TRAINING RESULTS REPORT

TRAINING RESULTS REPORT Project tittle: Building capacity of community leaders in applying dialogue for decision-making & conflict resolution

Programme: Restoration of Governance and Reconciliation in Crisis-Affected Communities of Ukraine

May 2018

CONTENT Trainings ..................................................................4 Introduction .............................................................5 Trainers team composition ......................................5 Training goals and objectives ..................................6 Training modules .....................................................7 Evaluation of trainings .............................................7 Summary of results .................................................8 Recommendations ................................................13 Conclusions ........................................................14

Abbreviations BSP – Bodies of Self-organisation of Population CBO – Community Based Organisation IDP – Internally Displaces Person

IPCG – Institute for Peace and Common Ground PTSD – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder UTC – United Territorial Community

Trainings № OF PEOPLE TRAINED

COMMUNITY

TRAINER

DATE

1

Bahmutska community (D)

Tanya Kalenychenko

02.03-04.03.2018

11 ( 3;

8)

2

Vuhledarska community (D)

Olena Kopina

02.03-04.03.2018

10 ( 2;

8)

3

Mykolaivska UTC(D)

Tanya Kalenychenko

09.03-11.03.2018

12 ( 4;

8)

4

Popasnaja community (L)

Maksym Ieligulashvili

16.04-18.04.2018

8 ( 1;

7)

5

Belovodsk community (L)

Olexander Mitkov

11.04-13.04.2018

16 ( 5;

11)

6

Mariupolska community (D)

Olena Matviychuk

18.03-20.03.2018

10 ( 5;

5)

7

Novopskovska UTC(L)

Maksym Ieligulashvili

10.04-12.04.2018

9 ( 0;

9)

8

Bilokurakinska UTC(L)

Olexander Mitkov

16.04-18.04.2018

13 ( 4;

9)

9

Chmyrivska UTC(L)

Olena Kopina

23.04-25.04.2018

14 ( 1;

13)

10

Velykonovosylkivska (D)

Iryna Brunova-Kalisetska

11

Kramatorska community (D)

Alena Horova

29.03-31.03 2018

9 ( 3;

6)

12

Limanska UTC(D)

Alena Horova

29.03-31.03.2018

15 ( 4;

11)

13

Slov`yanska community (D)

Olena Matviychuk

03.04-05.04.2018

15 ( 5;

10)

14

Markivska community (L)

Maksym Ieligulashvili

10.04-12.04.2018

6 ( 1;

5)

15

Novoaydarsky community (L)

Roman Koval

12.04-13.04.2018

14 ( 1;

13)

16

Krasnirichenska community (L)

Iryna Brunova-Kalisetska

17.04-21.04.2018

14 ( 1;

13)

17

Druzhkivka community (D)

Olena Matviychuk

16.04-18.04.2018

13 ( 1;

12)

18

Troitska UTC (L)

Olexander Mitkov

19.04-21.04.2018

14 ( 1;

13)

19

Cherkasska UTC(D)

Olena Matviychuk

16.04-18.04.2018

7 ( 0;

7)

20

Kreminska community (L)

Olexander Mitkov

23.04-25.04.2018

10 ( 4;

6)

28.03.2018

7 didn’t receive certificates

Table: “People trained per community”

4

Introduction In 2018 IPCG implemented the project “Building capacity of community leaders in applying dialogue for decision-making & conflict resolution” within the UNDP programme “Restoration of Governance and Reconciliation in Crisis-Affected Communities of Ukraine”.

The aim of the project was to build capacities of the communities themselves and their leaders in conflict resolution and strengthening the local mechanisms to address conflict situations and existing divides to build foundations for sustainable peace in the region.

IPCG conducted 20 trainings in 10 communities of Donetsk and 10 communities of Luhansk oblasts on skills how to lead dialogue processes to address important local issues and practice dialogue as a problem-solving and decision-making tool.

The target audience of the training included chairmen, secretaries of village councils and/or their representatives, local opinion leaders, community facilitators and community members, including youth, elderly people, ATO ex-combatants, IDPs. The age range of participants was from 16 to 60, the average age was 41 years old. In training took part urban and rural residences of target regions. A total number of participants 220 persons.

The number of female participants was high (73,5 % in Donets and 84% in Lugansk oblast from the total number of participants in each region).

