Building the capacity of territorial communities by revealing their latent potential

Decentralization is a common component of public finance development and reform strategies through efficiency, better governance and accountability. It has become particularly important for the local governments to recognize and test policies and practices that promote building the capacity of local communities by revealing their latent potential. The aim of the article was to identify and describe the current state of the decentralization process in Ukraine and in the EU, the problems and achievements of local communities. Observation and comparison were the leading methodological tools. The research found that the effective development of territorial communities of Ukraine requires further implementation of the relevant regional strategic planning of the European Union. The appropriateness and prospects of the LEADER/CLLD approach in the form of cooperation and partnership between urban and rural areas were established. Fiscal decentralization as a basic factor on the way to improving the level of regional development was determined through a comparative analysis of the factors of positive dynamics of development of territorial communities in the EU and Ukraine. A comparative analysis of the practice of Ukraine and EU countries in the implementation of LEADER/CLLD projects in the context of building the capacity of local communities by revealing their latent potential is a promising vector of further research.