Organizational Development and Mutual Support — Legal Development Network 2024

Publication date: May 1, 2025

Author: Yuliia Bilyk, Communications Manager at the Legal Development Network

The update of strategic documents and policies, flagship projects in communities, and support for the capacity of member organizations were the key topics discussed during the 2024 General Meeting of the Public Union Legal Development Network (hereinafter — the Network, LDN). Representatives of 17 member organizations of the Network participated in the meeting, which was held online this year.

Updating Strategic Documents — a Focus for the Network’s Management Board

In 2024, members of the Network’s Management Board held quarterly meetings and consultations with the Executive Director.

“The meetings of the Management Board were held within the timeframes defined by the Charter and the Regulations of the Network, with all Board members present. We had different discussions, but we always reached decisions and found mutual understanding with the Executive Directorate and among ourselves. I would like to acknowledge the productive work of each Board member in developing the Network’s policies and other essential documents. I believe the Board acted effectively. The Management Board has no remarks regarding the activities of the Executive Directorate,” summarized Andrii Misiats.

Thanks to the effective work of the LDN Management Board in 2024, 18 strategic documents and policies were updated. Among the updated policies were the Security Policy, Grant Policy, Anti-Corruption Policy, Contract Policy, and others. Work also began on the development of two entirely new documents for the Union — the Code of Ethics and the Regulation on Responsible Membership.

“As a result of the strategic planning session involving members of the Management Board, representatives of most member organizations, and the Executive Directorate of the LDN, we have preliminary drafts of the Code of Ethics and the Regulation on Responsible Membership. In 2025, we plan to finalize and approve these documents so that we all adhere to shared moral values,” noted Solomiia Zinets-Matsyshyn, a member of the Network’s Management Board.

Impact and Outcomes of the Network’s Key Projects in 2024

Irуna Chaika, LDN’s Organizational Development Director, presented the flagship projects implemented in 2024. The first of these focused on humanitarian response in southern Ukraine.

 “Based on the results of 2024 and our cooperation with the Czech humanitarian organization People In Need (Lidi v tísni), we were granted the status of their strategic partner, which is a great achievement for us. In 2025, we will continue working in our target communities — areas retaken by Ukraine — in Mykolaiv and Kherson regions,” noted Iryna Chaika.

According to her, a key innovation in 2024 was the development of the Link humanitarian response mechanism, which was enhanced with a new module for data collection and verification aimed at responding to legal needs. The LDN is now inviting its member organizations to join the Link platform so that it can be used more broadly — thereby improving humanitarian response, particularly in addressing legal inquiries in communities across Ukraine where the Union’s organizations operate.

The Network’s second large-scale project — Vidnova — covers six communities in Mykolaiv and Ivano-Frankivsk regions.

“Within this project, the Network developed some of the first veterans’ policies at the community level. These policies have already been presented and approved by the communities. Additionally, the project includes participatory meetings and activities aimed at involving youth in decision-making processes at the local level,” reported Iryna Chaika.

The third among the key projects of 2024 focused on exploring the sense of security and testing tools to improve it in three communities: in the South (Shevchenkove Community, Mykolaiv Region), in the Center (Turbiv Community, Vinnytsia Region), and in the West (Kolomyia Community, Ivano-Frankivsk Region).

“The sense of security is not about street lighting, shooting down drones, or installing air defense systems. It’s about how safe, comfortable, and calm people feel in their communities. We tried to implement tools that could enhance this sense of security. Not everything went as planned, but we gained invaluable experience in understanding how local self-government bodies engage with people on security-related issues,” explained Iryna Chaika.

Development of Innovative Legal Services and Tools by the Network

Another important area of LDN’s work in 2024 was the development of services and tools for providing legal assistance to the public, along with institutional support for member organizations.

The Network’s new product in 2024 was LawLink_bot, an AI-powered chatbot. Work on improving the chatbot continues so that it can interact more effectively with clients seeking assistance from the LDN. In 2025, plans include expanding and integrating the chatbot, including into the Network’s online chat.

Supporting the Sustainable Development of Member Organizations

In 2024, 15 out of 22 member organizations of the LDN received institutional support. Thanks to this, they were able to provide legal and psychological assistance to residents of communities where such support is difficult to access.

In addition, representatives of member organizations participated in trainings and jointly developed a shared vision of standards for the provision of legal assistance. This work continues in 2025.

The Network has launched the process of updating the profiles of member organizations for publication on the official website and dissemination among potential partners.

“Among the ambitious plans for 2025 is to promote the experience of member organizations — based on the information we began collecting in 2024 and plan to publish on the Network’s website — so that they can generate income not only through project activities and donor support, but also from their own products,” emphasized Iryna Chaika.

Plans and Prospects for 2025

Olha Nastina, Executive Director of the LDN, emphasized that in 2025 the Network will continue to move forward in line with its operational plan, updated by the previous General Meeting. These priorities include human empowerment, expert legal support for communities, and institutional development of member and partner organizations.

“In 2025, we will continue to mobilize funding to provide institutional support to member organizations. We value the participation of our experts in governance processes. A good example was the experience in 2024, when our representatives contributed to the development of the Network’s policies and projects as experts, facilitators, and trainers,” emphasized Olha Nastina.

According to her, one of the key challenges in the near future is updating the LDN’s website, developing the online chat platform, and expanding the range of topics addressed by the chatbot, which currently covers four.

“We hope to update the approaches to responsible membership within the Network, the Code of Ethics, and related ethical and procedural frameworks that enable us to jointly implement programs, projects, and initiatives in our communities,” emphasized Olha Nastina.

The General Meeting of the Legal Development Network was made possible within the framework of the project Strengthening the Member Organizations of the Legal Development Network, with financial support from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.

Related materials:

• Legal Development Network – 2024: Innovation in Access to Justice Tools and Responsible Membership
• How the Legal Development Network Will Operate in 2023
• What 2022 Will Look Like for the Legal Development Network

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