From 2016 to 2022, the USAID DOBRE Program worked in 100 Ukraine’s communities. Based on its own experience, it developed a unified methodology for planning local economic development. After analyzing 6 years of experience, the Program’s experts conducted surveys, research and interviews, and presented the methodology in the form of two reports. The tools for engaging business in community recovery processes, collected during the study based on the best practices of USAID DOBRE partner communities, can be found in the reports by following the link.
The report “How can territorial communities plan their sustainable and inclusive economic development?” was developed under the Local Economic Development component of the USAID Decentralization Offering Better Results and Efficiency Program (USAID DOBRE). The report will be useful for local government officials responsible for economic development and community recovery, local military administrations, employees of local and regional development institutions, as well as representatives of international technical assistance programs and projects that are currently being implemented in Ukraine or are planned to be launched soon.
The purpose of the workshops was to analyze the local economic development methodology applied by the USAID DOBRE Program in 100 territorial communities of Ukraine in 2016-2022, identify its strengths and weaknesses, and develop recommendations for local governments, central authorities, donors, and implementers of international technical assistance programs to improve the conditions for local economic development and tools for its realization in Ukraine. Tools/mechanisms/activities/areas analyzed and evaluated in the report.
The document analyzes and summarizes the USAID DOBRE methodology for local economic development planning, key categories of assistance provided by the Program and its partners to territorial communities. It also identifies and describes the challenges faced by partner communities in planning and implementing local economic development activities.
Based on the results of the analysis conducted between April and June 2022, recommendations were developed for organizing local economic development planning in communities, engaging stakeholders in this process, and finding the necessary resources. The report provides examples of documents that describe and regulate such activities.
Report “How territorial communities can improve the engagement and support of local business development”.
This report is intended for local authorities, implementers of international technical assistance programs and projects, and all stakeholders who want to improve business involvement in local decision-making processes, support the development of micro, small, and medium-sized businesses, and encourage entrepreneurship.
The report presents the results and lessons learned during the implementation of the USAID DOBRE Local Economic Development component of the Local Economic Development Activity in the area of attracting and supporting local business development, and offers conclusions based on the Program’s experience.
The findings are based on the analysis of USAID DOBRE materials in the area of engaging local businesses in the planning and implementation of local economic development activities, as well as on the results of a survey of representatives of USAID DOBRE partner communities from five oblasts and interviews with Program experts who worked with partner communities, program specialists, local economic development planning consultants, consultants on public space design, tourism development, creation and development of cooperatives, and training.
The report summarizes the results and experience of the USAID DOBRE Program in engaging local businesses in the planning and implementation of local economic development activities, identifies the main obstacles faced by the Program’s partner communities in engaging local businesses in the decision-making process. The report contains conclusions based on the results of the USAID DOBRE Local Economic Development component, as well as recommendations for improving business involvement in decision-making at the local level.