How accessible are schools for people with limited mobility, what do local CSOs do, and what medical services are available in the community? These and many other important data are collected in a social profile. This document serves as a mirror of the community, reflecting its status and needs.

Recently, the Chornomorsk community has developed a social profile as part of the “Analysis of Accessibility, Conflict Sensitivity and Prospects for the Development of Intermunicipal Social Services” project, conducted by the Prostir Foundation, with the support of the USAID HOVERLA Activity.

A community social profile is a document that contains information about the resources and social features of a community. It reflects the most up-to-date demographic situation such as population, population distribution by age and gender, and social groups in the community. The Chornomorsk community started developing its social profile by collecting demographic data.

‘First, we determined our population, using the official statistics of 2022, which we use in budgeting. Then we turned to the demographic register and realized that the number of residents had decreased. All of this is now reflected in the social profile,’ says Yuliia Pakunova, advisor to the Chornomorsk mayor, about the work on the social profile.

A separate section of the social profile is dedicated to the social protection of residents. It provides information on the status of basic social services, including home care, supported accommodation, social adaptation, and physical support for people with disabilities. If certain services are not provided, this is indicated in the profile and serves as a signal for local authorities to act. The absence of necessary services may indicate unmet needs of vulnerable groups and requires the development and implementation of appropriate programs.

The social profile contains a list of civil society organizations in various fields of activity: from protecting the interests and rights of people with disabilities to developing athletics in the community.

‘Previously, in order to find out about CSOs, we had to contact the internal policy department or the department for cooperation with law enforcement agencies. Now, having collected information about more than 60 organizations operating in the Chornomorsk community, we have this list in one document. We can see what kind of organization it is, what it does, and who its director is. It is very convenient,’ says Yuliia Pakunova.

A social profile helps investors assess the community's potential for business development. The investor gets a complete picture of the community's life, needs, and opportunities, and thus can easily predict whether their project will thrive in the community. Investments attracted with the help of a social profile create new jobs, which reduces unemployment and increases incomes. In this way, this document can contribute to the economic development of the community.

The state of providing free access to public and social facilities for people with disabilities and other low-mobility groups is another important issue reflected in the social profile. The document indicates which schools or hospitals have ramps and where they still need to be installed, whether there are widened doorways and tactile signs in Braille. After developing the social profile and receiving recommendations from experts, the Chornomorsk community began working on barrier-free accessibility, including installing a bathroom for people with limited mobility.

‘The social profile helps us to find information quickly and efficiently. For example, if we need data on the number of entrepreneurs in a particular industry, we don't have to go and count each one, because we already have everything organized in a comprehensive table. We never imagined that all this information could be collected in one document,’ concludes Yuliia Pakunova.