Online Seminar as Part of the UCORD Project "Resilience of the Institutional Capacity of International Territorial Cooperation Entities and Participants in Lviv Region"

How do you design a high-quality public investment project? Which tools can help communities attract funding more effectively and implement European development approaches?

These were the topics of the latest practical online seminar organised by the Regional Development Agency of Lviv Region as part of the Resilience of the Institutional Capacity of International Territorial Cooperation Entities and Participants in Lviv Region project (UCORD).

Vasyl Fedyuk, Senior Mentor for the UCORD project, addressed the audience with opening remarks.

During the seminar, participants learnt about modern approaches to public investment management, the specifics of preparing investment projects, and digital tools that facilitate the effective mobilisation of funding and the implementation of community development projects.

Yulian Konechnyi, PhD, spoke about the practical application of the DREAM digital ecosystem — the state-run recovery management system. The speaker discussed in detail the registration of organisations within the system, the use of qualified electronic signatures, the management of access rights, the organisation of teamwork on projects, the creation of project profiles, and the preparation and evaluation of project proposals. He paid particular attention to practical recommendations on preparing high-quality projects, drafting CVs, and using a step-by-step checklist when working with the system.

Ihor Onyshchuk, the expert on public investment management reform, spoke about the reform of the public investment management system and its significance for Ukraine’s European integration.

During his presentation, participants discussed the EU Cohesion Policy and its strategic objectives, current funding instruments ranging from grant programmes to blended finance mechanisms, the role of the Ukraine Facility in Ukraine’s recovery and the EU accession negotiation process, the regulatory framework for public investment management reform, and the life cycle of a public investment project — from ideas to implementation. Particular attention was paid to approaches to project evaluation, selection, and funding, medium-term budget planning, the institutional management structure, the work of local committees, and other practical tools that communities need for effective development planning.

The seminar took place at the Lviv Regional State Administration and was attended by representatives of authorities, local governments, civil society organisations, and experts. The event marked another step towards strengthening the institutional capacity of local communities and introducing modern approaches to public investment management.

The project is being implemented by the Regional Development Agency of Lviv Region as part of the Swiss-Ukrainian project Ukraine’s Cohesion and Regional Development (UCORD), which is being carried out by NIRAS Sweden AB.