Strengthening the Role of Communities in Managing Local Development in Ukraine

About this grant

The program goal is to promote community participation in decision making related to decentralization reforms in Ukraine. The Association of Small Towns of Ukraine will create an online resource of best practices for community participation in the context of territorial reforms across Ukraine. It will also foster and coordinate a network of territories that have emerged through the decentralization process to develop and further share best practices; and implement a media and outreach campaign for the nearly 1,000 communities that are undertaking the reform process to promote democratic practices in community governance. In 2016–2018, the grantee worked in six pilot regions to assist in introducing and embedding best practices in community participation in local governance, resulting in 43 documented strategies for such engagement and five replicable road maps for institutionalizing democratic governance. Established in 2010 to serve and promote the interests of small municipalities across Ukraine, the Association of Small Towns of Ukraine works to improve local administration as well as engagement of community organizations in local governance.