Seminar Program

Collective decisions rarely fail from lack of information — they fail from poor structure.

Q: Who is this program designed for?

The program is suited for public administrators, organizational managers, civic leaders, and graduate students who engage with collective decision-making in professional or community settings.

Q: Is a certificate issued upon completion?

Participants who complete all sessions and submit the final assignment receive a certificate of completion from Crykento Bolomas.

Crykento Bolomas offers a seminar on democratic management built around structured analysis, peer exchange, and frameworks drawn from real governance contexts across Ukraine and beyond.

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Participants in a democratic management seminar discussion

What the program covers

Six modules over eight weeks, each addressing a distinct dimension of democratic management — from theory to contested real-world applications.

Foundations of participatory decision-making

An examination of how deliberative models differ from hierarchical structures, with attention to where each performs better and under what institutional conditions.

Theory + Comparative analysis

Conflict within consensus-seeking groups

Democratic processes frequently stall at the point of legitimate disagreement. This module maps the dynamics of productive versus deadlocking conflict and what facilitators can do differently.

Case study + Facilitation tools

Accountability structures in flat organizations

Reducing hierarchy does not automatically produce accountability. Participants examine organizations that distribute authority and trace where responsibility actually resides when decisions go wrong.

Organizational analysis

Civic governance and public administration

How democratic principles translate into municipal and regional governance — from community budgeting in Zhytomyr Oblast to participatory planning frameworks used in European municipalities.

Policy + Local context

Digital tools for distributed participation

Platforms like Decidim and Consul are changing how institutions gather and process public input. The module covers both the technical capabilities and the governance assumptions baked into these tools.

Technology + Critique

Applying frameworks to your own context

The final module requires each participant to select a real decision-making situation from their own organization or community and apply the analytical frameworks developed throughout the seminar.

Practical assignment

How each seminar session is structured

Sessions run for three hours and follow a repeating format — preparation, analysis, discussion, and reflection — so participants know what to expect each week.

Step 01

Pre-session reading

Each session opens with a short document review — typically an academic article, a policy brief, or a transcribed governance debate — sent to participants 48 hours in advance.

Step 02

Facilitated case analysis

The lead facilitator walks through a specific case — an organization, a council decision, a failed initiative — drawing out what the democratic management lens reveals that other frameworks miss.

Step 03

Peer discussion groups

Participants split into groups of four to six and work through a structured question set. Each group presents a synthesis. Disagreements are noted and carried into the plenary.

Step 04

Reflection and application note

The session closes with ten minutes of individual writing — a short note connecting the session content to something from the participant's own professional or civic context.

Facilitators

Who leads the sessions

Ostap Kovalenko

Lead Facilitator, Governance Studies

Kovalenko has worked with municipal councils in Zhytomyr and Vinnytsia on participatory budgeting design. He brings a practical perspective to theory-heavy material.

Daryna Petruk

Organizational Analysis Specialist

Petruk researches accountability in non-hierarchical organizations. Her module on flat structures draws directly from field interviews with NGO leadership teams.

Bohdan Savchuk

Civic Technology Analyst

Savchuk has audited digital participation platforms for regional administrations. He covers both how these tools function and where their design assumptions break down in practice.

Participants can request a one-on-one consultation with any facilitator during the program — sessions are available by appointment and limited to one per module.

Frequently Asked

Questions about the program

Who is this program designed for?

Public administrators, organizational managers, civic leaders, and graduate students who engage with collective decision-making in professional or community settings. Prior academic background is not required, but some familiarity with organizational structures helps.

How much time per week does participation require?

Expect to allocate roughly 6 to 8 hours weekly — this covers the three-hour live session, assigned reading, and peer discussion threads. The final module assignment requires additional independent work time.

Are sessions recorded for later review?

Yes. All live seminar sessions are recorded and available to enrolled participants for the duration of the program. Recordings do not substitute for live attendance, since peer discussion is a core component.

What distinguishes this from a standard online course?

The emphasis is on structured debate and peer analysis, not passive consumption. Each session requires preparation and active contribution. There are no video lectures to watch at your own pace — the format is seminar, not course.

Is a certificate issued upon completion?

Participants who attend at least five of six sessions and submit the final assignment receive a certificate of completion from Crykento Bolomas. The certificate specifies the program topic and duration.

Sessions conducted in English with Ukrainian language support available on request
Group size capped at 24 participants per cohort to preserve discussion quality
Next cohort enrollment details available via the contact page