Strengthening the capacity of social service providers working within the small grants program is one of the key areas of ISAR Ednannia’s work. To support these providers, a two-day meeting took place in Kyiv on December 5-6, bringing together over 80 representatives of civil society organizations and municipal institutions.
The event consisted of two key components. On December 5, small grants recipients took part in the XIV Civil Society Forum, which included a panel discussion on Social Sphere: From Surviving to Self-Sufficiency. Insights from Small Grants Projects for Social Service Providers.
On December 6, participants continued an open dialogue during a networking session with Vitaliy Muzychenko, Director General of the Fund for Social Protection of Persons with Disabilities. He presented the Fund’s activities and answered participants’ questions. A discussion also took place with Maksym Yelihulashvili, National Consultant of UNICEF Ukraine, who spoke about UNICEF's approaches and support in child protection, as well as the role of the small grants program in implementing the childcare reform.
During the meeting, the ISAR Ednannia team presented interim project results, jointly discussed current challenges with participants, and outlined potential solutions. Particular attention was given to case management practices, compliance with state standards in service delivery, and data collection and verification for reporting. The discussion also focused on the implementation of early intervention services and the importance of adhering to safeguarding principles.
“We are truly proud of our shared results: in just the first months of implementation, more than 9,000 people have received social services — and this is only the beginning of our joint journey. We are confident that, together, we can overcome all challenges, strengthen organizational capacity, and ensure access to essential services for those who need them most,” said Iryna Bieliaieva, Small Grants Program Coordinator at ISAR Ednannia.
The event was funded by the UK Government under the SPIRIT project, implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine, the Fund for Social Protection of Persons with Disabilities, and UNICEF Ukraine, with administration by ISAR Ednannia.
