Kick-off Meetings Held in Two Hromadas in Lviv Region as Part of the “Strengthening Child-Oriented Budgeting” Project Supported by UNICEF

On February 25–26, kick-off meetings were held in the Stryi territorial hromada and the Novyi Rozdil territorial hromada in the Lviv region within the framework of the “Strengthening Child-Oriented Budgeting in Hromadas”project. The initiative is implemented by the Institute for Budgetary and Socio-Economic Research (IBSER) in partnership with UNICEF, and funded by KfW.
During the meetings, Serhii Losev, Education Expert at IBSER, presented the project's objectives, implementation phases, the scope of technical assistance to be provided to the hromadas, and the key expected outcomes. The overarching aim of the project is to strengthen the institutional capacity of national and local authorities to implement budgeting processes that take into account the needs and interests of children and youth. This includes enhancing the transparency of local budgets, increasing youth engagement in governance, improving the adequacy of social spending, and boosting the effectiveness of programs aimed at delivering services for children, youth, and families — particularly in the areas of education, healthcare, social protection, and child protection.
As part of the project’s implementation, the IBSER expert team will conduct capacity-building activities, provide expert consultations, support the development of action plans for integrated social service delivery, and assist in drafting or updating local regulatory documents, programs, and strategic frameworks.
The anticipated results of the project in participating hromadas include improved transparency in how budgets are allocated for children and youth; better integration of services for children and families into local development programs and strategies, leading to more sustainable change and the elimination of gender disparities; and updated local regulations and programs to more effectively address the specific needs of children and youth. Additionally, the development of expenditure calculation action plans will contribute to more efficient resource use and stronger public financial management.