Principles for Working with Communities

Before beginning work on building security at the local level, it is important to consider the context in which communities in Ukraine are developing. Full-scale military operations have posed new challenges for united territorial communities (UTCs), including the introduction of a new system of state governance bodies, the need to allocate local budget funds in line with both community needs and wartime requirements, understaffing of local self-government bodies (especially in de-occupied and frontline areas), shortages in police management and district officers, internal displacement, destruction of civil infrastructure systems, and more. Security threats therefore differ across communities and require different approaches to address them.

However, there are trends in the security sphere that unite them and development patterns that make it possible to identify fundamental provisions for creating a safe local environment. Thus, based on its experience working with various communities, IMiP has developed the core principles for strengthening community capacity in the field of security.:

Focus on community needs.During wartime, programs to create a safe environment must not only meet residents' basic needs but also minimize the real risks and threats present in the community's security sphere. This concerns not only residents' needs but also aligning programs with the direction of security development as seen by key community stakeholders. Examples include evacuation programs from combat areas and provision of medical care and food to citizens affected by the war.

Systematic approach.During military aggression, a long-term action plan is required to ensure citizens' safety. This entails developing community awareness on security issues, training specialists in emergency response, and building security infrastructure.

Localization.It is important that all significant stakeholders be maximally involved in formulating the community's requests, analyzing risks, developing the security strategy, implementing it, and evaluating program outcomes. Responsibility for developing and implementing security programs should rest with the community and its residents. External expertise should be engaged only to strengthen the knowledge of local stakeholders; everything else is the community's responsibility and ownership.

Synchronization and coordination.Especially during armed aggression, it is important that actors who influence the environment agree on a shared vision for security development in the community and coordinate their actions. This involves developing communication systems, training emergency response specialists, improving security infrastructure, and fostering regional cooperation among security actors.

Flexibility. This means accounting for different types of threats — from physical (bombing, shelling) to socio-economic (supply disruptions, demographic changes). It includes immediate protective measures (sheltering, evacuation) as well as long-term strategies to sustain community life. For example, developing alternative systems for electricity and food supply and implementing autonomous life-support systems reduces dependence on external factors. Plans must also be adapted to changes in the legal environment — imposition of martial regimes, new legal requirements, and curfews. Communities must be able to quickly reorganize actions to comply with new legal norms and change strategies in response to the current situation, which helps maintain safety and stability under any conditions and addresses both immediate threats and long-term consequences of the conflict.