74 residents from the Dmytrivska and Zazymska communities developed over 300 proposals for Action Plans to implement their community strategies using the Council of Europe's innovative CivicLab methodology and with grant support from the project on civic participation.
A community Strategy is a document that contains key information about the community, a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats), a list of goals and objectives, as well as a set of actions to achieve these goals. This document is the key to a community’s success, as it defines its development for the coming years. It is crucial that the maximum number of residents and stakeholders participate in its development.
The CSO "Civic Initiative of Luhansk Region" held two two-day strategic sessions for the residents of the Dmytrivska and Zazymska rural communities, which were affected by Russia’s full-scale aggression in 2022. These sessions were conducted within the framework of the project "Transparent recovery and development of the territorial communities in Kyiv region through civic participation".
Participants of the strategic sessions included local authorities, civil society organisations, community activists, business representatives, volunteers, and internally displaced persons. Together, they identified priority actions for implementing the goals and objectives of the communities Strategies. These priorities covered areas such as the environment, social protection, economy, investment and entrepreneurship development, housing and utilities, security, healthcare, youth and sports, energy management, education and science, governance, finance and budgeting, culture, and tourism.
In total, 41 participants from the Dmytrivska territorial community developed 174 proposals, while 33 participants from the Zazymska community prepared 162 proposals.
Importantly, the proposals were developed in groups using the Council of Europe’s innovative CivicLab methodology, designed by the project on civic participation. CivicLab is a methodology for participatory development, analysis, and forecasting of decision-making options. Its digital component allows real-time monitoring of group work, analysis of results, and forecasting of further actions during the event.
According to a post-event survey, 97% of respondents reported gaining new experiences and skills in using civic participation mechanisms and tools that enable them to influence decision-making in their community, particularly through the CivicLab methodology.
Following the developed proposals, the Strategy was presented to the wider public and submitted for discussion. In November 2024, the Zazymska village Council adopted the community Strategy, incorporating citizens’ proposals. The Dmytrivska community Strategy is expected to be adopted in early 2025.
In 2024, the CSO "Civic Initiative of Luhansk Region" received a grant from the Council of Europe project “Strengthening democratic resilience through civic participation during the war and in the post-war context in Ukraine”. This grant aimed to support civil society organisations in Ukraine in strengthening citizen engagement in decision-making processes. Five Ukrainian CSOs were awarded this support.
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.
