Participants from 100 municipalities from all over Ukraine, selected on a competitive basis, will spend the next 8 weeks in comprehensive training.

A new educational initiative of the U-LEAD Programme, “Steps for Specialists. Staffing Issues in Local Self-Government under Martial Law”, which will cover representatives from 100 municipalities from all over Ukraine, has begun.

Municipalities were selected to participate in Steps on a competitive basis. During the next 8 weeks, the participants will work with U-LEAD experts and undergo comprehensive training that will include a series of seminars, workshops and a dialogue event.

At the opening of the programme, Olena Tomniuk, Deputy Director of U-LEAD with Europe emphasised the qualitative changes in local self-government in Ukraine brought about by the decentralisation.

“The strong foundation of local self-government ensured that Ukraine has stayed strong through the most difficult times and keeps doing it even now. Obviously, these changes are based on three pillars: authority, resources and responsibility. However, these pillars are firmly embedded in the organisational and staffing understructure, because you can’t confidently build any business without a ‘proper foundation’,” she said.

Nataliia Aliushina, Head of the National Agency of Ukraine for Civil Service, joined the first seminar to tell the participants about the prospects for career development in local self-government and explain the employment procedure for the local government under martial law.

The idea of the educational initiative was inspired by the practical experience of the Programme’s experts working with municipalities. Maryna Lobova, Head of the Regional Office of U-LEAD in the Sumy oblast and Coordinator of the Steps, told more about this.

“Working with municipalities every day, we understand that staffing issues are always at the TOP of their requests. That is why we expect that the training will answer participants’ most relevant questions. We also saw great demand during the selection process, and we are already considering the second Steps wave in the autumn,” she said.

The first event was dedicated to appointment by transfer; appointment from the pool of candidates and through internships; hiring on a part-time basis.

The next Steps seminar will cover special considerations of service in the local self-government.