On 7–28 November 2025, a Digital Labs training course on project management for civil society organisations representing national minorities (communities) in Ukraine was held.
The event aimed to enhance the capacity of civil society organisations of national communities in Ukraine in the field of project management in various areas: education, culture, media and social initiatives, and to implement projects aimed at preserving and developing identity, history and cultural heritage, etc.
Fifteen civil society organisations of national minorities (communities) of Ukraine took part in the training. The course programme was structured as a comprehensive practical cycle of project management from idea formation to implementation. It combined lectures, practical classes and individual mentoring sessions with experts.
Participants strengthened their project implementation skills, gaining practical knowledge in grant writing under uncertainty, project design aligned with donor requirements, and adaptation to crisis contexts. The training covered budget planning, financial management, accountability, and transparency, as well as strategic grant management focused on sustainability and long-term impact.
The programme also addressed communication strategies, fundraising, project pitching, teamwork, and human resource management. Participants learned to assess target group needs, design projects with tangible social impact, communicate results through social media, and apply monitoring, evaluation, and donor reporting.
Thematic discussions explored the role of culture and the Roma component in public and cultural institutions, alongside the current challenges faced by national community organisations in Ukraine. Despite the ongoing war and difficult working conditions, participants showed strong commitment to strengthening their organisations. In this context, project management emerged as both a practical tool and a means of ensuring the visibility and voice of Ukraine’s national communities.
The event was supported by the Council of Europe Project Supporting the reform of the national minority legal framework and the resilience of national minorities and Roma in Ukraine, in partnership with the European Union programme ‘House of Europe’.
