New online course on effective community management is a simple guide for councillors and public

November 9, 2021

We’re pleased to announce the launch of a free online course on effective community management! The course is designed to empower as many Ukrainians as possible to transform their own communities effectively. The training materials are presented in a convenient video format, and are available for registered users 24/7, so you can take in this useful new knowledge anywhere, at any time that suits you! We’re certain that the course will be just as useful to representatives and employees of local councils as it will for civic activists and concerned citizens.

Why now?

Last year, the first stage of decentralization reform was completed in Ukraine, and 1,469 new territorial communities were created. The transformation and increased efficiency of local government are becoming a reality – from now on most local issues are fully the responsibility of local communities, including education, healthcare, administrative services, roads, lighting, water supply, garbage collection, landscaping, construction and even security.

But does increasing the powers and resources of communities mean that they will just evolve “automatically?” Of course not! First and foremost, effective community management requires qualified, competent, and responsible leaders. Decentralization provides a good opportunity for local leaders bring about change in their community, but in return it requires everyone to have the required knowledge and competencies. Moreover, not only local council members and local government employees can transform communities – thanks to recent changes, regular citizens have been given a number of tools to influence pivotal decisions. After all, these decisions affect them the most.

Our online course is one of these tools. It will help people clearly, quickly and easily master key issues in various fields of community life, as well as fully understand the work of council members. And it will help them acquire skills in resource management.

What topics are covered?

The course consists of five modules, each is delivered by the best Ukrainian experts in local government and social change management:

Oleksandr Solontai explains the peculiarities of the work of local government bodies and executive bodies and demystifies the powers, rights and responsibilities of council members.

Olha Omelchuk clarifies the structure and specifics of the budget process, and introduces the procedure of lobbying for budget issues.

Roman Romanko helps structure the knowledge about the peculiarities of land management and municipal property of communities.

Natalia Chermoshentseva talks in detail about inclusion and gender equality in the work of council members, and pays special attention to the principles and examples of gender budgeting.

And Oleksandr Ravchev reveals the secrets of effective communications on social media, talks about personal branding, and the secrets of effective public speaking and crisis communications.

Ready for new knowledge? Check out the course!

How was the course created?

The online course is based on the curriculum of the workshop on political participation “I Am A Council Member” which was conducted in March-June 2021 as part of Enhancing Women’s Political Participation at the Subnational Level project with the financial support of Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. More than 55 local council members from Zakarpattia, Mykolaiv, Kherson and Khmelnytskyi oblasts took part in it. The training sessions helped women not only increase their technical efficiency and competencies, but also boosted their self-confidence and interpersonal communication skills, which are very important for the integrated development of professional and effective female politicians. On completion of the workshop, we received excellent feedback that confirmed the usefulness of the curriculum and encouraged us to disseminate it further.

Viktoria Duka,

member of Shevchenkove village council of Vitovskyi district in Mykolaiv oblast

During my studies, my perception of council membership changed dramatically. For me, as a novice councillor, literally all the information I got was useful. I especially liked the topics of gender policy and land issues. Thank you so much for this training – I’m thrilled! I made new friends and got some unforgettable impressions. Thank you to the organizers, and I hope that our group will continue to communicate and work outside the workshop.

Paraskeva Dzhumaniiazova,

member of Nova Kakhovka City Council in Kherson oblast

I joined the workshop on political participation primarily to learn to communicate more effectively – both with colleagues and with the public. I really liked the training unit on publicity campaigns. The information about writing community development strategies, budgeting, and the development of draft decisions was also valuable.

Oleksandr Ravchev,

expert in communications and social change management

Even the most progressive idea of ​​change can encounter barriers of misunderstanding on the part of people, and get caught up in constant conflict and refuting misconceptions and stereotypes. That is why it is so important to be able to build communications correctly and efficiently. This course covers both general rules and contains practical tips on how to improve your interaction skills with various groups of people. This knowledge will enable you to more effectively promote your projects in the community and save a lot of wear on your nerves.

Viktoria Dotsenko,

member of Bereznehuvate settlement council of Bereznehuvate district in Mykolaiv oblast

Additional knowledge brings you confidence – I came back from the training session so happy and inspired! I didn’t regret for a moment registering for the programme. I systematized my knowledge, and after the first session I became more effective in using the tools of lobbying for budget issues.