Representatives of communities from Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, and Vinnytsia regions participated in a study visit to the Masovian Voivodeship of the Republic of Poland within the framework of the initiative “Effective Local Self-Government: Poland’s Experience for Ukraine”.

The study visit was organised by NGO Local Government Development Centre in cooperation with the Committee for Local Government and Business Cooperation of the Polish-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce (Polsko-Ukraińska Izba Gospodarcza) and the town and municipality of Serock.

The participants learnt about the practices of Polish communities in the development of human capital, attracting investment, modernising infrastructure, providing social services, developing civil society, and preserving cultural heritage.

Community development through investment and human capital

The first destination on the itinerary was the municipality of Wieliszew (Gmina Wieliszew), where the Ukrainian delegation met with the mayor, Paweł Kownacki. He shared his approaches to developing human capital, attracting new residents, supporting young people, and creating a comfortable living environment.

According to the mayor, the population of the municipality has doubled over the last 12 years. The municipality is in constant competition with Warsaw, so it systematically invests in housing, social and recreational infrastructure, develops municipal housing, cooperates with property developers, and uses credit resources for development.

The participants also were introduced to the work of the voluntary fire brigade, the culture and leisure centre, and the community promotion department; they visited a modern leisure area, a nursery, and a school that had recently been renovated due to an increase in pupil enrolment.

Education, social services, and civic engagement

The second day of the study visit was spent in the town of Legionowo (Miasto Legionowo) and was dedicated to the development of human capital and the quality of life of residents.

The representatives of Ukrainian communities visited a nursery school where children are taught the basics of entrepreneurship from an early age, the town museum, which is used as a tool for fostering patriotism, and a library located inside the railway station, which makes library services more accessible to local residents.

The participants paid special attention to the work of a modern social services centre for the elderly and people with disabilities, as well as the Centre for the Integration of Civil Society Organisations – a space where civil society organisations and active residents can use offices and equipment, hold events, and work together on community development.

As Diana Barynova, Head of the Board of the NGO Local Government Development Centre, noted, the development of human capital is the foundation of sustainable community development, including economic development.

The Serock experience: Development through external funding

During the final stage of the visit, the Ukrainian delegation visited the town and municipality of Serock – a long-standing partner of the NGO.

The participants met with Mayor Artur Borkowski and his team, who shared their experience of attracting investment and external funding for the development of the territory.

During the seven years the current team has been in office, the population of Serock has increased by approximately four thousand people, despite the general trend of population decline in small towns across Poland. The municipality, situated 45 kilometres from Warsaw, is currently implementing a project to extend the railway line to its territory and 17 neighbouring municipalities.

The Ukrainian delegates were shown completed investment projects, including the renovation of a nursery school with the addition of a new wing and a nursery, modern water treatment plants, recreational areas, an interactive town museum, and a historic church.

The participants were impressed by the speed of implementation of the projects. For example, the renovation of the nursery school was performed based on a “turnkey design and build” model: planning permission was granted just two months after the contract was signed, and the full scope of works was completed within a year using modular structures.

According to Mayor Artur Borkowski, the team of the investment attraction department works practically non-stop to seek external sources of funding, as this is precisely what enables the implementation of large-scale projects for community development.

Summing up the visit, Diana Barynova emphasised that the development of communities’ capacity begins with a change in the approaches of community leaders and the teams who work with people every day. She said that Ukrainian communities are returning home with new practical ideas and a vision of how to prepare for working within the framework of Ukraine’s accession to the European Union, even in the face of the challenges posed by the war.