U-LEAD with Europe Programme is a multi-donor action operating in all 24 regions of Ukraine to strengthen municipalities (hromadas) in their work to improve living conditions of their residents and service delivery at the local level under the decentralisation reform. Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, U-LEAD with Europe has been streamlining its work within three main pillars:

Pillar I (Reform): U-LEAD provides legal and policy advice, based on applying the European Charter of Local Self-Government and the EU legal framework, to empower national-level actors and approach the EU accession, and helps develop high-quality legislation that considers the needs of municipalities.

Pillar II (Recovery): U-LEAD delivers specialised trainings and consultations for Ukrainian municipalities, conducts local and international study trips and experience exchange events to facilitate the recovery at the local and regional levels.

Pillar III (Reconstruction): U-LEAD supports the development and implementation of the local reconstruction projects in hromadas, engages in rehabilitation of the access to high-level educational services in municipalities and promotes international partnerships in-between the Ukrainian and EU municipalities aimed at reconstruction at the local level during the war and post-war periods.

Pillar IV (Resilience): U-LEAD is adding to municipalities’ resilience by providing them with construction materials, essential tools and municipal vehicles. At least 100 municipalities located in war-affected regions of Ukraine that have sustained severe damage and destruction will receive support in repair and small-scale reconstruction.

To enhance the capacities of key actors at national, regional and local levels to further implement Ukraine’s´ decentralisation and related regional policy, and to contribute to defining the functions for each level of government within specific policy areas.

R1. The capacities of national actors to steer and shape the decentralisation reform, including the harmonisation with regional policy and sector reforms, are strengthened.
R2. The dialogue between governmental and non-governmental actors with regard to municipal decision-making processes is improved.
R3. Sub-national actors have improved capacities to carry out the tasks assigned to them in the context of the decentralisation process and regional policy.
R4. Exchange formats or coordination mechanisms for the implementation of the decentralisation reform have been designed or adapted.