OREANDA-NEWS. October 23, 2012. The mayors of the towns where DTEK companies operate, together with experts, local communities and DTEK’s representatives designed and presented three-year partnership strategies aimed at the municipal social and economic development. It is the first time when such an initiative has been taken in Ukraine.

 Public hearings on the strategies took place in two stages: the mayors of the energy communities presented their documents in Kyiv on 16 October, and the mayors of the mining communities defended their strategies on 17 October in Donetsk. Experts and DTEK’s senior executives took part in the discussions. DTEK’s Supervisory Board shall give its final approval for the strategic business plans and their financing models.

 Today, DTEK builds its relations with the local communities based on the principles set forth in the Declaration of Social Partnership signed by 19 towns and four district centres of Ukraine. Early 2012, to improve the efficiency of its social investment and create conditions for long-term sustainable development, the company’s Executive Board made the decision to prepare three-year Social Partnership Strategies with each town and district where the company has operations.

 The strategies have been developed by the task groups with the help of local and regional authorities, general public, experts and DTEK specialists. As a result, the task groups prepared a short-list of projects that will utilize the most relevant opportunities for social and economic development of each town and solve the most pressing social problems.

 The process of developing these 18 comprehensive strategies was quite complicated as the country has not yet gained the experience necessary for such kind of work. DTEK received a lot of help from our partners: UNDP, USAID, Federation of Canadian Municipalities and others. Having three-year strategies in place, the towns will be able to prepare technical documentation in advance, submit applications for the projects and receive necessary co-financing.

 “After discussions we concluded that apart from tackling systematic problems of the towns, we need to encourage the local communities to make some efforts themselves and engage people in improving their own neighborhoods. Starting 2013, in addition to the traditional social investments, DTEK will continuously invest in educational projects, including advising executive authorities on how to work with potential investors and donors,” said Viktoriya Grib, the Head of DTEK’s Sustainable Development Department.

 Assisting in preparation of the urban planning documents and in engaging sponsors to finance the projects, developing the social infrastructure, carrying out energy audits, introducing courses on energy efficiency in secondary schools, holding social contests for population, etc. are the examples of such strategic projects. One of the priority projects in this sphere will be establishment of the Local Economic Development Agencies.

 In the meantime, DTEK will continue to actively invest in energy efficiency for households, healthcare, development of the business environment, support to education, culture and sports.

 “Long-term development of our business is impossible without development of the society. We are aware of this and are ready to continue investing in the social development of the towns and cities where our employees and their families live. However, this should become a systematic cooperation, primarily dealing with the development of the social infrastructure. Remember the old saying: “Give a man a fish; and you have fed him for a day. Give a man the tools to fish and you have fed him for a lifetime.” We don’t aim to just provide communities with such fish, neither do we aim to give them fishing rods. Our task is to learn how to establish fish farms together, i.e. how to ensure the environment in which the municipalities will be able to attract investments for their development, providing employment opportunities outside DTEK Group Companies and laying the foundation for future growth. Only together and taking the systematic approach we’ll be able to establish the structure to be proud of,” summarized Alexander Tolkach, Director for External Affairs of DTEK.