People trained Total Number: 220 Average age: 41

46

174 5

Trainers team composition Training program was designed by 8 experienced trainers under coordination of IPCG leading experts:

Alexander Mitkov,

Alyona Gorova,

Olena Kopina,

Olena Matviychuk,

Institute for Peace and Common Ground, Kyiv, Ukraine;

Institute for Peace and Common Ground, Kyiv, Ukraine;

Laboratory of Peaceful Solutions, Kharkiv, Ukraine;

Institute for Peace and Common Ground, Kyiv, Ukraine;

Iryna Brunova-Kalysetska,

Max Ieligulashvili,

Roman Koval,

Tetyana Kalenychenko,

Information and Research Center “Integration and Development”, Kyiv, Ukraine;

UHHRU, Kyiv; Charitable Foundation “Zahist”, Kherson, Ukraine;

Institute for Peace and Common Ground, Kyiv, Ukraine;

Project “Dialogue in Action”, NGO “Spirit and Letter”, Kyiv, Ukraine.

6

Training goals and objectives Trainers team developed unique three days training program considering specific needs of communities in the conflict-affected area.

The aim of this training course was to form participants’ understanding of the dialogue as an effective tool for conflict resolution and community-based decision-making processes.

Objectives of the training: • Overview of the values and principles of dialogue approach.

• To form an understanding of the dialogue as a decision-making and conflict resolution process • Develop skills for engaging in dialogue and dialogue sessions.

• Increase understanding on civic participation instruments and potential application of dialogue in participatory decision-making tools • Identify community development need and community leaders, who could potentially form a core group to lead community development initiatives.

Participatory Training model: Adult learning theory suggests that adults have specific needs and approaches to learning that are better satisfied within a participatory or “spiral training model”. Educator using this model: 1) focuses on “real world” problems; 2) emphasizes how the learning can be applied in practice; 3) relates the learning to the learners’ goals; 4) relates the materials to the learners’ past experiences; 5) allows debate and challenge of ideas 6) listens to and respects the opinions of learners; 7) encourages learners to be resources to him and to each other; 8) treats learners like adults and 9) delegates learners “control” over the process and responsibility for the results of it. Each and every trainer involved in delivering the trainings was able to apply participatory training model in their work.

4

(See the illustration)

Practice new strategies and plan the action

The Spiral Model Source: Arnold, R., et al. (1991). Educating for a Change. Toronto: Between the Lines.

Adapted with permission from the Doris

Marshall Institute for Education and Action.

3

Add new information and theory

1

Strart with the experience of the participants

5

Apply in action

2

Look for patterns

7

Training modules Component 1.

Conflict competence: Definition, Approaches to Conflict, Individual Conflict Management Styles, Strategies for Successful Conflict Resolution (addressing Needs and Interests of Conflicting Parties and Managing Perceptions), Stages of Conflict Escalation and opportunities for intervention, Conflict analysis.

Component 2.

Communication skills for dialogue Assertiveness and Empathy, Skills for Managing Results and Relations in Conflicts, Facilitating Common understanding in a dialogue, Practicing dialogue communication skills.

Component 3.

Dialogue as a tool for conflict resolution and decision-making: Essence of dialogue, process and principles, Decision-making circle, Dialogue values, Dialogue process algorithm and procedure, practicing dialogue process simulations.

Component 4.

Understanding community Community mapping, My role in community, Social capital, Interdependence and Common Ground, Participatory democracy and tools for civic participation, participatory decision-making tools, Applying dialogue in “our community”, Topical issues for dialogue application.

Evaluation of trainings Training evaluation methodology accessed the training per 3 main components: 1. how did the training build participants’ capacity in dialogues as a tool for decision-making & conflict resolution in a community; 2. how did the training transform participants’ perception of conflict and personal behaviour in a conflict; 3. participants’ overall satisfaction with the training.

The evaluation was done on two levels.

I. Participants level. Participants filled pre and post - tests for the training evaluation. The prepost training questionnaire was aimed to asses training result, transformations of participants and overall satisfaction with the training.

II. Trainers level. Training methodology contained special exercises aimed to track transformations happened to participants and collect information about current situation in communities with existing decision-making instruments and conflict potential. Trainers have presented their analysis of the exercises’ results in their reports.

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Summary of results All the information in this part was collected from participants of trainings though thematic exercises.

All the problems, conflicts were named by community representatives within the trainings.

Communities common context and problems 1. Each community, despite its similar trends, has its own unique features which can lead to conflicts that are different in their dynamics and potential impact. So, it is important to consider political and economic contexts of each community.

2. All communities have common features related to their location in the transit front-line zone.

Communities face “temporary migration� (people coming for a short period with certain economic and social issues), this group includes representatives of international and AllUkrainian organizations.

3. The absence of a shared vision of the community development between non-profit sector and local authorities.

4. Problems of the basic infrastructure: water supply, heating, etc.

5. Communities share mono-cities (single-industry towns) problems - the strongest economic impact of a certain manufacture, which finances and holds most of families, as its disappearance will cause an economic crisis.

6. Problems in communication and resource distribution among UTC centres and satellites.

7. Lack of information about potential donors able to invest resources in infrastructure projects 8. Acute need of traumatic therapists in those cities that survived the occupation.

