The results of the training seminar: the projects "Three D", "Pure Water" and the agency of inter-municipal local development

A seminar-training "Project approach to local development. How does it work?" organized by the regional ministry for municipal development was held in Gusev municipal district for eight municipalities of the east of the region. It was attended by more than a hundred representatives of municipalities, public organizations, cultural institutions and business representatives. Together with the trainers of the Moscow company “Alfa-Progressor” and the Regional Economic Development Agency, the seminar participants came up with many new projects for the development of their territories.

On the first day of the seminar participants were divided into teams, each identified their own approach to the concept of the development of the municipality, its strategy and programme, discussed the main problems of social and economic development and converted them into new projects. The results of this "brainstorming" were mostly unexpected. For example, the business team that worked in Gusev, in the beginning, same as local residents, was sure that in the area one needs to pay more attention to industry, small and medium business. However, during the " brainstorming" it turned out that in Gusev area there was a great potential for tourism. The project of "Three D" business group – "Oak Yard of Donelaitis" turned out to be fundamentally new. The participants of the discussion believe that this project is able to become economically viable, and therefore interesting to the local business community, and it can be realized through municipal-private partnership.

During the seminar-training another project was born – "Clean drinking water – unlimited benefits for all" – aimed at reconstruction and repair of wells with drinking water throughout the eastern part of the region. It can also be implemented with the help of municipal-private partnership.

At the end of the seminar-training representatives of 8 municipalities presented their projects in different spheres - tourism, business, social support, education, culture. The main outcome of the seminar is the joint idea of ??creating an agency for local inter-municipal development that could address the development of all eight municipalities in the east of the region: transform problems into projects, and then in turn, into project applications. The participants of the training seminar decided to address the governor for the support of the idea of ??creating an agency. Representatives of the Ministry for Municipal Development believe that the most important outcome of the training seminar is the desire of municipalities to unite to solve common problems.