Deadline: 24-Jul-2026
UNICEF has launched a call for expression of interest to support the development of a Hromada Social Protection Dataset Framework in Ukraine. The initiative will strengthen local-level social protection data systems, improve evidence-based planning, and support better service delivery by hromadas.
The indicative budget is USD 150,000. The assignment includes data assessment, framework development, standard data management procedures, pilot testing in 20 selected hromadas, and a 24-month rollout roadmap.
What is the UNICEF Call for Expression of Interest?
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund is seeking a partner organisation to support the development of a comprehensive social protection data framework for hromadas in Ukraine.
The call focuses on improving how local authorities collect, manage, validate, report, and use social protection data.
The initiative aims to help Ukraine strengthen evidence-based decision-making in social policy, public finance, local governance, social protection, and poverty reduction.
Main Purpose of the Assignment
The main purpose of the assignment is to create a practical and standardised data framework that helps hromadas plan and deliver social protection services more effectively.
The initiative will support:
- Evidence-based social protection planning
- Local-level data collection and validation
- Better social service delivery
- Improved public finance and local governance decisions
- Multidimensional poverty analysis
- Alignment between local and national reporting systems
- Stronger coordination between hromadas and government institutions
Background and Context
Ukraine’s decentralisation reform has expanded the role of hromadas in planning and delivering social services.
Hromadas now have greater responsibility for identifying community needs, managing local social support, and coordinating service delivery.
However, the full-scale Russian invasion since February 2022 has severely affected the ability of many hromadas to perform these responsibilities.
Local authorities now face increased demand for social protection services, while also dealing with displacement, poverty, infrastructure damage, limited capacity, and disrupted data systems.
Why Social Protection Data Matters in Ukraine
Reliable local-level social protection data is essential for effective planning and service delivery.
Without accurate and comprehensive data, hromadas and national institutions may struggle to:
- Identify vulnerable households
- Plan social protection budgets
- Target assistance effectively
- Monitor service gaps
- Track multidimensional poverty
- Coordinate with national systems
- Respond to crisis-related needs
- Design evidence-based policies
The absence of actionable hromada-level data has become a major barrier to effective social protection programming in Ukraine.
Funding Amount
The indicative budget for this initiative is USD 150,000.
This budget will support:
- In-depth assessment of current data practices
- Development of the Hromada Social Protection Dataset framework
- Standard data management procedures
- Pilot testing in selected hromadas
- Consultations and validation workshops
- Preparation of a 24-month rollout roadmap
Who Should Respond to the Call?
The call is relevant for organisations with expertise in social protection data systems, public policy, governance, data management, research, and local-level service delivery.
Suitable applicants may include organisations with experience in:
- Social protection systems
- Local governance
- Public finance
- Social policy research
- Data collection and data management
- Monitoring and evaluation
- Poverty and vulnerability assessment
- Public administration reform
- Digital data systems
- Stakeholder consultations and capacity-building
The selected partner should be able to work with government institutions, hromada authorities, and relevant agencies in Ukraine.
Key Focus Areas
The initiative focuses on several interconnected policy and technical areas.
These include:
- Social policy and advocacy
- Policy advocacy
- Public finance
- Local governance
- Social protection
- Multidimensional poverty
- Data management systems
- Evidence-based planning
- Service delivery improvement
- Local and national data coordination
Key Concepts Explained
Hromada
A hromada is a local territorial community in Ukraine. Hromadas are responsible for many local governance functions, including planning and delivering social services.
Social Protection Dataset
A social protection dataset is a structured set of indicators and data fields used to understand social needs, vulnerabilities, service access, and support requirements.
Evidence-Based Planning
Evidence-based planning means using reliable data and analysis to design policies, allocate budgets, and deliver services.
Multidimensional Poverty
Multidimensional poverty looks beyond income. It considers several forms of deprivation, such as poor housing, limited access to healthcare, education gaps, unemployment, disability-related needs, and lack of basic services.
Standard Data Management Procedures
Standard Data Management Procedures are rules and practical steps for collecting, validating, storing, updating, sharing, publishing, and using data.
Main Components of the Assignment
The assignment includes several major deliverables.
1. Inception Report
The partner organisation will prepare an inception report.
The report should include:
- Proposed methodology
- Stakeholder mapping
- Detailed work plan
- Consultation approach
- Data review plan
- Timeline for deliverables
2. Comprehensive Assessment Report
The partner will conduct an in-depth assessment of social protection data needs and current practices.
The assessment should examine:
- Local social protection data needs
- Existing data collection practices
- Data validation methods
- Reporting systems
- Capacity gaps
- Operational challenges
- Coordination between local and national systems
- Practical barriers faced by hromada officials
3. Hromada Social Protection Dataset Framework
The project will develop a standardised Hromada Social Protection Dataset.
The framework should include:
- Essential social protection indicators
- Data definitions
- Measurement units
- Reliable data sources
- Validation methods
- Reporting requirements
- Practical use cases for hromadas
- Alignment with national reporting systems
The dataset should support local planning, budgeting, monitoring, policymaking, and service delivery.
4. Standard Data Management Procedures
The project will establish Standard Data Management Procedures for hromadas.
These procedures should provide guidance on:
- Data collection
- Data validation
- Data quality assurance
- Metadata
- Data granularity
- Data publication
- Reporting processes
- Data use by hromada officials
- Links between local and national data systems
5. Pilot Testing in 20 Hromadas
The proposed model will be tested in 20 selected hromadas.
