The Swedish-Ukrainian Polaris Programme "Support to Multilevel Governance in Ukraine" invites hromadas to partner in the sphere of Locally-led Recovery.
We provide expert and technical assistance to hromadas in planning comprehensive recovery efforts and identifying projects that meet their needs, fostering local development both during and after the war. This support helps local governments enhance their ability to attract investments, restore infrastructure, and improve services delivery.
The Locally-led Recovery direction is being implemented in partnership with and in consultation with the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine. The Programme plans to select up to 12 hromadas for partnership. Applications will be accepted from 18 December 2024 to 27 January 2025 (inclusive). The Programme will work with hromadas from 12 oblasts most affected by the consequences of the full-scale invasion.
Information sessions on hromadas support within the Locally-led Recovery initiative will be held on the Zoom platform on 9 and 20 January from 11:00 to 12:30. Register via this link.
What support does the Locally-led Recovery direction offer to hromadas?
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Needs Assessment: Analysis of the hromada’s requirements for documents that facilitate the implementation of recovery and development projects in both short- and long-term perspectives.
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Expert Document Review: Conducting an in-depth evaluation of existing plans and decisions regulating the planning and implementation of recovery processes in the hromada.
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Capacity Building: Assessing and enhancing the capacities of local government specialists in strategic and spatial planning, as well as recovery project implementation.
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Strategic Document Development: Providing expert support for the creation of the most relevant strategic and spatial planning documents for the hromada, from needs analysis to the development of implementation mechanisms, and their synchronization as needed (e.g., Comprehensive Recovery Programme, Recovery and Development Plan, Development Strategy, Integrated Spatial Development Concept, Comprehensive Spatial Development Plan, etc.).
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Fundraising Recommendations: Preparing tailored guidance for securing funding to implement recovery projects outlined in strategic and spatial documents.
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Training Initiatives: Organizing training activities for architects, land managers, and local government specialists responsible for the preparation, implementation, monitoring, and updating of strategic and spatial documents.
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Institutional Support: Offering advisory and consulting assistance to implement organisational changes in strategic and spatial planning, along with improving skills in geospatial data management.
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Peer Learning Opportunities: Facilitating the exchange of experiences and best practices among the Programme’s partner hromadas.
Which hromadas can participate?
- The hromada is located in one of the following regions: Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Poltava, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Kherson, or Odesa.
- The current population of the hromada is between 3,000 and 100,000 residents as of the end of 2024.
- No active hostilities are taking place in the hromada at the time of application.
- The hromada is located at least 20 kilometres from the state border with the Russian Federation or Belarus, and/or at least 40 kilometres from the combat contact line as of the time of application.
- The hromada is not under temporary occupation at the time of application.
The parthership aims to strengthen the capacity of local governments in data collection and management, the preparation of high-quality and actionable strategic and spatial documents that consider future development scenarios, as well as in planning and implementing recovery projects. The experience gained by the partner hromadas can be documented as best practices and shared with other hromadas for further scaling.
The activities outlined are expected to last approximately 15 months, from April 2025 to June 2026, depending on the specific circumstances of each hromada. Partner hromadas will continue to receive expert support from the Programme during and after the completion of the joint activities described above.
A memorandum of cooperation will be signed with the hromadas selected for partnership.
Criteria for Selecting Partner Hromadas
- Geographical location: Hromadas located in the eligible regions.
- Population size: The actual population, including internally displaced persons (IDPs).
- Impact of war: Negative consequences of the war, including de-occupied territories, infrastructure damage, or the effects of previous hostilities.
- Experience with international assistance programmes: The hromada’s track record in implementing international technical assistance projects.
- Capacity to manage strategic and spatial planning documents: Availability of specialists such as architects, land managers, or equivalent experts within the local government.
- Motivation and readiness for long-term cooperation: Commitment to working with the Programme and willingness to implement necessary changes.
How to Apply?
Applications from local government authorities must be submitted via this link, providing all required information, including an official Letter of Intent to Participate signed by the head of the hromada (in PDF format).
A preview of the application form is available here.
Selection Process
The selection will take place in two stages:
- Review of completed applications.
- Follow-up interviews scheduled for early February 2025.
The results of the selection process will be published in March 2025. For any questions, please contact us at:
