Estonia and Ukraine launch innovative management programme for local governments to access EU reconstruction funds

Launched this week by Civitta and the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV), IMPACT-Zhytomyr will equip participants with tools to drive the region's sustainable recovery and growth.

Over the past two years, Ukraine’s local communities have faced significant challenges, including infrastructure destruction, environmental disasters, economic decline and large-scale migration. To overcome these challenges, a strategic vision is needed to implement high-quality projects to transform communities through innovative recovery initiatives.

Launch of the IMPACT-Zhytomyr

Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs Liisa-Ly Pakosta said at the opening event that local governments have a great potential to support communities in the reconstruction of war-damaged areas, and they play a major role for Ukraine in negotiations with the European Union. "At the time of the accession, the local governments in Estonia were the ones who nurtured the communities' ability to navigate the European Union's funding models and injected faith in the changes that will take place as a result of the accession," said Pakosta. "The project launched today is a kind of baton that allows Ukrainian communities to take responsibility for their own development.”

The Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, Minister of Justice of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna, expressed her gratitude to the Estonian government for its support of Ukraine and for implementing the IMPACT-Zhytomyr program, which will help the community develop a strategic vision and implement high-quality projects for the transformation, innovation, and recovery of the region.

About the programme

As a capacity-building programme, IMPACT-Zhytomyr combines training, mentorship, and collaborative problem-solving to provide the skills needed to drive sustainable development in the region. The programme equips local leaders with tools to develop high-quality project proposals aligned with international standards, navigate complex funding mechanisms and manage projects effectively, ensuring long-term success and resilience.

The Head of the Zhytomyr Regional Military Administration, Vitalii Bunechko, noted that the programme is strategically important direction for the restoration of the Zhytomyr region, providing the opportunity to implement projects that will create new jobs, improve infrastructure, and raise the standard of living for local residents.

"Many of our communities are already actively cooperating with various grant programs. However, successfully attracting resources requires new skills—from preparing applications to managing grant funds and reporting according to international standards," emphasized Vitaliy Bunechko.

The DREAM survey found that over 90% of local communities in Ukraine are considering international funding for recovery. Most of them say they need help with project documentation (65%), completing applications (63%) and staff capacity (63%). 

“The Impact Zhytomyr programme aims to address all these gaps by providing essential skills for effective collaboration with international partners, as well as comprehensive needs assessment and project writing with a practical application of an EU standard donor template for the project. With Estonia's support, local representatives of the Zhytomyr Oblast now have the opportunity to enhance their skills and succeed as project managers in their communities,” said Dmytro Lyvch, partner at Civitta Ukraine. 

Civitta, in cooperation with the University of Tartu and ESTDEV, developed the curriculum for the three-month training programme, and more than 200 officials from the Zhytomyr Region will participate. Impact Zhytomyr has been designed to be scaled across Ukraine, making it possible to provide capacity-building for local governments in other regions.

Klen Jäärats, ESTDEV’s executive director, stressed the importance of building the capacity of local authorities in Ukraine, especially in light of the upcoming EU accession negotiations. "Joining Europe is not only about transforming systems but about empowering communities and strengthening institutions to ensure sustainable growth and resilience," Jäärats said.

Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Estonia has supported reconstruction efforts in the Zhytomyr Region. Over the past two years, Estonia has allocated more than €33 million towards rebuilding the region, and over 60 development cooperation projects have been implemented.

IMPACT-Zhytomyr launch in Ukraine