In times of war, municipalities are required to make difficult decisions every day, directing limited resources to where they will have the greatest impact on residents’ lives.
But how can municipalities determine what matters most to people today and which decisions will genuinely improve their quality of life?
Statistics alone cannot provide all the answers. To understand a municipality’s real needs, it is essential to engage directly with residents, learn about their experiences accessing services, and understand the barriers they face in their daily lives. Conversations with people often reveal challenges that numbers alone cannot capture.
This was exactly the case in the Liubashivka Municipality. As part of developing the municipality’s Development Strategy, an assessment of social protection needs initially suggested that the situation was well understood. The municipality is home to 79 children with disabilities who receive financial assistance, while families experiencing difficult life circumstances receive social support services.
However, direct engagement with residents revealed a much deeper reality. Most parents of children with disabilities reported living in a state of constant physical and emotional exhaustion. 10 children with disabilities spend almost all of their time at home, with little or no opportunity to interact with their peers. Another 22 children living in remote villages have limited access to the services available within the municipality.
This affects not only the children’s development and social inclusion but also the well-being of their entire families. The demands of full-time caregiving leave parents physically and emotionally drained, limiting their opportunities to work, pursue education, and actively participate in the life of the municipality.
This is precisely why a people-centred approach to needs assessment matters. It enables municipalities not only to identify problems but also to develop solutions that respond to residents’ actual needs.
One of the solutions developed jointly by the municipality and experts from the Recovery for All (RFA) project is the introduction of a day care social service for children with disabilities, along with measures to ensure that children living in remote villages can access this service.
Introducing this service would:
- Reduce the burden on parents by providing a safe, supportive, and stimulating environment for their children while they work, study, or attend to everyday responsibilities;
- Give children access to developmental and educational activities tailored to their needs;
- Create opportunities for children to spend time with their peers, promoting social inclusion and the development of communication skills.
Accordingly, the municipality plans to include a dedicated objective on comprehensive support for families with children in its Local Development Strategy. Key measures will include introducing the day care social service for children with disabilities, as well as organizing outreach and remote consultations for families living in remote settlements.
“We understand that children are the future of our municipality. That is why we want to do everything possible to ensure that every child, including children with disabilities, has access to the support and opportunities they need to thrive. Having this service available locally will encourage families to remain in our municipality, knowing they are supported, while also assuring new families that we are ready to care for their children,” said Iryna Zamikhanovska, Head of the Administrative Services Centre of the Liubashivka Settlement Council.
This example clearly demonstrates that a needs assessment is far more than a formal exercise or a process of collecting data. It is a practical tool that helps municipalities identify groups of residents who remain underserved, uncover challenges that may not be visible in statistics, and translate those insights into concrete actions within the municipality’s Development Strategy.