The Institute for Social Innovation Development (ISID) has prepared a practical guide titled “EU Accession: 10 Practical Changes for Communities,” which explains how communities can adapt local governance to European approaches.
The guide focuses on the practical aspects of European integration—not on negotiations or legislation, but on the day-to-day work of local governments. Specifically, it addresses how communities plan for development, manage budgets, attract funding, and engage with residents.
The guide was developed based on the results of a screening of communities in Volyn Oblast. The study assessed the extent to which local documents align with the goals of the EU Cohesion Policy, as well as the institutional capacity of communities—from strategic planning to working with donors. The gaps and strengths identified during the analysis formed the basis for developing practical recommendations.
The guide outlines 10 key changes that will help communities transition to more systematic governance in line with European approaches. These include linking strategic planning to budgets and results, developing project management, systematic communication with donors, digitalization, meaningful public consultations, as well as the implementation of participatory tools and internal monitoring procedures.
A separate section is dedicated to a self-assessment tool that allows communities to determine their level of readiness for European integration and set priorities for future work.
“For communities, EU accession is not about a distant future but about daily management decisions. We created this guide to help communities understand where to start and how to move forward systematically,” notes Olga Hvozdik, Program Director at the Institute for Social Innovation.
The guide is available at the link.
The project is implemented by the Institute for Social Innovation Development with the support of the European Union and the International Renaissance Foundation as part of the joint initiative “Joining the EU Together.” The material represents the authors’ views and does not necessarily reflect the position of the European Union or the International Renaissance Foundation.
Source: Ukraine Today, Rubryka
