From standards to resilience: how JustGroup is strengthening the war crimes investigation system
The daily work of investigators and prosecutors investigating war crimes is a struggle for justice in the difficult conditions of martial law. Alongside this, an important focus is on internal strengthening, synchronization of teams, and the growth of people, especially managers.
JustGroup, in partnership with the Prosecutor General’s Office, and with the support of the Transformational Recovery for Human Security in Ukraine project, funded by the Government of Japan and implemented by UNDP in Ukraine, organized the second annual meeting of managers of the national system of international crime investigation.
Three days of intensive work of 60 managers from the Prosecutor General’s Office, the National Police, and the Security Service were organized around the discussion of key achievements of the system, current challenges, and strategic priorities for 2025 for the national system of prosecution of international crimes.
As a result, the Department for Combating Crimes Committed in the Context of Armed Conflict presented the main areas of efforts, in particular:
- digitalization, which involves not only the operation of a secure repository of digital copies of criminal proceedings on international crimes, but also the operation of other databases and systems.
- introducing new approaches to pre-trial investigation, such as a unified approach to investigation planning and the introduction of investigative interviewing techniques.
- approving new standards for pre-trial investigation of various international crimes and testing approaches to prosecuting new types of crimes.
JustGroup is pleased to contribute to the development of the national war crimes investigation system. Our team coordinates the development of Standards and conducts development programs on Investigative Interviewing. Moreover, in 2025, as part of a grant from the EU Pravo-Justice Project, implemented by Expertise France, JustGroup will begin implementing a systematic approach to building the psychological resilience of war crimes prosecutors.
The piloting of the psychological support system is one of the important steps to strengthen the internal capacity of pre-trial investigation and prosecution agencies. Further initiatives in this area include launching a profile system, building internal communication, and developing leadership competencies.
Thus, the second day of the meeting was devoted to the topic of leadership. Olha Shcherbyna, an expert in management and human capital management, PhD, associate professor, spoke about the role of a manager in the criminal justice system. She drew attention to building effective management systems and the vocation of a manager. The speaker spoke about delegation models and approaches to feedback, as well as the role maturity of a manager, which includes professional ability and psychological readiness. In addition, Natalia Pavlova, a psychologist and founder of the SmartTime Executive Development Studio, worked on teamwork and building inter-institutional cooperation.
JustGroup has long been focused on the development of management culture in the criminal justice system. With the support of the International Renaissance Foundation, our team and the experts involved implemented the first Criminal Justice Leadership Program in the system and developed Management Standards. During the meeting, the co-authors — Vasylyna Yavorska, Denys Hiulmahomedov, and Yurii Bielousov — spoke about the structure of these standards and how to work with them.
The final day focused on unified approaches to drafting procedural documents and the specifics of military command responsibility. In particular, Oleksandr Tsyvinskyi, Head of the NABU Detective Unit, and Alexis Demirjian, a trial lawyer at the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, shared their experience and expertise.
JustGroup will continue to support and strengthen the capacity of the system by introducing modern approaches to investigations, developing management competencies, and strengthening the internal resilience of law enforcement agencies. Together with our partners, we are building a system that can effectively respond to today’s challenges and ensure justice.
The opinions, attitudes, and assessments contained in the report do not necessarily reflect those of the Government of Japan, the United Nations Development Programme or other UN Agencies
Photo: Anna Putylina