The pilot phase will help assess:
- Practical implementation challenges
- Data collection feasibility
- Capacity needs
- Technical gaps
- User experience for local officials
- Required improvements before scaling
- Lessons for national rollout
6. 24-Month Rollout Roadmap
The assignment will produce a 24-month roadmap for broader implementation.
The roadmap should cover:
- Piloting
- Framework refinement
- Scaling strategy
- Capacity-building needs
- Resource requirements
- Feedback mechanisms
- Integration with national systems
- Potential use of AI tools
- Social protection benchmarks
Stakeholder Engagement
The partner organisation will conduct consultations, expert interviews, and validation workshops.
Key stakeholders may include:
- Ministry of Social Policy, Family, and Unity
- Hromada authorities
- Relevant government agencies
- Local social protection officials
- Data and policy experts
- UNICEF stakeholders
- Other institutions involved in social protection planning
Stakeholder engagement is important to ensure that the framework reflects real operational needs.
How the Assignment Works
The assignment will begin with planning and methodology development.
The partner will then assess existing social protection data practices, consult stakeholders, develop the dataset framework, prepare data management procedures, and test the model in selected hromadas.
The findings from the pilot will inform the final roadmap for broader rollout across Ukraine.
Suggested Implementation Steps
- Develop an inception report with methodology, work plan, and stakeholder mapping.
- Review existing social protection data systems and local-level reporting practices.
- Conduct consultations with national and local stakeholders.
- Assess data needs, operational challenges, and capacity gaps in selected hromadas.
- Develop the Hromada Social Protection Dataset framework.
- Define standard indicators, data definitions, sources, and validation methods.
- Prepare Standard Data Management Procedures.
- Pilot the model in 20 selected hromadas.
- Collect feedback and identify implementation challenges.
- Revise the framework and procedures based on pilot findings.
- Prepare a 24-month rollout roadmap.
- Present findings through validation workshops and final deliverables.
Expected Results
The initiative is expected to produce practical tools that improve social protection data use in Ukraine.
Expected results include:
- Better local-level data availability
- Stronger evidence-based planning
- More targeted social protection interventions
- Improved coordination between hromadas and national institutions
- Standardised data definitions and procedures
- Stronger local capacity for data management
- Practical roadmap for scaling the system
- Better support for vulnerable populations
Why It Matters
This initiative is important because hromadas are central to social protection delivery in Ukraine.
Accurate local data helps authorities understand who needs support, where service gaps exist, and how resources should be allocated.
In the context of war-related disruption, displacement, poverty, and increased vulnerability, better data systems can help Ukraine deliver social protection more effectively and fairly.
The project also supports stronger governance by connecting local realities with national policymaking and budgeting.
Tips for Strong Expressions of Interest
A strong expression of interest should show clear technical expertise and practical understanding of Ukraine’s local governance context.
Applicants should demonstrate:
- Experience in social protection data systems
- Knowledge of local governance and decentralisation
- Strong research and assessment capacity
- Experience with public-sector data management
- Ability to design practical frameworks and procedures
- Capacity to conduct consultations and workshops
- Understanding of poverty and vulnerability indicators
- Ability to work with government institutions
- Experience in piloting and scaling data systems
- Clear methodology and realistic implementation plan
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Applicants should avoid submitting vague or overly theoretical proposals.
Common mistakes include:
- Failing to explain practical data management experience
- Ignoring hromada-level implementation realities
- Providing weak methodology for assessment and piloting
- Not addressing local and national system alignment
- Overlooking data validation and quality assurance
- Failing to include stakeholder engagement
- Not explaining how the framework will support service delivery
- Offering generic social protection experience without data-system expertise
- Ignoring capacity-building needs
- Underestimating the complexity of rollout across hromadas
FAQ
What is the purpose of the UNICEF call in Ukraine?
The purpose is to develop a Hromada Social Protection Dataset Framework, data management procedures, and an implementation roadmap to improve evidence-based social protection planning and service delivery.
What is the indicative budget?
The indicative budget is USD 150,000.
What is a hromada?
A hromada is a local territorial community in Ukraine responsible for local governance functions, including social service planning and delivery.
What will the selected partner develop?
The selected partner will develop an inception report, assessment report, Hromada Social Protection Dataset framework, Standard Data Management Procedures, pilot findings, and a 24-month rollout roadmap.
How many hromadas will be involved in pilot testing?
The proposed model will be tested in 20 selected hromadas.
What policy areas does the initiative cover?
The initiative covers social policy, social protection, public finance, local governance, policy advocacy, and multidimensional poverty.
Why is local-level social protection data important?
Local-level data helps authorities identify vulnerable groups, plan budgets, target services, monitor gaps, and design evidence-based social protection policies.
Conclusion
UNICEF’s call for expression of interest in Ukraine aims to strengthen social protection planning through better local-level data systems. By developing a standardised Hromada Social Protection Dataset Framework and practical data management procedures, the initiative will help hromadas make stronger, evidence-based decisions.
The project is especially important in the context of Ukraine’s decentralisation reform and the ongoing impact of the full-scale Russian invasion. A successful partner will combine social protection expertise, data management capacity, local governance knowledge, and practical implementation experience to support more effective services for vulnerable communities.
For more information, visit UN Partner Portal.
