The TV journalists visited the Lviv Oblast, where the oblast council was the first in the country to launch its own “Lviv” competition of local development projects. Three years of hard work and the local hromada have flourished. Renovated facades, new energy-efficient windows and doors in schools and kindergartens; renovated roofs, illuminated streets and equipped pedestrian crossings, play and sportgrounds were built; interactive whiteboards and computers appeared in school classrooms and more. Activeness of local hromadas is growing annually: in 2019, 1136 projects have already been submitted for competition, for which the Oblast Council has allocated UAH 139.7 million.

If you want to see with your own eyes amazing changes that have come about through decentralisation, if your hromada decided to try its hand at the next Best Local Self-Government Practices competition-2019, then keep an eye on new issues of “Side by Side” in the air of Suspilne Television, Public Television, News Channel 24, as well as on Facebook page of the Council of Europe Programme “Decentralisation and Local Self-Government Reform in Ukraine”.

More information on Best Local Self-Government Practices Competition-2019 is available here. Applications will be accepted until 4 October.