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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
A new approach to cooperation is forming in Ukraine between international humanitarian organizations and local partners.
Its foundation is not individual grant projects, but long-term strategic partnerships built on trust, joint planning, and equal participation of Ukrainian organizations in decision-making.
One example of this approach is the signing of strategic partnership agreements by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) with six Ukrainian organizations, among which is ZDOROVI.
Unlike traditional models of collaboration, this initiative is not tied to a single grant or project. Its goal is to create a long-term basis for joint work on community development, strengthening the institutional capacity of Ukrainian organizations, and seeking systemic solutions in response to the challenges facing the country.
From project-based cooperation to equal-partnering.
A distinctive feature of the new model is that it was developed together with Ukrainian organizations. They not only participated in its implementation but also helped shape the very vision of what strategic partnership should look like in practice.
It is about an approach that involves jointly defining priorities, developing new programs, exchanging expertise, enhancing organizational capacity, conducting research, advocating for systemic change, and seeking new funding opportunities. Such collaboration does not end with the grant cycle but is designed for the long term.
Why this matters for Ukraine.
After more than four years of full-scale war, localization of humanitarian aid is becoming increasingly important. Ukrainian organizations have accumulated significant experience working directly with communities, medical facilities, and the people who need support the most.
That is why more and more international partners are transitioning from a model where local organizations act as implementers of separate projects to a model of equal partnership that entails joint planning, accountability, and decision-making.
This approach not only enables more effective humanitarian responses but also invests in the long-term resilience of Ukrainian institutions.
What this means for the health sector.
For ZDOROVI, which has become one of IRC’s strategic partners, such cooperation opens new opportunities to develop programs that support medical workers, strengthen the capacity of health care institutions, and implement systemic changes in the field of medicine.
According to the organization’s team, participating in strategic partnership will not only allow them to implement joint initiatives but also participate in shaping long-term development priorities for humanitarian programs, exchange international experience, and expand collaboration with Ukrainian and international partners.
Partnership as an investment in the future.
Experience from recent years has shown that sustainable results are achieved when international and local organizations work not as donor and implementer, but as partners who share joint responsibility for the outcome.
This very model is increasingly seen as a key direction for the development of the humanitarian sector in Ukraine. It creates conditions for more efficient resource use, the development of Ukrainian organizations, and strengthening the capacity of communities to independently respond to modern challenges.
Signing strategic partnerships between IRC and Ukrainian organizations is one of the practical examples of how the localization principle in humanitarian aid moves from declarations to real mechanisms of cooperation. It is such approaches that can form the basis for the long-term restoration of Ukraine and the development of its key social institutions.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Партнерство, що виходить за межі окремих проєктів: ZDOROVI та IRC розпочинають новий етап співпраці". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: Rupor.
