Localization in Action: Participation of National Сivil Society Organizations in the Architecture of Ukraine’s Recovery
1. Context: Humanitarian Needs and the Transition to Recovery
The fifth year of the full-scale invasion continues to confront Ukraine with significant humanitarian challenges and needs. In 2026, humanitarian needs remain critical and continue to deepen. According to the 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Ukraine, 10.8 million people need humanitarian assistance. In particular, according to International Organization for Migration data, as of May 2026, Ukraine has more than 3.4 million internally displaced persons. Destroyed infrastructure, including critical infrastructure facilities, and needs in social protection and healthcare continue to shape a complex context in which humanitarian response must gradually be aligned with and integrate recovery processes.
According to the assessment of damage and needs in Ukraine (Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment – RDNA5), total direct damage is estimated at USD 195 billion. The housing sector, transport infrastructure and energy infrastructure have suffered the greatest destruction. Socio-economic losses have reached USD 666,7 billion, reflecting profound consequences for production, employment, household incomes and service delivery. Behind these figures are human lives and the destinies of millions of Ukrainians, including IDPs who cannot return to their homes, persons with disabilities whose needs must be taken into account in the recovery process, and veterans whose reintegration is one of the key tasks for society and the state.
While the Government of Ukraine, with the support of international partners and the EU, is advancing public investment management (PIM) reform and the implementation of public-private partnership (PPP) mechanisms, national and local organizations that work directly with affected populations every day, understand their key needs and can help ensure that these needs are reflected in recovery processes, policies and projects remain insufficiently involved in recovery planning based on localization principles.
In 2024, Team4UA Charitable Foundation initiated the establishment of the TERA Consortium – a coalition of 11 national non-governmental organizations providing comprehensive humanitarian assistance to affected populations. In 2026, Team4UA Charitable Foundation received USD 32 million in direct funding from the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF) for the implementation of humanitarian response projects by the Consortium. With this funding, the TERA Consortium plans to provide assistance to 100,000 people during 2026.
The work of the TERA Consortium demonstrates the capacity of national organizations to meet the highest international standards of management and reporting and to be reliable direct partners for donors. The approach of direct funding for capable national non-governmental organizations should be applied not only to humanitarian response projects, but also to recovery projects that take into account the needs and interests of the population.
_____________________
¹ United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Ukraine Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan 2026. January 2026.
² International Organization for Migration (IOM). Displacement Tracking Matrix: Ukraine.
³ World Bank Group, Government of Ukraine, European Union, United Nations. Ukraine Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA5). February 2026.
2. Localization as an Effectiveness Model: National NGOs as Direct Partners and Long-Term Actors
National non-governmental organizations working directly alongside the people they support have a unique understanding of local needs and meet donor requirements therefore, they can be direct partners of the Government of Ukraine, international donors and institutions in recovery processes and projects. Localization also means transferring opportunities to influence decision-making, priority-setting and the assessment of recovery results and it should be understood not only as the transfer of financial resources to national NGOs, but also as the fair distribution of responsibility, influence and decision-making authority among Ukrainian civil society representatives.
Team4UA Charitable Foundation, together with the members and partners of the TERA Consortium, is implementing an approach of localization in practice. National non-governmental organizations that comply with international donor requirements for financial management, accountability and protection receive direct institutional funding and channel resources to national and local non-governmental partners through a sub-granting mechanism. This approach combines two levels of engagement: (i) ensuring compliance with international standards of management and reporting at the level of coordination and implementation; and (ii) addressing population needs through cooperation with national and local non-governmental organizations.
Within this model, the organizational and institutional capacity of our partners is strengthened in the areas of financial management, coordination, grant reporting and organizational development. One of the key objectives of Team4UA Charitable Foundation and the TERA Consortium is to build a sustainable network of national and local organizations capable of independently mobilizing funding and participating in comprehensive recovery programmes and projects.
3. From Humanitarian Data to Recovery Processes
Humanitarian organizations that have been operating in Ukraine since 2014 and, especially, since the full-scale invasion of 2022, have provided and continue to provide comprehensive assistance to internally displaced persons and affected populations by addressing the most critical humanitarian needs, facilitating humanitarian evacuation, providing social services, medical assistance and psychological support, ensuring accommodation in collective sites (CS), and improving conditions in CS. This work has contributed to the development and accumulation of systemic data and information on the key needs, vulnerabilities and interests of the population, as well as practical knowledge, partnerships and networks for the effective delivery of assistance. Such data and information constitute a critically important basis for effective recovery planning at the national, regional and local levels.
