"People decide" – Vitaliy Khotsenko launched the first regional forum of civil activists

Today, Acting Governor of the Omsk Region Vitaly Khotsenko opened the first regional forum of civil society activists "PEOPLE DECIDE" on the basis of the regional Congress Hall. The purpose of the training event is to create socially relevant projects for further implementation within the framework of initiative budgeting and various grant programs. The participants are recruited from among active residents who have previously expressed interest in creating and promoting socially significant projects.

"The People Decide Forum is an absolutely practical event where you can listen to the methodology and get answers to those questions that are available. Local initiatives are important, and the "Creating a Comfortable Urban Environment" program works for settlements of 1,000 people and above. The Local Initiatives program is for all localities, even if there are 10 people living in our Omsk region and projects can be implemented. And today we have tried to take into account as much as possible all the wishes of citizens, heads of settlements, heads of districts, to expand this program. The criteria and spending directions have been expanded, and they can be implemented in school and courtyard areas of apartment buildings, sports grounds, kindergartens and other spaces. The upper limit of financing has been increased to 3 million rubles," said Vitaliy Khotsenko.

The number of spending directions has also been increased. The amount per project has also been increased.

"Fourth, we are giving the opportunity to settlements with a population of more than 5,000 to submit two projects for participation, rather than one as it was before. And of course, people walk through the red thread here - how do they want to improve, what do they want to improve, what kind of space? An important event is taking place today, it is dedicated to how to apply correctly, what can be applied for," said Vitaliy Khotsenko.

The planned number of participants is 400 people, they will be distributed into 40 project teams from the city of Omsk and 32 more from the districts of the region. They will receive technologies for creating, promoting, and monitoring the execution of initiative projects. The training will take place in an intensive mode. The program includes lectures and trainings on the technology of advancing and discussing initiatives and principles of teamwork, a workshop on the design of project ideas into feasible and calculated ones. The selection of prospective projects will be carried out by federal and regional experts. The authors of the best ideas — residents, social activists, representatives of local administrations, will be able to apply for funding for their implementation from the regional budget.

The event will help to revitalize the project activity of the residents of the region and create conditions for the mass involvement of residents in public discussion and the implementation of civic initiatives in various spheres of settlement life.

"It is important to improve our urban environment, and we already have experience participating in the Presidential program "Creating a comfortable Urban Environment" and the Small Towns program, year after year. I am sure that people see the spaces that we are improving not only within the city of Omsk, but also in the region. This is federal funding, and we're adding our own. Moreover, we decided to go further and extend the "Local Initiatives" program, which has been in effect for 2 years. Last year, we allocated 20 million, this year we have allocated up to 100 million, and we are supporting 70 projects. Next year, we have decided to allocate 1 billion rubles in order to improve not 70 spaces in all municipalities of the region, but at least 5 times more," Vitaly Khotsenko said.