Strengthening Social Services through Participatory Community Planning

Amid the challenges posed by the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis, and economic instability, Moldova is facing significant difficulties. At People in Need, we responded to these challenges by implementing a participatory, inclusive project to strengthen access to socio-educational and socio-cultural services.

In 2024, we started identifying collaboration opportunities between experts in the social field and local public authorities. Following several workshops held in Bălți, Ocnița, Țaul, Ștefan Vodă, and Doroțcaia, we identified social issues faced by both community members and local authorities, aiming to contribute to their efficient resolution through a joint planning mechanism and participatory budgeting.

"The project's goal is to develop and support social services in a participatory manner to meet the needs of all groups of people: youth, elderly, and people with disabilities,"

mentioned Daniela Popa, Junior Manager at People in Need.

To learn and adopt best practices in participatory budgeting, our experts led a study visit to the Czech Republic. We visited social service centres in Prague, Brno, and Slavkov to adopt European practices for developing social services tailored to the local context.

Thus, social experts and representatives of local authorities from the five municipalities developed five community plans to address gaps in social, educational, and cultural services and adopted three participatory budgeting mechanisms in Ocnița, Țaul, and Doroțcaia. These plans and mechanisms facilitate citizen involvement in the decision-making process.

Vladislav Cociu, Mayor of Ștefan Vodă, gratefully shared details about the thorough infrastructure analysis conducted by People in Need experts in his locality. Based on this, the specialists assessed accessibility for people with disabilities from various social backgrounds. They defined clear objectives and budget estimates for implementing new social initiatives.

"In December, the City Council approved the local policy on social assistance services, an important step for our community. I had participated in training sessions led by experts who provided us with a clear and updated vision of the actual situation in the social assistance field in our city,"

mentioned Vladislav Cociu, Mayor of Ștefan Vodă.

In 2025, the project plans to empower civil society organisations, ensure the continuity of social services for vulnerable groups, and fund community initiatives aimed at improving educational and social infrastructure in the five communities.

The activities carried out within the project "Community Planning – Complex Solutions for Social Services in Moldova" are funded by the Government of the Czech Republic and implemented by People in Need Moldova.