The TERA Consortium emphasizes that systemic data are understood as aggregated and anonymized data, analytical findings and the consolidated practical experience of organizations, and not as the transfer of personal or sensitive data of people (beneficiaries) receiving assistance.
We are convinced that the needs of the population, especially the needs of the most vulnerable groups, must be the primary reference point in the formulation of recovery policies, plans, processes and projects. The involvement of national NGOs that work directly with affected populations in consultative and advisory processes is a necessary condition for ensuring that recovery processes reflect and respond to people’s real needs to the greatest extent possible.
The localization approach should apply not only to humanitarian response, but also to long-term recovery programmes and projects in line with the NEXUS approach – the integration of humanitarian assistance, recovery and development within a single approach, with direct funding made available to national NGOs to support affected populations through project implementation and participation in Ukraine’s recovery processes. National actors should not be viewed solely as implementers of individual projects. They carry public trust, local expertise and openness, and therefore must be full participants in shaping Ukraine’s recovery policies, priorities and mechanisms.
The localization approach implemented by Team4UA Charitable Foundation together with its partners is a practical response to the challenges mentioned earlier. Bringing together organizations with diverse sectoral expertise, experience and field presence makes it possible to comply with international standards of management, implementation, reporting and audit, while maintaining a direct connection with population needs and responding to those needs.
An essential condition for the effective use of accumulated data is their accessibility and reliability for all stakeholders. In this context, it is important to strengthen the transparency and accountability of national NGOs, particularly with regard to the use of financial resources, geographic coverage and assistance results. The introduction of digital accountability platforms enables institutional donors, the Government and partners to receive verified information in real time, going beyond standard reporting and establishing a qualitatively new level of openness. At the same time, access to information must be role-based and grounded in the principle of data minimization: accountability platforms should ensure transparency of project implementation and resource use without disclosing personal data or other sensitive information about people receiving assistance. Such innovative approaches will significantly strengthen transparency and expand standard reporting mechanisms. In particular, Team4UA Charitable Foundation is working to implement this approach through the creation of the “Glass Box” platform, a digital tool that will ensure real-time transparency of project implementation and resource use. The principle and approach of accountability are mutual in nature, while national civil society organizations ensure transparency in the use of resources, donors and partners should also continue to maintain open and clear decision-making processes regarding funding, recovery priority-setting and resource allocation for national NGOs.
Such tools are critically important for building trust between organizations and donors – a necessary foundation for the transition from short-term grant funding to long-term strategic partnerships in recovery processes.
Team4UA Charitable Foundation and the TERA Consortium view Ukraine’s recovery as a comprehensive process that includes not only the reconstruction of damaged infrastructure, housing and social infrastructure facilities, as well as the construction of new facilities, but also the development of public policies, legislation, programmes, processes and projects that directly take into account population needs, including humanitarian needs. These efforts should aim to achieve long-term results and contribute to improved access to social services, IDP integration, support for veterans and their family members, psychosocial support, support for persons with disabilities and the strengthening of social cohesion in communities. We are convinced that the combination of infrastructure, economic and social recovery will ensure long-term resilience at the national and local levels and respond to the real needs of the population, as well as promote inclusive socio-economic inclusion of all population groups through the active involvement of national NGOs in recovery processes and access to sustainable financing mechanisms. Particular attention in recovery processes should be paid to Protection as a cross-cutting component of all recovery programmes and projects, ensuring equal access to services, inclusiveness and consideration of the needs of the most vulnerable population groups.
4. From Humanitarian Response to Participation in Recovery: Specific Sectors and PPP
The accumulated experience, knowledge, tested partnerships and operational capacity developed in humanitarian response provide a direct basis for the participation of national NGOs in recovery processes and projects. For national charitable and civil society organizations, participation in recovery processes is an important condition for developing their existing competencies through new instruments and financing mechanisms in order to address population needs and ensure that these needs are taken into account at the national, regional and local levels. Below are the priority sectors that Team4UA Charitable Foundation and the TERA Consortium consider to be of primary importance in the recovery process.
An important continuation of the systematic work of national NGOs to address humanitarian needs is their active participation in the design and implementation of recovery processes and projects. Priority sectors for the engagement of national NGOs may include early recovery, housing recovery and reconstruction, reconstruction and rehabilitation of social infrastructure, economic recovery, and the development of social and healthcare service delivery systems. It is also important to expand the use of mobile clinics as part of the system of primary and outpatient specialized healthcare, and to develop and adopt a National Programme for the Development of Mobile Medical Services in Ukraine.
