Coordination for Stronger Support to Ukraine’s Hromadas
In a time of full-scale war, the resilience of Ukraine’s hromadas depends not only on resources, but also on coordination, partnership, and the ability of support to reach people where it is needed most.
Ukraine’s international partners, through the Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine (PFRU), support efforts that strengthen the resilience of frontline and border communities and help build the local capacity needed to respond to disruption, adapt under pressure, and continue serving residents. Stronger coordination among those working with communities is an essential part of that effort.
It was in this context that PFRU representatives Andriy Bryn and Valentyna Naumenko took part in a meeting initiated by the All-Ukrainian Association of Amalgamated Territorial Communities (AAATC) on the establishment of a Partners’ Coalition to support communities.
The event brought together AAATC’s key partners, donors, and representatives of international technical assistance programmes and projects. Its purpose was to launch a platform for more structured coordination of support to hromadas.
This is the first step towards creating a space where partners will be able to align shared vision and priorities; coordinate actions and avoid duplication of efforts; and improve the overall effectiveness of support to hromadas.
The discussion focused on:
- the role of the future Coalition as a coordination mechanism;
- principles of cooperation between partners and hromadas;
- ormats for organising joint work.
The AAATC is a non-governmental, non-political, and non-profit association of local self-government bodies, established in 2016 at the initiative of the communities themselves. Today, it brings together 870 communities — the majority of hromadas in Ukraine — acts in their interests, promotes European approaches to governance, and serves as a key platform for forming a consolidated voice of local self-government at the national and international levels.
International support is critical for the recovery and development of communities, helping them respond to the challenges of war and strengthen their resilience. This is why stronger coordination and partnership are essential to achieving tangible results.
Since October 2023, the PFRU has been working with the AAATC to support frontline and border hromadas, including the delivery of 33 units of specialised vehicles through the Association and a project focused on strengthening the capacity of communities for adaptive emergency planning.
