authorities are facing new tasks. They need to be able to prepare investment projects, attract financing and investment for the communities as well as form their budgets. These are the skills and knowledge that they did not possess earlier as all decisions were made in Kyiv and there was no need to have such skills, said Hennadiy Zubko, Vice Prime Minister – Minister of Regional Development, Construction and Housing of Ukraine at a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. “Main request [that the new community leaders are making] is please train us how to make decisions that effectively use resources, how to prioritize. These are the programs that allow bringing up the new generation that matches requirements of the European-style management,” noted Zubko.
He also said that experience of the “School of Mayors” is planned to be used in course of training for heads of united territorial communities that currently number 159. It is also planned to develop this training system in order to work out a strategy for preparing new staff in Ukraine.
According to Iryna Tikhomyrova, president of the MIM-Kyiv Business School local management teams have to be first of all effective owners. They have to know how to manage a budget and possess the skills that do not relate to politics but instead answer the questions “what to do?” and “how to do it?”
At the press briefing parties signed a Memorandum that announces the start of selection for the second edition of the “School of Mayors” program.