Broad civic participation is crucial for the successful development of a community strategy that will shape the direction and quality of life in the community for years to come.
The Council of Europe project “Strengthening democratic resilience through civic participation during the war and in the post-war context in Ukraine” provides expert support to the Rivne City Council in the participatory development of the strategy until 2028.
At the end of 2024, 11 events were held for residents of the Rivne community, where they worked in groups to develop proposals for tasks and activities aimed at achieving the strategic and operational goals of the future strategy.
The strategic sessions focused on key areas, including the development of the civic sector, digitalisation, municipal services, environmental protection, energy efficiency, spatial development, security, law enforcement, and social policy for veterans. Among these, four strategic sessions were conducted using the Council of Europe #CivicLab methodology to discuss topics such as the economy, entrepreneurship, education, international cooperation and partnerships, and healthcare.
A total of 346 residents of the Rivne community participated in participatory events, including representatives of the civil society, business, youth, and community institutions and organisations. With the support of the Council of Europe project experts, the participants developed 727 proposals, which were then systematised according to the goals outlined in the community strategy.
Additionally, 433 residents participated in an online citizen survey aimed at gathering opinions on the future document to accurately reflect strategic and operational goals of the community. In total, 753 individuals contributed to the development of the strategy.
On 16 December 2024, a regular meeting of the Strategic Committee was held in Rivne, where the Council of Europe project experts presented a draft strategy containing analytical information about the community, scenarios for its development and a list of implementation activities for the next 4 years. The next stage will involve finalising the document by the strategic committee, holding a public discussion, and presenting it for consideration and adoption at the session of the Rivne City Council.
The Council of Europe project “Strengthening democratic resilience through civic participation during the war and in the post-war context in Ukraine” is designed to support the implementation of the objectives set out in the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” (2023-2026) to strengthen the democratic processes and address the challenges public authorities are facing in the time of war and in post-war context through active and effective civic participation at the local, regional and national level.
