Local Democracy and Resilience in Ukraine: Learning from Communities’ Crisis Response in War

The research report explores the resilience of local self-governments (LSGs) in Ukraine during the Russian invasion, highlighting their crucial role in crisis response despite significant challenges. LSGs have adapted to wartime conditions by relocating operations, managing resource shortages, and engaging with citizens and stakeholders to meet critical needs such as infrastructure repair, IDP support, and community resilience building. The study examines how local democracy—through transparency, public participation, and accountability—facilitates these efforts, supporting collaborative crisis governance despite limitations imposed by martial law. It finds that while LSGs benefit from decentralization, they face coordination challenges with national authorities and resource constraints. The report underscores the significance of digital tools and physical community spaces in fostering resilience and suggests that policymakers enhance local democracy to strengthen societal resilience under crisis conditions. These insights contribute to the understanding of decentralized crisis response in conflict zones and inform strategies for building resilient governance systems.

The Research Report is complemented by a Ukrainian language version, a Policy Brief and a Toolbox on integration of Internally Displaced Persons (all forthcoming).