Taking into account national NGOs’ experience in administering international humanitarian funding, addressing humanitarian needs, and understanding the problems and needs of the population, including recovery priorities, the participation of national NGOs in mechanisms for mobilizing and managing resources for recovery is important and necessary.
A separate strategically important area is the participation of national NGOs in the architecture of public-private partnership (PPP) within the framework of the current legislation of Ukraine, the statutory objectives of the organization, the rules and policies of organizations providing funding, and only on the basis of separate agreements or cooperation mechanisms.
In the context of post-war recovery, national NGOs can become drivers of project implementation in the provision of socially significant services, including social housing, healthcare, rehabilitation, social protection and support for vulnerable populations.
National charitable and civil society organizations should be considered by the Government of Ukraine and international partners as full participants within the PPP mechanism, capable of mobilizing donor funding, providing expertise on population needs, ensuring project transparency and maintaining effective cooperation with territorial communities. A promising model is one in which national NGOs act as donors or administrators of grant funding for PPP projects within international grant financing mechanisms. Drawing on their experience in managing international assistance, high standards of financial management and deep understanding of local contexts, such organizations can participate in project preparation, analysis of project effectiveness, monitoring compliance with obligations and ensuring proper accountability for the use of funds.
This approach is particularly relevant for PPP projects at the level of territorial communities, where there is a need to strengthen the capacity of local self-government bodies to prepare, implement and support complex PPP projects. Where relevant mechanisms are provided for in PPP agreements and grant funding agreements, national NGOs may also perform oversight functions over the fulfilment of project obligations, which will contribute to increasing the trust of international partners and improving the effectiveness of the use of mobilized resources.
5. Call to Action by the TERA Consortium and Team4UA Charitable Foundation
Addressing the Government of Ukraine, donors, international organizations, local self-government bodies and businesses participating in the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC 2026) in Gdańsk, the members and partners of the TERA Consortium and Team4UA Charitable Foundation present the following recommendations:
1. Develop a unified integrated strategic framework for Ukraine’s recovery with the systematic engagement of national NGOs
Despite the existence of several strategic documents, including the Ukraine Facility Plan, the ongoing development of Ukraine’s economic recovery strategy, and public investment management (PIM) reform, Ukraine still lacks a single integrated strategic framework that would define a coherent approach to humanitarian response, early recovery and long-term recovery.
The recovery process remains significantly fragmented across sectors, areas, levels of governance at the national and local levels, and financing instruments, which complicates long-term planning, coordination of actions and resources, and assessment of results effectiveness. We call on the Government of Ukraine to continue efforts to develop a comprehensive national recovery strategic framework, with the active formal engagement of international partners and civil society organizations at all levels. Such a framework should ensure coherence between humanitarian response, early recovery, long-term recovery and development in accordance with the NEXUS approach.
The recovery strategic framework should define long-term recovery goals and priorities, coordination mechanisms among the state, international partners, local self-government bodies, businesses and civil society, as well as approaches to financing, monitoring and evaluation of results by the state, partners and civil society organizations.
A necessary component of this process should be the systematic engagement of national NGOs, in cooperation with territorial communities and businesses, in the formulation of recovery policies, programmes and priorities. Organizations that work directly with affected populations, internally displaced persons, veterans, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable categories have information on population needs that is a necessary basis for identifying evidence-based recovery priorities. This approach will contribute to more effective use of resources, increased transparency and accountability in recovery processes, and ensuring that recovery corresponds to the real needs of the population.
2. Ensure the parallel implementation of humanitarian response and recovery processes
In the context of the ongoing armed conflict, it is critically important to continue supporting and financing activities aimed at addressing the priority humanitarian needs of the population. At the same time, it is important to plan and create appropriate legal, organizational, social and financial conditions for including recovery components in existing humanitarian response projects and gradually expanding them in future recovery activities. We call on international donors, partners and the Government of Ukraine to create appropriate legal and administrative conditions for parallel and coordinated financing of humanitarian response needs and recovery processes, without allowing premature reallocation of resources away from humanitarian response to recovery projects, and instead by gradually expanding recovery components within existing humanitarian projects.
