On 16–19 July, six teams from pilot regional development agencies took part in a four-day workshop entitled ‘Capable RDAs: Challenges and Opportunities’, organised by the UCORD project.
The aim of the event was to strengthen the organisational capacity of agencies, provide tools for development, create a space for exchange of experience and lay the foundation for future interregional partnerships.
‘We invited not directors or individual representatives of pilot agencies to this workshop, but teams to learn together, share experiences, evaluate the progress and successes of agencies that they have achieved through their partnership with UCORD. We also discussed challenges and problems openly. Together with mentors and experts, we are working on an important task — creating quality policies in each pilot agency. In addition, in the process of developing these policies, we are compiling best practices into a single guide that other RDAs can use. The experience of pilot agencies, their participation and feedback are the key to success in this process,’ said Marina Bryl, UCORD project leader, in her welcoming speech.
Participants did not just acquire new knowledge — they actively exchanged experiences, shared their own developments and case studies, and inspired each other. Throughout the workshop, teams worked in an open dialogue and team interaction format with Ukrainian and international expert mentors who accompany the development of pilot agencies within the UCORD project.
A separate element of the programme was the presentation of the results of the pilot RDAs during their cooperation with UCORD. Despite numerous challenges, the agencies continue to work, change, strengthen their teams and approaches — and gradually become reliable partners for businesses, communities and authorities. They are establishing themselves as platforms for dialogue, development and the creation of effective partnerships at the regional level.
The workshop programme covered key areas of agency activity:
- strategic development and project design;
- professional ethics and personnel management;
- communications and public speaking;
- finance, procurement, human resources policy;
- partnerships with ministries, local military administrations and other stakeholders.
Separate thematic sessions were planned for both managers and specialists, with discussions on internal processes, management challenges, and best practices.
Communications and public speaking: influence, trust, results
Special attention was paid to the communication activities of agencies. Workshop participants worked on structured information presentation, effective messaging, public speaking skills development, and internal team interaction. Participants learned how to present regions and agency activities to partners and investors, report results in a concrete and convincing manner, and build trust through leadership and team communication.
Human resources management: strong teams — strong agencies
A separate part of the programme was devoted to human resource management in agencies: approaches to team building, adaptation, transparent management, motivation and employee development were discussed. Practical challenges were discussed and participants shared their own solutions.
Joint learning — the key to sustainable development
The workshop became not only a platform for learning, but also a space for professional dialogue and interregional exchange. The pilot RDAs’ teams were able to assess their achievements, formulate new approaches to development, and contribute to the formation of policies that can be scaled up to other regions.
The Swiss-Ukrainian project ‘Cohesion and Regional Development of Ukraine’, UCORD is implemented with the support of Switzerland via the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation by NIRAS Sweden AB.
