The Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine will be provided with expert support in the formation and implementation of state policy on recovery, regional development and decentralization within the framework of the Support to Ukraine's Reforms for Governance (SURGe) project funded by the Government of Canada. The project will start work in the 5 regions most affected by russian aggression.

The relevant Memorandum of Cooperation was signed by Oleksandr Kubrakov, Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine - Minister for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development, and Tawnia Sanford Ammar, SURGe Country Director for Ukraine.

"Increasing the effectiveness of the decentralization reform and strengthening the capacity of communities is a prerequisite for successful recovery. The Ministry is systematically working to ensure that local self-government is prepared for modern challenges, including the use of digital tools and the introduction of modern project management practices. We expect that SURGe experts will help build a new effective model of regional development. I am grateful to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Canada to Ukraine Larisa Galadza-Cronin for her comprehensive assistance and support," commented Oleksandr Kubrakov.

The SURGe project experts will also support the implementation of Community Reform Support Offices. In particular, the experts will work directly with local governments to improve the efficiency of their work.

In addition, expert support will be provided in the following areas:

• project management and strategic planning;
• investment management and monitoring of their use;
• digitalization and prevention of corruption;
• spatial planning reform.

In the near future, the Ministry and the SURGe project plan to agree on a Joint Action Plan that specifies key areas of cooperation.

SURGe is an international technical assistance project for the Government of Ukraine funded by the Government of Canada. Its main goal is to assist the Government of Ukraine in implementing reforms in the areas of governance and economic development that meet the needs of the population.