The social protection system in Ukraine has undergone a long development journey to become what it is today. It all began in the 1990s with the creation of Territorial Centers and Centers of Social Services for Youth. These were the first institutions to identify vulnerable individuals, provide basic assistance, and collect initial data, long before the formal concept of a “social service” was even established. This was a challenging path of building assistance for vulnerable groups and creating the first databases practically from scratch.
The development of the social protection system was difficult but showed gradual progress. Despite challenges with strategic planning and the prolonged absence of a unified data collection tool, the Ministry of Social Policy consistently worked to improve the regulatory framework. The first official Procedure for Needs Assessment appeared in 2014, followed by the updated Order No. 130-N in 2023, which significantly detailed the approach to this work.
This prompted the Charity Foundation “Stabilization Support Services” to engage in this area, find a systematic and unified approach for assessing social service needs, and develop the Methodology and format for the community social passport.
The social passport is a document that covers virtually every aspect of a community’s life. It shows whether residents have access to banking, postal, and administrative services and provides an overview of the social sphere. It details which medical, educational, cultural, and sports facilities are operational and whether there is a local police officer, social worker, or fire brigade on site.
With such a detailed snapshot, a community can clearly identify its strengths and weaknesses, assess available resources, and understand where additional support is needed. The social passport has become a key instrument for structuring information, setting priorities for social protection development, and effectively engaging partners in collaborative work. It enables better planning of services and social programs that truly meet people’s needs.
Learn more about the social passport.
View social passports of communities we helped update.
We will continue to help improve the social protection system in target communities. These initiatives are implemented within the Support to the Capacity of Government Institutions and Local Communities to Strengthen Social Protection Systems in Ukraine project, implemented with the support of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency in Ukraine.