On 9–10 July 2026, the final training session of the “Initiative. Participation. Impact” programme took place in Lviv. The programme was implemented by the Council of Europe project “Strengthening multilevel governance and local democracy to support Ukraine’s recovery”.
The programme aimed to strengthen the skills of civil society representatives, civic leaders and initiative groups in effective civic participation and the implementation of local initiatives. It combined four online training sessions on civic participation and project management, individual consultations with Council of Europe project experts, and a two-day offline training in Lviv focused on project management, systemic fundraising and the presentation of finalised project applications.
Following an open call, 24 participants from different regions of Ukraine were selected to take part in the programme, each with their own project idea. Throughout the training, they worked to improve their ideas and prepare them for submission for funding and further implementation in their communities. During the final offline training, 14 participants presented project applications developed and refined throughout the programme with the support of trainers and consultants of the Council of Europe project.
Over the course of the programme, participants went through the process from an initial idea to a project concept note. They worked on defining the problem, objectives, expected results, key activities, target groups, success indicators and potential risks, as well as identifying opportunities to mobilise resources and ensure the long-term sustainability of their initiatives.
The key focus of the final training was the presentation of finalised projects. Participants presented their initiatives, developed into project concept notes, and received individual expert feedback.
The experts’ comments focused on the content, logic and feasibility of the projects, the clarity of the problem statements, the relevance of the proposed activities to community needs, opportunities for engaging residents in implementation, and the practical viability and long-term sustainability of the projects. During the discussions, participants also received recommendations on how to better align their applications with the Council of Europe principles of good democratic governance, community development priorities, the Sustainable Development Goals, and approaches to effective citizen engagement.
In addition to the project presentations, the final training provided a space for peer learning and exchange among participants from different communities. They had the opportunity to discuss the strengths of their initiatives, receive advice from experts and peers, clarify the next steps for project implementation, and strengthen the potential impact of their projects on community development.
The programme is implemented within the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” for 2023-2026 and the project “Strengthening multilevel governance and local democracy to support Ukraine’s recovery”, implemented by the Council of Europe Centre of Expertise for Multilevel Governance at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities.
