Abstract

Effective governance and leadership in non-governmental organizations (NGOs) does not happen by chance. Research has demonstrated that needed skills, abilities and competencies can make a difference. Using a model of 6 competencies that has been validated previously, these competencies have been used for governance and leadership training in the United States, Canada and Europe. This article reports the results of a 2017 anonymous survey of 185 respondents’ perceptions of the competencies of those in leadership roles and positions in Ukrainian NGOs.  The overall summary finding is that five of the six competencies have moderate correlation to effective governance. While specific limitations may preclude the use of this model as a direct outline for training, consulting, strategic planning or other interventions, the competencies can be useful when translated into Ukrainian civil society.

Key words: Ukraine, governance, leadership competencies, civil society organizations.