News

The leadership of the Polaris Programme and SALAR International met with the Mayor of Kharkiv and Head of the Association of Frontline Cities and Communities, Ihor Terekhov

On 25–26 March in Lviv, the first Nordic-Ukrainian Municipal Partnership Forum took place — a new format for partnerships under the Polaris Programme, co-organized by SALAR International and the Cities4Cities initiative. The forum brought together representatives of over 60 municipalities from Ukrai ...

On 18–19 March, strategic events aimed at establishing an effective system of general secondary education institutions took place in Teofipol (Khmelnytskyi region), with the support of the Swedish-Ukrainian Polaris Programme.

The technical support will enable starostas' districts to work more efficiently with registers, organise document flow more effectively and expand residents’ access to services.

Nordic Day is a great opportunity to talk about one of the most successful examples of Swedish-Ukrainian inter-municipal cooperation. From their first meeting at the Forum in 2023 to the signing of the Memorandum and the joint grant from the Polaris Programme, it took less than two years for Vasylki ...

The event brought together around 40 female leaders from local government in frontline and war-affected regions – Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk and Kharkiv.

A series of regional meetings took place in February and March for specialists supporting veterans, representatives of support services, and psychologists from local communities.

Starostas - local self-government officials who represent the interests of residents of starosta districts - are the level of governance closest to the people.

On March 7, representatives of 8 key national institutions and three all-Ukrainian associations completed a study and work visit to Stockholm dedicated to multi-level governance practices. The visit focused on decentralisation, financial delineation of powers, and strategic planning for territo ...

The event became a platform for discussing how to ensure effective communication between authorities and residents of hromadas in the difficult conditions of wartime, as well as how to preserve and further develop public participation instruments

On March 8, we celebrate International Women's Day and International Peace Day, a day that reminds us of the key role of equal rights and opportunities, dignity and respect.

The round table provided a space for open discussion on communities' readiness to move beyond their role as passive recipients of tax revenues and take on some of the powers of a full-fledged administrator

On 25 February, the Swedish-Ukrainian Programme Polaris held a practical webinar, “EU Experience in Preparing Feasibility Studies and Cost-Benefit Analyses for Municipal Infrastructure Projects.”

The event brought together the Association's leadership, representatives of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, central executive authorities, experts, and heads of territorial communities.

Participants emphasised the need for continued systematic support to starostas and for developing solutions aimed at the recovery and sustainable development of hromadas

The vehicles are equipped with everything necessary for specialists to deliver services to residents of remote settlements

In mid-February, the education area of the Polaris Programme conducted a series of field visits and working meetings across different regions of Ukraine. The events brought together hromadas, education managers, teachers, parents and students to address key issues of the upper secondary school refor ...

The role primarily involves providing advice on advocacy and policy matters, as well as supporting strategic decision-making and prioritisation related to the complex areas of the Polaris Programme. Deadline: 2 March 2026

On 7 February, the First Forum of Starostas of Poltava Oblast took place in Myrhorod – a large-scale event that brought together more than 250 representatives of local self-government, Members of Parliament of Ukraine, oblast- and local-level councillors, as well as heads of territorial hromadas fro ...

At the beginning of February, the Polaris Programme continued its systemic work with hromadas in the education sector, focusing on key issues of educational governance, the distribution of powers, and the transformation of the educational network.

On 4-5 February, Kryvyi Rih city hromada became a platform for a comprehensive cycle of regional educational events under the Polaris Programme, aimed at reflection and practical preparation for the implementation of the upper secondary specialised education reform.

SEK 400 million will be allocated to two ongoing programmes implemented by SALAR International and funded by Sida: Waste Management for Ukraine (WM4U), implemented by SALAR International in partnership with Avfall Sverige, and Polaris: Supporting Multi-Level Governance in Ukraine.

On 3–5 February, Uzhhorod hosted the training “Skills for a Modern Administrative Services Centre (ASC) Specialist”, organised jointly with the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine for staff of Administrative Services Centres from hromadas of Zakarpattia Oblast.

The Committee of the Regions of the European Union is an institution through which cities and regions influence EU decisions. For Ukrainian communities, cooperation with the EU means the opportunity to influence EU decisions on Ukraine in the process of European integration, which is benefici ...

Late January 2026 within the Polaris Programme became a clear example of comprehensive work with hromadas in the field of education – from strategic planning of educational system development to managerial decision-making in inclusive education.

The assessment procedure includes surveys, individual interviews, document analysis, as well as a review of the institution’s internal and external spaces.

A gender audit in the education sector is a tool for assessing the gender sensitivity of an institution’s policies, management decisions, practices, and communication. It helps identify strengths and development potential, while contributing to improved management quality, a safer educational enviro ...

On 21–22 January 2026, the Hoshcha settlement territorial hromada hosted a comprehensive expert visit by representatives of the Polaris Programme.

On 23 January, Obukhiv Lyceum No. 5 (Kyiv oblast) hosted the conference “Career Guidance – an Effective Tool for Student Self-Realisation”, organised within the framework of the Polaris Programme.

276 applications were received from 240 hromadas across all 13 oblasts eligible under the selection criteria