Conflict potential Conflicts which are repetitive and can be called typical for all target communities: 1. Lack of housing for IDPs; 2. Misunderstandings between the CBOs sector and the authorities; 3. Logistics and resource allocation, including budgeting (coordination between the UTC and satellites, for example, there is no transport to certain villages); 4. Rental of budget premises by CBOs and other organizations, which are not representing local authorities; 5. Privileges for ex-combatants (tariffs and land acquisition); 6. Problem of homeless animals; 7. Abandoned property (houses, flats other premises)

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Examples of conflict cases: Reconstruction or construction or displacement of hospitals, kindergartens, schools; formation of an UTC; land allotment; garbage dumps/disposal; reconstruction of infrastructure objects; Ukrainian passports obtainment; school conflicts; preservation of historical monuments; workplaces creation and allocation in a community, competition between UTCs and condominiums for tariffs setting. Unique conflicts - the construction of ash dump (Bilyayevka, Mykolaiv UTC), a resort in Slavyansk used for military purposes and conflicts between the military-civilian administration and the police.

Common needs of communities • Consolidation, association, cooperation; • Mutual understanding, personal understanding; • Development (in places, where they live); • Activisation of passive members of community, engagement; • Information and access to information; • Employment as a way to achieve stability; • Hard and soft security; • Trust & social capital, trust among community members to each other including local authorities; • Support from civil society and community members to each other; • Participation, people want to be involved in community’s life; • Changes, wish to pass stagnation stage and move to development, change quality of life; Dialogue as a tool for decision making The communities we have worked with demonstrated solidarity regarding the basic decision-making practices that they already have and which clearly need an improvement. Namely: public hearings, distribution of the budget (including the public participation budget), public councils and their election, general meetings of public assets, etc. The key factor of these practices success is high-quality cooperation and communication between the authorities and the public, which is not functioning well in practice. Participants agreed that dialogue approach could contribute to the existing decisionmaking practices and make them more effective and efficient.

Common communities requests: • Creation of a space for youth (15-25 years old); • Settlement of BSPs and condominiums functioning; • Additional consultations on decentralization issues; • Mentorship programs for communities

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Below you can see the summary of training results, based on participants’ opinion reflected in filled feedback evaluation forms. Participant were asked to evaluate statements on the range from 1 - strongly disagree to 5 - strongly agree.

I am ready to understand and accept feelings or thoughts that are different from my own

Usually I really understand what the other person is talking about 2 5

2 3 12

1

17

7 23

27 36

47 1 2

1

51

3 4 5

70

2 35

15

3 4

46

5 Before training

After training

Before training

I am able to use constructive dialogue in solving common issues

Component 1. Empathy Figures on this page demonstrate how participants evaluated same statements before and after training. Participants felt more confident evaluating their skills in understanding other individuals and constructive dialogue application in solving common issues after training.

As well participants mainly agreed that dialogue is an effective method for solving conflicts & common issues.

1 10

6 40

54 1 2 3 4

42 34

5 12 Before training

Usually, I use the dialogue in the decision making process 4 4

After training

After training

I belive that dialogue is an effective method for solving issues&conflicts 2 3 5

8

23

5 11

19 36

38 1

1

2 3 4

2 56

31

5

84

71

3 4 5

Before training

After training

Before training

After training

11

After the training, I felt confident & comfortable and could...

70

65

30

65

30

27

1 2 3

5

4

3

5

Listen to the opinion of representatives of different groups of the population

Accept different points of view

1 2

The most vivid and inspiring impact of the training, which is hard to see from the questionaries’ results, although easy to observe in live, was the great level of enthusiasm and optimistic mood that training participants were demonstrating as a group, while discussing potential application of dialogue in their respective communities and making plans. This collective empowerment impact could be seen during the “Wall of Promises (Commitments)� exercise.

76

21

21

3 4 5

3 Within community

12

Apply dialogue in solving common issues

Component 2. Dialogue

Opportunities for dialogue 76

5

3 In everyday life

It will be crucial for the project to find resources to follow up with those communities to Keep this level of enthusiasm up and support local initiatives through mentorship, coaching, facilitation, information and financial support instruments.

