The new Memorandum provides a broad framework for partnership and lays the foundations for long-term, systematic cooperation aimed to comprehensively develop education in communities. The document aims to strengthen the capacity of local self-government in implementing educational reforms, particularly with regard to ensuring the quality of education, developing specialised senior secondary schools, introducing a career guidance system, and fostering local democracy through educational processes.

Valentyna Poltorak, DECIDE Project Manager, ‘Since 2020, DECIDE Project has been a reliable partner to the Association of Amalgamated Territorial Communities in developing resilient communities through quality education. During this time, we have, in particular, developed the “Education” Platform, which today brings together almost all members of the Association. In the coming years, we plan to create opportunities for communities to implement specialised senior secondary school reform, develop extracurricular and inclusive education, and establish a modern career guidance system for children and young people.’

Oleksandr Korinnyi, Chairman of the All-Ukrainian Association of Amalgamated Territorial Communities, ‘We deeply appreciate our partnership with DECIDE and its outcomes for communities, since it provides both practical tools and real opportunities for the development of quality education at the local level. It is extremely important that we continue and deepen this cooperation. For us, this means sustained support, strengthening the capacity of communities, and the opportunity to systematically implement the changes that the education sector needs today.’

The cooperation between the Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE Project and the Association of Amalgamated Territorial Communities has lasted since 2020. During this period, a number of important initiatives have been implemented, which have successfully established systematic support for communities in education:

• 146 webinars on the practical aspects of educational reform were held, attracting 67,371 participants, which demonstrates the high demand for quality expertise in communities;
• a professional network of education administrators was created and developed, which today brings together over 450 participants from different regions of Ukraine to exchange experiences and jointly address challenges;
• 50 best practices in education management under decentralisation were compiled and disseminated for all communities in Ukraine to implement;
• 320 appeals and letters were sent to central executive bodies to protect the interests of communities and improve education legislation at the national level;
• 14 comprehensive surveys were conducted, providing an opportunity to respond promptly to requests from educators and administrators.

The priorities for the next stage of cooperation are:

• support for the implementation of the reform of specialised secondary education and the development of a network of academic lyceums;
• strengthening inter-municipal cooperation between communities, in particular through grant programmes for the creation of educational laboratories;
• professional development of education administrators, community leaders, and school principals;
• development of the career guidance system and the creation of career guidance hubs;
• internship programmes for young people in regional administrations and local governments;
• DECIDE Summer Clubs initiative ‘We Are at Home – in Ukraine’.

The cooperation will continue until August 2028 within the framework of Phase 2 of DECIDE Project.

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