Uniting together: capacity building of Coordination Councils on IDP issues in Zakarpattia region
About the project
The project strengthens the capacity of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to influence decision-making processes in communities of Zakarpattia Oblast through the development of Coordination Councils on IDP Issues. These advisory bodies represent the interests of IDPs, raise issues of equal access to services, adaptation, and integration in host communities, but often require additional knowledge in needs assessment, advocacy, strategic planning, and interaction with authorities.
Representatives of the councils will undergo training in needs assessment, public participation, negotiation, interest representation, and advocacy. After the training, they will apply the acquired knowledge during the assessment of IDP needs in three communities of Zakarpattia. The Coordination Councils receive consulting and mentoring support for planning advocacy initiatives, organizing interaction with local self-government bodies, and strengthening internal capacity.
Target Audience
Coordination Councils on IDP Issues, operating within local self-government bodies and at the district level, are the project's primary target group. The indirect target audience consists of internally displaced persons residing in Zakarpattia Oblast who use local, social, administrative, cultural, and other services.
Partners
Expected Results
Representatives of the Coordination Councils on IDP Issues will improve their knowledge and practical skills in needs assessment, public participation, negotiation, advocacy, and representation of the interests of internally displaced persons. This will strengthen their ability to substantiate proposals, shape the councils' agenda, and meaningfully participate in local decision-making processes.
Mentoring and consulting support will help the councils apply the acquired knowledge in their daily work. Council representatives will have more confidence and practical tools for preparing advocacy initiatives, conducting negotiations, organizing consultations with IDPs, and interacting with officials.
Local self-government bodies and state authorities will receive reliable data on the situation and needs of IDPs in communities. Public presentation of assessment results will create conditions for discussing problems based on facts, not assumptions, and will contribute to considering the position of internally displaced persons when developing local programs and services.
Communication will be strengthened between Coordination Councils on IDP Issues, authorities, and public organizations. A regional partnership event and joint work on recommendations will help define interaction mechanisms, disseminate successful solutions among communities, and collectively respond to problems that cannot be effectively resolved at the level of a single council.
In the medium term, strengthened Coordination Councils will more actively represent the interests of internally displaced persons, initiate decisions based on assessed needs, and monitor their implementation. Authorities will receive structured feedback from IDPs, and internally displaced persons themselves will have a more effective channel for participating in local policy formation.
In the long term, systematic participation of IDPs in decision-making will contribute to better adaptation and integration into host communities, more equal access to municipal and social services, and a reduction in discriminatory practices. The development of a partner network of Coordination Councils will create a basis for coordinated regional solutions and further dissemination of successful experience to other communities in Zakarpattia.
Project Details
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Implementation period November 2024 - July 2025
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Geography Zakarpattia Oblast
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Supported by donor International Renaissance Foundation