News

The goal of the initiative is to test a new partnership model, in which regional and local associations of local self-government serve as active participants in the professional development of local government officials and as platforms for the exchange of experiences among hromadas

The Polaris Programme’s education team piloted the Education Practicum in the Drohobych hromada — a new format of hands-on support for school leaders and local education management teams in preparing for the new school year

One of the Programme’s top priorities is to support hromadas’ capacity to identify needs and ensure the provision of high-quality public services at the level of starosta districts and to define the role of the starosta in the hromada

The role includes project coordination and implementation support across thematic areas that engage with territorial hromadas. Deadline: 15 August 2026

Modern standards for administrative service delivery, digital tools, accessibility, and effective communication were the key focus areas of the "Skills for a Modern Administrative Service Centre Professional" training held on 15–17 July in Kropyvnytskyi

The Polaris Programme held a study visit and training session “The Role of Starostas in Preventing and Responding to Domestic Violence.” The event brought together around 30 starostas and other representatives of the Mena, Kozelets, and Bobrovytsia hromadas in Chernihiv region

On 15 June, Ukraine opened accession negotiations on the ‘Fundamentals’ cluster, and on 14 July, on the ‘External Relations’ cluster. This marks not only an important stage in the negotiation process with the EU, but also the start of practical preparations for the implementation of European legisla ...

The role includes providing advisory and expert analytical support to hromadas in identifying the needs of local residents in starosta districts, and developing ways for them to participate in resolving issues of local importance. Deadline: 5 August 2026

During a study visit to Brussels, a Ukrainian delegation took part in a thematic seminar and discussed current and future opportunities for hromadas under EU programmes and instruments with representatives of EU institutions

Over the period of 10 months (September 2026 – June 2027), 10 hromadas or clusters of hromadas will receive support in developing project ideas, strengthening international communications and establishing contacts with European municipalities and institutions.

Polaris Programme thanks its partner hromadas for their cooperation and commitment to driving change. For some hromadas, the current phase of work under the Programme is coming to an end, while with others we continue to work actively in the selected areas of partnership.

Over seven months, ten hromadas strengthened their international capacity, established partnerships with organisations from 14 countries, joined international consortiums and prepared their first grant applications.

Our aim is to promote the sustainable development of hromadas and regions, to foster synergy between local and regional planning, and to support the processes of European integration in Ukraine.

The role is to support strategic development of gender equality in Programme implementation. The purpose of the work of Advisor is to leverage international experience of gender equality from European countries to drive the programme’s outcomes. Deadline: 1 August 2026

This role will include working with the two programmes - WM4U: Strengthening Municipal Waste Management in Ukraine and Polaris: Supporting Multilevel Governance in Ukraine. Deadline: 29 July 2026

This report presents the results of a survey of local self-government authorities on the accessibility of tax administrative services in hromadas where the State Tax Service of Ukraine's Taxpayer Service Centres were closed between 2024 and 2026.

This role involves working within the Polaris Programme's Administrative Services Thematic Area, which focuses on improving the quality and territorial accessibility of administrative services in Ukrainian hromadas. Deadline: 17 July 2026.

The survey was conducted to assess the current situation, challenges and needs of ASC personnel, focusing on job satisfaction, working conditions, workload, management support and training needs.

The role involves providing expert support to hromadas in implementing new legislation in the field of preschool education, delivering institutional capacity-building activities, analysing the functioning of the preschool education system, developing recommendations etc. Deadline: 17 July 2026.

As municipalities increasingly seek additional resources to support reconstruction, infrastructure development, and investment projects, effective municipal borrowing has become an increasingly important policy issue. This analytical paper was prepared by Polaris experts in cooperation with research ...

The Constitution is the foundation of a democratic state, strong hromadas and good governance. We wish Ukraine peace, stability and success on its path towards a European future!

The Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026 has wrapped up in Gdańsk. For two days, governments, donors and financial institutions worked on ways to support Ukraine's reconstruction and attract investment

In response to a request from the Turbiv hromada, the Polaris Programme team visited Turbiv, Vinnytsia region, to conduct an audit of the ASC's activities.

The seminar brings together the experiences of four countries on the path to the EU — Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, North Macedonia and Ukraine — where SALAR International supports local authorities in the reforms.

Ahead of the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC 2026), a national ‘Governance Dialogue on Inclusive Recovery and Development’ was held in Kyiv.

Polaris experts have prepared an analytical brief, “Profile Lyceums in the Allocation Formula for Education Subvention”, dedicated to one of the key aspects of preparing for the upper secondary education reform – adapting education financing mechanisms to the introduction of profile lyceums.

On 10 June, the Polaris Programme, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, held a seminar at which an ‘Analysis of the main gaps and inconsistencies in the regulatory and legal framework for pre-school education in Ukraine’ was presented.

The conference "Strengthening Resilience: From Strategic Decisions to Hromada Recovery Priorities" brought together representatives of national government, international partners, and local self-government to share experience and identify solutions for the further development of Ukraine's hromadas. ...

The role involves providing expert support for the implementation of reforms in municipal enterprises, including advising hromadas, preparing analytical and methodological materials, providing training, and supporting legislative improvements. Deadline: 18 Juny 2026

The role is aimed at ensuring that communication activities are aligned with the communication strategy, enhancing Programme visibility and achieving good coverage among the target groups. Deadline: 23 June 2026