Working during the holiday season is not easy, but we managed to pull it off! We are sharing the results of our work with communities, government agencies, and IDP Councils in December. From local meetings to a nationwide forum, we held 155 events in the last month of the year, each of which contributed to supporting and strengthening Ukraine’s social protection system.
Support for Communities and Social Protection Institutions
In December, we held:
- 3 seminars (topics: features of communication between social protection system employees and vulnerable groups of the population; labor relations under martial law; competence of administrative bodies in applying administrative procedures and measures of influence to enforce administrative acts);
- A training session on counteracting professional burnout for social protection employees in Kharkivska Oblast;
- 2 training sessions on using the case management tool on the web portal of electronic services of the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine;
- 22 round tables on the results of work in communities within the project: presentation of community social passports, draft medium-term plans for the development of the social protection system at the local level (based on the results of public discussion, relevant resolutions were adopted by city/town/village councils).
We visited, among others, the Hubynykha Settlement Community (Dnipropetrovska Oblast), where we took part in a public presentation of the social passport and the social protection system development plan. The event discussed priority areas for the development of the community’s social protection system for two years, taking into account the needs of IDPs and other vulnerable groups, as well as the challenges faced by social workers. In particular, emphasis was placed on expanding specialized social services and introducing assisted living services.
Another area of the project’s work is establishing cooperation with the Pension Fund of Ukraine. From July 2025, this institution will be responsible for assigning and paying living allowances to IDPs. In December, the regional project team met with representatives of the Pension Fund of Ukraine’s Main Office in Volynska Oblast and agreed to prepare and sign a Memorandum of Cooperation for 2026. This will improve inter-institutional cooperation and enable the rapid exchange of information on the implementation of IDPs’ rights to social benefits.
Technical Support
In December, we delivered technical equipment and furniture to four municipal social services training centers in Uzhhorod, Rivne, and Ivano-Frankivsk.
The institutions also received the following technical assistance:
- 100 sets of equipment, including a tablet, hard drive, mobile phone (31 institutions);
- 20 sets of equipment for mobile workstations: laptop, portable MFP and scanner, ink cartridges, USB hub (19 institutions).
- 133 sets of equipment for workstations, including an MFP, laptop with bag and mouse (35 institutions).
In particular, we donated five sets of equipment to the Department for the Support of Internally Displaced Persons and Logistics of the Social Protection Department of the Zaporizhzhia City Council. Earlier, the community also received charging stations from the project.
“We received phones, tablets, and charging stations — and this is a real gift for our community. The phones help us stay in touch with families and respond quickly to their needs, while the tablets have given our staff additional documentation capabilities. The charging stations help us continue providing social services and support to people even during power outages. On behalf of all the employees of the institution, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the CF SSS and UNHCR for their timely and much-needed assistance,” said Yurii Shvets, Director of the Department.
Caring Communities All-Ukrainian Forum of Social Service Providers
(December 16–17, Kyiv)
The forum brought together representatives of the government, communities, civil society organizations, and social service providers from across the country. Over two days, participants worked in panel discussions and groups, discussing social services for IDPs and older people, as well as the sustainability of social service funding in communities. As a result of their work, key challenges and possible solutions in the field of social service provision were identified, including:
- Strengthening cooperation between civil society organizations (CSOs) and the social protection system, such as in the procurement of social services;
- Providing basic social services to CSOs that are not yet registered as official providers;
- Support for IDPs and older people through universities of the third age and social adaptation programs;
- The work of social facilitators and volunteers to strengthen the social services system.
The event was organized by the CrimeaSOS civil society organization in partnership with the Charity Foundation “Stabilization Support Services” and with the support of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency in Ukraine.
Support for IDP Councils
In December, we conducted:
- Strategic sessions for four IDP Councils;
- 22 events to coordinate the work of IDP Councils, mentoring support (participation in IDP Council meetings; monitoring visits);
- 7 trainings and workshops to develop the capacity of IDP Councils (topics: the impact of IDP Councils on improving support for displaced persons; reporting by IDP Councils).
- 18 meetings as part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign;
- Webinar “The role of IDP Councils in Planning, Implementing, and Monitoring Public Investments in Communities” (watch the recording on our YouTube channel).
We held one of the strategic sessions for the IDP Council under the Rivnenska Oblast Military Administration. During the two-day session, participants developed a strategy for the Council’s development and an operational plan for its implementation.
Olha Melnyk, regional coordinator of the project in Rivnenska Oblast, noted: “The session demonstrated a willingness to participate in community development and resolve IDP issues. The Council’s strengths were identified: openness to new ideas and a desire for cooperation, as well as areas for improvement, including systematization of actions, strengthening communication between sectors, and ensuring effective support for IDPs. During the session, we recommended that the Council strengthen cross-sectoral interaction, implement transparent coordination mechanisms, and ensure the sustainability of initiatives through local policies. We also recommended developing competencies through training programs, mentoring, and the exchange of practical experience.”
We are also sharing the results of an advocacy campaign conducted in cooperation with the IDP Council under the Vasylkiv City Council, with mentoring support from the regional project team in Kyivska Oblast. On December 18, the executive committee of the Vasylkiv City Council adopted a decision “On the Approval of the Draft Program for Providing Housing to IDPs and Their Families Living in the Vasylkiv City Territorial Community for 2026–2028.” Thanks to this initiative, internally displaced persons living in the community have received a social protection tool.
We will continue to help improve the social protection system in target communities. All these initiatives are being implemented thanks to the project Support to the Capacity of Government Institutions and Local Communities to Strengthen Social Protection Systems in Ukraine, which is being implemented with the support of UHNCR, the UN Refugee Agency in Ukraine.