To support the new realities of local authorities in Ukraine and Moldova, the EU Response and Renewal Programme was launched to offer direct support to city and town authorities under the Mayors for Economic Growth (M4EG) network, a joint EU & UNDP initiative in the Eastern Partnership region. This grant programme, of EUR 1.8 million, is designed to support municipalities to build an immediate recovery response and long-term pathways for renewal.
The war in Ukraine profoundly impacts the region, leaving countless individuals and communities struggling to cope with its devastating political, economic, social, and environmental effects. Over 8.1 million1 Ukrainians have fled to other countries, and are living as refugees abroad, while over 5.4 million2 are internally displaced within the country as of February 2023. Furthermore, 674,057 Ukrainians relocated to the Republic of Moldova since late February 2022, with 102,283 remaining as of 16 January 2023, making it the country with the highest number of Ukrainian refugees per capita.3
As the protracted war continues to bring destruction and community displacement, local authorities in both countries are experiencing immense pressure to address the immediate needs and possible long-term implications of socio-economic development as a result of the crisis.
The use of systems approaches is currently being adopted as an alternative to traditional linear recovery efforts in post-conflict situations. Systems thinking can provide a more comprehensive understanding of the complexity of such situations, leading to more effective interventions. But although the application of systems thinking can help address the challenges of uncertainty, tunnel vision, and inconsistent information, it requires significant time and resource commitment, as well as agile measures to integrate systems thinking mechanisms.
As the M4EG initiative takes on a hyperlocal systems approach to offer resources, a network, and learning opportunities to explore new growth trajectories for towns and cities (urban makeover), we asked ourselves: how can we also apply systems thinking in the crisis context to support local authorities in Ukraine and Moldova build an immediate response and recovery?
While using our existing Agora Framework as a template for whole system engagement, there was an urgent need to reduce the burden on local authorities and support them with external analysis and research. The thinking around this research design was led by a crisis response team at the UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub, which worked in close collaboration with the UNDP Country Offices in Ukraine and Moldova to verify the analysis provided.
To facilitate the conceptualization (and application) process for interested municipalities, the grant programme focused on two broad goals: (1) immediate response and recovery; and (2) renewal and anticipation. In addition, the crisis response team formulated several pre-defined/inspirational positions in four different areas to address challenges related to refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs).
The Response and Renewal grant programme was designed in the following way:
The programme aims to provide support for the immediate needs of Ukrainians, which includes IDPs and refugees, whose homes and jobs were destroyed or severely impacted by war. It also seeks to ensure small-scale restoration of infrastructure and services. These are critical for the wellbeing of the residents and the functioning of the local economy.
The needs identified are as follows:
The programme will also focus on the opportunities that may come in a crisis, to re-imagine the role of local authorities and solution pathways for an economically and socially thriving town or city space.
The needs identified are as follows:
The call for local initiatives among M4EG members in Ukraine and Moldova was launched in October 2022, and generated extensive interest, with over 180 applications. The winners were announced in late March 2023, and will participate in a four-week learning sprint to strengthen their proposals. The journey will include social listening, building learning objectives and applying a gender lens to planning and decision-making.
Learn more about the EU Response and Renewal Grant Programme.
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