The Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine, in partnership with the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Finance, is organising a series of regional presentations on public investment management (PIM) reform with the support of UNDP Ukraine, the European Union (EU) and the Government of Japan. The first event in this series took place in Chernihiv, according to a report by UNDP Ukraine.

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This is the first in a series of regional events that brought together more than 300 participants: representatives of the Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Sumy and Chernihiv Regional Military Administrations, communities of the Sumy and Chernihiv regions, the DREAM Project Office, civil society, the expert community, and international partners.

The participants discussed the main stages of the implementation of the PIM reform, including the development of a Medium-Term Plan for Priority Public Investments (MIP), the methodology for preparing public investment projects and programmes, the formation of sectoral portfolios, and the Single Project Portfolio at the state, regional, and community levels.

According to Oleksii Riabykin, Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories, the basis of the reform is strategic and medium-term planning.

‘Our task today is to learn how to align strategies with financial capabilities. First and foremost, the reform is focused on people who need to understand how funds are spent and how to influence the processes in their communities. Strategic planning is crucial not only for the effective allocation of budgetary funds, but also for attracting international investment. International partners want to know how our communities and regions intend to develop, what our priorities are, and what we aim to achieve. Therefore, as part of the reform, we are working to provide local authorities with the tools needed to access European structural funds so that the development of the country is balanced and covers all its territory,’ said Oleksii Riabykin.

 

 

From July 2025, communities and regions will begin preparing Medium-Term Plans for Priority Public Investments (MIPs). In September, they will start developing projects and programmes, and by December, they will form Single Project Pipelines. In this context, communities and regions have to prepare for the practical implementation of new approaches to managing public investments.

According to Vitalii Bezgin, MP, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Administrative and Territorial Structure and Local Self-Government of the Parliamentary Committee on the Organisation of State Power, Local Self-Government, Regional Development and Urban Planning, it is crucial to understand that after the war ends, there will be a need to attract international finance for community recovery. The groundwork for this needs to be laid right now, including through the PIM reform. According to the MP, it is not only about our internal resources, but also about the ability to attract external investment. Therefore, it is vital to teach local experts how to properly prepare their investment projects to make them attractive to international investors.

 

 

The DREAM ecosystem, as part of the Unified Information System, serves as the digital foundation for public investment management reform.

‘We will make every effort to explain the logic of the reform to all involved specialists. For our part, the DREAM Project Office will provide full support. Shortly, step-by-step methodological recommendations for communities will be approved – instructions with detailed guidelines and examples. DREAM will be your assistant in navigating the world of public investment management reform,’ added Viktor Nestulia, Head of the DREAM Project Office.

Ana Lucatela, Head of Regional Recovery at UNDP Ukraine, emphasised the importance of collaboration at the level of the Government, Parliament, regional military administrations, and communities - with support from the international community - for the successful implementation of key reforms in Ukraine.

 

 

It is planned that the regional tour will cover the entire Ukraine. The next events for the regional military administrations and communities will be held in Dnipro and Poltava.

Photo: DREAM Project Office

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The event was jointly organised by the Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine, the DREAM Project Office, and the Open Contracting Partnership, with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine, as part of the flagship EU-UNDP partnership "EU4Recovery – Empowering Communities in Ukraine," and the project "Support to Inclusive Recovery for Resilience and Human Security in Ukraine," funded by the Government of Japan.