IMPACT-Zhytomyr 3.0 launched in Zhytomyr: 11 municipalities prepare to turn development plans into investments

On September 24, the IMPACT-Zhytomyr 3.0 programme was officially launched in Zhytomyr, implemented by the Visionest Institute with the support of the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV) and in cooperation with the Zhytomyr Oblast Military Administration and the Zhytomyr Regional Development Agency. The opening forum brought together more than a hundred participants, and the 11 municipalities in the programme signed a memorandum of cooperation. (SK1 TV Channel, video)

At the heart of the programme is a very practical question: how to manage the long-term development of a municipality while simultaneously dealing with the consequences of Russia's war, infrastructure problems, and limited resources?

Over the coming months, the municipalities of the Zhytomyr region will work with Ukrainian and Estonian experts on their development strategies, action plans, monitoring mechanisms, and investment projects. The goal is not simply to draft new documents, but to arrive at projects for which international funding can be sought and which meet the real needs of local people and entrepreneurs.

Ukraine's reconstruction begins with local-level decisions

The opening forum took place at a time when Estonian-Ukrainian cooperation is increasingly focusing on how to link rapid recovery work with long-term local development.

Minister of Regional Affairs and Agriculture Hendrik Johannes Terras stressed in Zhytomyr that the reconstruction of Ukraine does not just mean restoring infrastructure destroyed in the war, but planning a stronger future integrated with the European Union. Estonia's approach therefore combines infrastructure restoration with building the capacity and resilience of local governments.

Zhytomyr Oblast is one of the main focus regions for Estonia's bilateral reconstruction work in Ukraine. In addition to IMPACT-Zhytomyr 3.0, Estonia has supported the development of education, healthcare, housing, and infrastructure in the region, among other things. (Estdev)

According to Andrea Kivi, CEO of ESTDEV, one of the most important tasks of the programme is to help local governments "link today's daily crisis management with a long-term vision". This means the ability not only to define development needs but also to turn them into projects that can be funded and implemented. Visionest Institute

The value of a strategy is revealed in its implementation

IMPACT-Zhytomyr 3.0 divides the participating municipalities into two groups according to their current stage of development.

Four municipalities – Berezivka, Vyshevychi, Semenivka, and Stryieva – will start drafting new development strategies and action plans. Seven municipalities with existing strategies – Popilnia, Barashivka, Vilshanka, Hlybochytska, Horshchyky, Starosiltsi, and Chyzhivka – will focus on implementing already prepared strategies, linking budgets and action plans, and preparing investment projects. All 11 municipalities will also develop monitoring and evaluation capabilities.

During the programme, at least 14 investment projects that meet international requirements should be completed.

According to the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture, the projects are also planned to be presented in Tallinn in January 2027. (Ministry of Agriculture)

According to Anu-Mall Naarits, CEO of Visionest Institute, the idea of the programme is for the strategy to become a management tool, not a formal document. "A development strategy must not remain just a document in a desk drawer," Naarits emphasized. The strategy must help plan the next steps, involve partners, and guide the region's development even after the programme ends.

The third stage builds on the results already achieved

IMPACT-Zhytomyr 3.0 is not starting from scratch. The two previous stages of the programme have already created a functioning cooperation network in the region between local governments, experts, and Estonian partners.

In 2024, more than 280 representatives from 64 communities participated in the first IMPACT-Zhytomyr programme, and the work resulted in over 60 project concepts. Of these, 17 teams continued to develop their ideas with the support of mentoring. As a result of IMPACT-Zhytomyr 2.0, 14 projects reached a level where they could be presented to international funders and development partners. (Estdev)

The third stage of the programme shifts the focus even more clearly from strategy to implementation

The training is linked to the actual work of the municipalities: in each module, participants will work with local data, action plans, budgets, and projects. The programme includes four on-site learning modules, a total of 24 training sessions and 72 hours of practical work, and each municipality has its own Ukrainian expert. (Visionest Institute)

IMPACT-Zhytomyr 3.0 will run until 2027

Its measure of success, however, will not be the number of training sessions or the volume of documents produced. The real result of the programme will be whether the municipalities of Zhytomyr can turn their priorities into projects, find partners and funding for them, and implement what has been planned.

This is the next step for IMPACT-Zhytomyr 3.0: not a new strategy for the desk drawer, but a strategy to guide the region.

Watch the video on LinkedIn!