The most useful topics of the training Part 1 74

71

1 3 4

10

14

5

27

25

2

70

67

27 6

4

2

The difference between positions and interests

Formation of biases / stereotypes and work with them in the dialogue process

3

Definition and principles of the dialogue

Key skills: questions design, paraphrase (listening and understanding

Overall evaluation of the training 93

87

85

1 2 3

14

4

11

1

5

The general atmosphere at the training

6

2

Interaction between participants and trainers

1

General organization of the event

Component 3. Evaluation of training program and organization The most useful training topics/parts of the training Part 2

The least useful topics/parts of the training

• Conflict mapping • Stages of conflict escalation • Non-violent communication (I message)

• Introduction • Theoretical material about conflict (those who were visiting trainings on conflicts management before)

Questions on which participants didn’t find answers during the training • Why Ukrainian government is not applying methodology from training to solve the conflict on the East • How to have dialogue with people who are not ready to start it • How to have dialogue with Ukrainian authorities • Real cases of dialogue application for solving conflicts and decision-making in Ukrainian communities • Dialogue facilitation rules 13

Recommendations The evaluation process, which analysed participant’s reaction, participant learning process, knowledge transfer and organizational impact, identified several improvements needed to achieve results. The recommendations are referring to the training methodology design and adoption, primary work with communities and its residences, sustainability of transformations.

Methodology ●● It is important to remember that training program should be flexible, and adaptable to each community and participants group. E.g. the emphasis of the training could be changed for the UTC community comparing to those of communities, which are yet in the process of UTC creation. Thus, for UTC community we would offer a session on communication and unifying factors. ●● The part of the training was dedicated to the dialogue application within democratic and participatory tools, how dialogue approach can contribute to them. Trainers observed that communities’ representatives, despite their status and role in a community, have serious gaps in their knowledge of participatory democracy tools. Trainers team believes that this block should be extended in the current training methodology or covered by another training. Another option could be – to develop a supplementary learning material to be provided to participants within the training. ●● Participants expressed that they would like to see more examples of “good” dialogue practice based on real cases with familiar to them problematic (e.g video materials, public cases, demonstrations) ●● During communication with participants in communities, which were occupied and later freed, trainers saw a critical need to provide information on dealing with PTSD Organization ●● Project team has difficulties in ensuring local authorities’ support of the trainings. We recommend gaining support from regional authorities with reference to UNDP to have access and entry points to “closed” communities. ●● The most important components of successful training on conflict management and dialogue – trust-based atmosphere and relevant motivation. To build such an atmosphere, all participants should be carefully selected. The ideal selection process includes: a collection of feedback on a participant, overview of motivation, personal contact/interview. Such process would help to bring to the training participants who are truly interested in a topic and want to apply gained knowledge in their community. Unfortunately, such a selection is very resource-consuming. ●● Training methodology requires full immersion into learning material. To reach the best training results, they should be conducted outside communities. This condition allows to reduce distractions and ensure presence of all participants during the training and stable dynamic of the learning group.

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Sustainability ●● Ensuring sustainability and resilience of project results might be challenging. Therefore, it is important to make a good analysis of target communities, learn their particularities, problems, conflict potential, type of trainings, that were already conducted there (and how many?) which Ukrainian and international organizations implemented projects in the community (what kind of projects?) This information helps to tailor training methodology for each community, receive better results of the training and ensure training value to the community. ●● Donetsk and Lugansk regions are overwhelmed with different trainings on conflict management, peace-building, democracy tools etc. Nevertheless, this spate of trainings apportioned unequally, some communities do not receive enough assistance on mentioned above topics.

Therefore priority should be given to “less fortunate” communities in this regard. ●● Regarding previous recommendation project implementers should avoid overlapping with other similar projects and trainings. Regular communication between donors and regional organization would help to avoid overlapping. Due to mandate and accessibility, UNDP has best possibilities to coordinate the donors. Efforts should be made to regularly bring these operators in the region together. ●● The training should be followed up with coaching sessions for each community depending on their request (e.g. implementation of the dialogue approach in a work of Public Council, extra coaching on decision-making tools, conducting a dialogue on conflict issue etc.). This will help to consolidate the acquired knowledge and skills. ●● Conducted trainings worked as good motivators for communities. In order not to waist the achieved results it would be good to proceed with a follow up programme. We would recommend creating an opportunity for communities to practice their freshly gained skills, test and experience dialogue in their communities

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Conclusions It is necessary to implement systematic interventions to build foundations for sustainable peace in the region.

Building capacities of communities is a challenging, complex and time-consuming process. Conducted trainings laid down the foundation for the next step – application of dialogue as a tool for decision making and conflict resolution in communities. It is important not to lose trust in the dialogue approach gained during the trainings and complement them with a practical part linked to the real communities’ needs. Following best practices of communities’ empowerment, IPCG suggests providing communities from Donetsk and Luhansk regions an experience of true empowerment through a well-designed and facilitated dialogue processes, which will cause a developed community project to address issues identified by communities in cooperation with local authorities and security providers. To provide communities with such experiences IPCG would be happy to offer UNDP a project proposal that will consider grant opportunities to fund local projects that will derive from the dialogue processes, which, depending on the problem, will either cover the costs or serve as a co-funding for the local initiative.

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