Supporting Capacities of Local Response Mechanisms, Increasing Safety  Security of Civilians, First Responders, and Local Actors Along Frontline Territories and Throughout the Displacement Corridor ltpgtThe project aims to reinforce and deepen current support to local response mechanisms and enhance direct protection efforts to civilians in the Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kherson, and Kharkiv Oblasts. Project aims to fortify capacities of local mechanisms, including authority coordination, National Non-Governmental Organizations (NNGOs), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and volunteer collectives. The primary objective is to elevate civilian and volunteer protection measures and enhance the safe delivery of humanitarian aid to underserved areas along frontline communities and throughout the displacement corridors. lt/pgtltpgtltbrgtA key aspect is to integrate UHF activities with other donor-funded programs, focusing on enhanced duty of care to volunteer collectives, including Volunteer Insurance Programs (VIP) and Volunteer Resilience Programs (VRP). This project will strengthen and build upon relationships and coordination established through UHF allocations, ensuring sustained support for previous UHF sub-grantees.lt/pgtltpgt  ltbrgtNPs central strategy is to shift from the current wide-spread partner support towards a more targeted approach. In effort to streamline team focus and allow NP protection officers to increase the direct protection of civilians and deepen impact with partners, NP will bolster relationships with local organizations and enhance peer-to-peer support. This requires an increase of field staff to strengthen focus on select partners. This comprehensive approach involves a “Partner Tier System”, prioritizing partners based on protection capacities and impact of activities. The tiers range from basic engagement provision of PPE and IFAKs (T1), to comprehensive partner initiatives involving extensive training packages, capacity-building, and direct implementation of projects through sub-grants (T4). NP aims to identify local entities to serve as community-based protection focal point organizations that will be equipped with the capacity to assume the role of local focal points for mainstreaming localized protection activities.lt/pgtltpgt  ltbrgtSupport for volunteer networks is a cornerstone of NPs country strategy and in line with UHF allocation priorities. NP will facilitate the management, procurement, and delivery of essential safety resources such as IFAKs and PPE. A core aspect of this project revolves around strengthening local capacities. This involves the integration of safeguarding, Do-No-Harm, and community feedback mechanisms into the operational norms of local responders. NP will conduct training sessions on structural and protection capacity strengthening, emergency and psychological first aid, SGBV sensitization, and protection mainstreaming principles. Networks will benefit from an inclusive training package designed to bring local protection capacities to a place of sustainability and enable partners co-facilitate protection trainings, acting as stewards within communities.lt/pgtltpgt ltbrgtNP will enhance physical presence along the displacement corridor from Areas of Origin (AoO) to Areas of Displacement (AoD), facilitating undisrupted support for vulnerable communities, especially amidst increased trends of displacement and transit.lt/pgtltpgt  ltbrgtNP will produce protection assessments, focusing both on the volunteer and civilian interface expanding a protection lens to underserved locations. Co-assessments with volunteer groups to identify protection concerns. Recommendations will be shared with relevant stakeholders to enhance the protection footprint. Whenever possible, NP will co-publish advocacy notes with local actors to enhance their ability to self-advocate.lt/pgtltpgt  ltbrgtBuilding on existing programming, previous cycle insights and lessons learned reflects NP's commitment to accountable partnerships by reallocating resources to deepen partner protection strategies, providing substantial support to local networks and collectives. It aims to enhance safety, uphold dignity, and catalyse positive transformation in Ukraine's humanitarian and local-led response landscapes. ltbrgtlt/pgt