This is a comprehensive training manual designed for advanced training and professional development of specialists in the field of community development.
The authors (Myroslav Treshchov and Anna Munko) consider in the manual ways to increase the self-sufficiency of local communities through the effective management and development practices presented here, which is seen as a certain result of the globalization process. They also emphasize the importance of both managerial and resource self-sufficiency of territorial communities to ensure their sustainable development. The document covers well all the goals of attracting investment by local communities, developing their infrastructure and providing the highest quality public services on their territory. The authors discuss the complexity of modern territorial development in Ukraine, describe in detail the strategic priorities and the urgent need for decentralized approaches in the field of governance, and introduce the reader to such important key concepts as innovative ecosystems and sustainable development, smart city, and the theory of growth poles.
From the perspective of the community development management methodology, the theoretical and practical challenges of local self-government in the current realities of decentralization are outlined, and the issues of combining traditional and innovative community management mechanisms are clarified. It also emphasizes the importance of applying result-oriented management and provides methods for evaluating community development strategies, describing in detail how local governments and the public should cooperate as effectively as possible. New types of institutions that can actually facilitate public participation in sustainable community development are considered, and all types of resources that are most necessary for community development are analyzed. The theoretical foundations of “financial security” and independence of communities are explored.