Mapping of the Civil Society Organisations Ecosystem in Ukraine

Data Collection

● Literature Review: Analysis of publications by CSOs, donors, and UN agencies post-February 2022.● Key Informant Interviews (KIIs): Conducted with 35 CSO leaders, donors, and government representatives covering diverse regions to capture varying operational realities.● Online Survey: 204 CSOs across all regions of Ukraine participated, focused on organizational capacity, funding, and inter-organizational cooperation.● Focus Group Discussions (FGDs): Held in Vinnytsia, Chernivtsi, Odesa, Chernihiv, and Dnipro and explored challenges faced by smaller, local organizations.● Website Content Analysis: Reviewed prominent platforms like prostir.ua and gurt.org.ua to identify key players in Civil Society.● State Statistics Review: Analyzed financial data of the largest-budget CSOs per region.Validation Workshop: Conducted in Kyiv in December 2024, brought together 40+ stakeholders to validate and refine findings.

Sampling

Geographic Coverage● All 24 oblasts of Ukraine + Kyiv city● Covered urban centers, rural areas, frontline regions, de-occupied territories, and host communities.
CSO Types● Small grassroots organizations● Medium-sized regional hubs● Larger, well-established service delivery organizations● Informal volunteer groups that formalized into CSOs post-2022
Thematic Focus● Humanitarian aid● Social services (IDP support, mental health, veteran reintegration)● Community development and advocacy● Environmental action● Youth and vulnerable group initiatives
Respondent Mix● 35 Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with:● Regional CSO leaders● Donor agency representatives● Local government officials responsible for CSO cooperation and funding● 204 Online Survey Responses from regional CSOs across all oblasts● 5 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with 6-9 local CSO representatives each, conducted in: Vinnytsia, Chernivtsi, Odesa, Chernihiv, Dnipro● Validation Workshop with 40+ participants, including CSO leaders, donors, and local authorities.

Analysis Methods

Qualitative Analysis● All interviews and FGDs were coded using MAXQDA.● Key themes: institutional development, funding, collaboration, regional disparities, and staff wellbeing.● Comparative analysis highlighted differences across regions, organization size, and between established CSOs and post-2022 volunteer initiatives.● Findings were cross-checked with survey data and desk research to ensure consistency.

Quantitative Analysis● Survey data was used to map CSO size, funding sources, geographic focus, and collaboration patterns.● Trends identified: funding insecurity, donor dependency, uneven regional support, and limited institutional funding.● Relationships between organization size, funding stability, and cooperation levels were also explored.

Validation● Findings and recommendations were refined through a December 2024 workshop with over 40 CSO leaders, donors, and local authorities.● Direct stakeholder feedback ensured practical, context-specific recommendations.

Study Limitations

● Security and Access: Data collection limited in frontline and occupied regions.● Data Bias: Self-reported financial data may not fully capture actual funding realities.● Rapidly Changing Context: The evolving political and security environment makes long-term trend analysis challenging.● Focus on Regional CSOs: Excluded large think tanks and policy-focused institutions.