In 2024, the Council of Europe project  “Strengthening democratic resilience through civic participation during the war and in the post-war context in Ukraine” will provide comprehensive expert and methodological support for implementing the mechanism of Citizens' Assemblies in two Ukrainian communities – Zvyahel and Slavutych.

Citizens' Assembly (CA) is one of the most widespread mechanisms of deliberative democracy already implemented in many countries in Europe and around the world: Germany, Italy, France, Poland, Belgium, Canada, Australia, the USA, Colombia, South Korea, and more.

In Ukraine, the implementation of Citizens' Assemblies by the Council of Europe will take place for the first time, which  will make the involved communities and team of designers, organisers, coordinators, and facilitators pioneers in using this innovative tool. Their experience will be extremely valuable during the implementation CAs in other communities and countries.

The Council of Europe project on civic participation announces a call for applications to select coordinators for Citizens' Assemblies in Zvyahel and Slavutych communities. It is expected that applications will be submitted by civil society organisations (CSOs) or representatives of civil society organizations representing Zvyahel and Slavutych communities (or Kyiv and Zhytomyr regions).

ToR:

Coordinators of the Citizens' Assembly are responsible for coordinating, preparing, and logistical implementation of the Citizens' Assembly in collaboration with the Council of Europe project, international experts, and the city councils. This includes, but is not limited to, the following tasks:

• Identifying potential experts and other stakeholders to be involved in the process.
• Assisting in the recruitment process of CA members.
• Conducting the onboarding process for CA members (based on a guide) and providing necessary informational support throughout the process.
• Preparing the Support Team involved in the CA and coordinating their work according to the guidance of the Council of Europe project and its experts.
• Supporting the work of facilitators, experts, and other stakeholders as needed, with the potential involvement of the Support Team: coordinating/participating in their training and functioning as a liaison with them.
• Coordinating external communication and documentation in Ukrainian: preparing and publishing summaries, preparing materials for training sessions and other meetings, and drafting the final report of the CA.

Contracts will be signed with selected applicants. Expected duration of the engagement: May 1 – December 10, 2024.

Required qualifications:

• demonstrated experience in coordinating complex projects involving multiple stakeholders, preferably in the context of civic participation;
• knowledge of local context of Zvyahel and Slavutych communities: familiarity with the local political and social context;
• excellent communication skills, both written and oral, ability to effectively communicate with diverse groups of stakeholders, including CA members, facilitators, experts, and the general public;
• knowledge of English is desirable.

 Please, apply by filling out the online form.

 Deadline: April 29, 2024.

• Read more about Citizens' Assemblies and deliberative democracy here (in Ukrainian).

On March 15, 2024, the Council of Europe project “Strengthening democratic resilience through civic participation during the war and in the post-war context in Ukraine” held a conference "Visionary ways of engaging citizens: the future of deliberative democracy in Ukraine". During the event, perspectives and challenges of deliberative democracy during war and post-war period were discussed, as well as citizens' assemblies as a tool of deliberative democracy. Memorandums of understanding for the implementation of Citizens' Assemblies were signed between the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine and the two pilot communities of the Council of Europe project on civic participation – Zvyahel and Slavutych. 

 Follow project news on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CivilParticipationPlatform.