3. Increase the level of direct, flexible and multi-year recovery financing for national NGOs
Increase the share of direct, flexible and multi-year financing for national NGOs whose activities meet requirements for management, reporting and transparency, including the development of digital accountability tools, the minimization of administrative barriers and a planning horizon sufficient for participation in recovery processes and the achievement of long-term results. Support and continue expanding the model of direct partnership with national NGOs and coalitions of national organizations as a proven and effective mechanism for efficient, accountable and community-oriented action, and as a basis for its continuation in recovery programmes.
4. Integrate the experience and data of national NGOs into recovery planning processes
Through formal mechanisms, including joint consultative platforms, participation of organizations in technical working groups and decision-making processes related to the formulation of policies, legislation, programmes and recovery projects, charitable and civil society organizations should be engaged to ensure that population needs are reflected in recovery processes. Data and analytics held by humanitarian organizations regarding population needs, especially the needs of IDPs, persons with disabilities and veterans, should become a mandatory component of decision-making processes related to recovery. The dissemination of relevant information does not mean the transfer of personal or sensitive data of people (beneficiaries) receiving assistance.
Support the implementation of digital accountability platforms that provide donors, the Government and partners with verified data on project implementation progress and resource use in real time . Such mechanisms go beyond standard grant reporting and build the trust required for the transition to long-term strategic financing of recovery projects.
5. Ensure the full participation of national NGOs in the public-private partnership (PPP) system
National NGOs should be considered full participants in the public-private partnership system within Ukraine’s recovery processes. Drawing on their deep understanding of population needs, many years of experience in implementing international assistance programmes, compliance with international donor requirements and existing partnerships, national charitable and civil society organizations can perform important functions in the preparation, financing, implementation and monitoring of PPP projects.
We call on the Government of Ukraine to develop legal and methodological mechanisms that will enable national NGOs to participate in PPP projects as:
- administrators and donors of grant funding;
- partners in project preparation, implementation and support;
- operators and providers of socially significant services;
- partners in monitoring, evaluation and ensuring transparency at all stages of project implementation and in the use of donor funds;
- and, in cases provided for by law, as private partners.
Priority areas for the engagement of national NGOs include PPP projects in the fields of social housing, healthcare, rehabilitation, social services, support for veterans, IDPs and persons with disabilities, as well as the restoration, improved accessibility and better conditions of social infrastructure facilities. The PPP system should be based on the current legislation of Ukraine, the statutory objectives of the organization, the rules and policies of the organizations that provide financing, and be agreed only on the basis of separately agreed agreements or cooperation mechanisms.
A separate priority should be the creation of legal and methodological conditions for the implementation of PPP projects at the level of territorial communities with the engagement of national NGOs as partners in project preparation, mobilization of international financing, implementation monitoring and ensuring that projects correspond to population needs. Creating appropriate conditions will help mobilize additional financing, strengthen project transparency and accountability, and ensure long-term recovery results at all levels.
6. Establish appropriate legal, methodological and practical conditions for the joint implementation of long-term recovery projects between territorial communities and national NGOs
Local self-government bodies play one of the key roles in the development and implementation of recovery programmes and projects at the local level. Partnership with national NGOs will contribute to a better understanding and consideration of population needs and to ensuring the alignment of territorial communities’ strategic development priorities when planning long-term strategic plans and recovery projects at the community level. Provided that cooperation between territorial communities and NGOs is clearly regulated, including through formal consultative mechanisms, joint projects will have a long-term impact, contribute to strengthening the capacity of territorial communities to implement recovery projects in line with the requirements of international partners, and ensure an appropriate level of transparency and accountability during and after the implementation of joint projects.
24 June 2026
Members and partners of the TERA Consortium that joined the Position Paper:
- CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION “TEAM4UA CHARITABLE FOUNDATION”
- CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION “GOODWILL CHARITABLE FOUNDATION”
- NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION “THE TENTH OF APRIL”
- CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION “POSMISHKA UA CHARITУ FUND”
- CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION “CHARITABLE FOUNDATION NATIONAL AGENCY FOR HUMANITARIAN AID ZDOROVI”
- INTERNATIONAL CHARITABLE FOUNDATION “ALLIANCE FOR PUBLIC HEALTH”
- CHARITABLE FOUNDATION “FORTITUDE UA CHARITABLE FOUNDATION”
- NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION “I AM SAVED”
- NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION “BASE UA”
- NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION “STRONG BECAUSE FREE”
- CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION “UNITY AND STRENGTH CHARITABLE FOUNDATION”
