Key points:
- Ukrainian organizations are learning to set their own aid priorities.
- A shift from one-off trainings to systematic academic education at UCU.
- Implementation of risk management and team communication tools.
- Use of advocacy to protect the interests of Ukrainians before donors.
- Development of leaders capable of working under constant stress.
The Ukrainian civil society sector is transitioning from “emergency aid” mode to professional management. The results of a unique training program for those who save, assist, and rebuild every day were presented in Kyiv. The program brought together the efforts of the Alliance of Ukrainian Civil Society Organizations, the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU), and international partners.
The first cycle of the “Leadership and Advocacy in Humanitarian Response” certification program has concluded. This is not just a series of lectures, but a deep dive into how to lead teams in wartime and how to amplify the voices of Ukrainian communities on the international stage.
The program began in January and ran through March 2026. Thirty leaders from various Ukrainian charitable foundations and civil society organizations completed the training. Participants worked online, took special courses on the Ukrainian Catholic University platform, and gathered for a live intensive session in Lviv at the UCU campus. The final results of the project were presented at the Interfax-Ukraine press center.
The main goal is to help Ukrainian organizations become independent players, both domestically and on the international stage. Olga Shevchuk-Klyuzheva, who leads advocacy efforts at the Alliance of Ukrainian CSOs, explains
“This program is not for beginners, but for practitioners—for people working in the humanitarian sector who make daily decisions and already have advocacy experience. After all, advocacy today is not an additional skill but one of the key functions of humanitarian organizations. This is because decisions regarding aid, resources, and priorities are not made in the field. They are shaped by policies, donor strategies, and international processes. And if Ukrainian organizations are not represented in these processes, they remain mere implementers rather than actors.”
Solomiya Maksymovych, Director of the Institute of Leadership and Management at UCU, notes that in times of chaos, it is crucial for a leader to be able to pause and make a well-considered decision. The program taught activists how to avoid burnout and build resilient teams that can go the distance. International expert Hussein Arslan adds that the whole world is now closely watching Ukraine, as our experience working during a major war is unique and will serve as a textbook for other countries.
The graduates themselves also shared their experiences. For many, the training served as a kind of “therapy” that helped them break down complex work processes into manageable steps. For example, simple tools, such as brief one-on-one conversations with employees, helped significantly improve the atmosphere within teams and make work more efficient, says Daryna Ivchenko from the NGO “Divchata.”
