JustGroup Studies the System-Level Implementation of Investigative Interviewing in Ukraine

How can we tell whether Investigative Interviewing has truly become part of the criminal justice system? We can count the number of training programmes delivered or professionals trained. But systemic change begins when a new approach is integrated into legislation, education, management decisions, and everyday professional practice.

To assess such change, British experts Rebecca Milne and Andy Griffiths developed the FIT methodology — Framework of Interviewing Transformation. Rather than evaluating individual training programmes or the work of a particular institution, FIT looks at the extent to which Investigative Interviewing has become embedded across the criminal justice system as a whole.

FIT covers 10 interconnected factors — from legislation and professional training to leadership, technology, quality assurance, and knowledge development. JustGroup initiated the first FIT study in Ukraine. Norway, the United Kingdom, and Brazil are also among the first countries testing the methodology.

Where the FIT Study in Ukraine Began

At the first stage, we focused on the foundations without which systemic transformation of Investigative Interviewing is unlikely to be sustainable: rules, knowledge, and professional preparation.

We therefore examined three of the ten FIT factors:

• legislation;
• knowledge base;
• professional training system.

This analysis allowed us to assess the extent to which the regulatory framework supports Investigative Interviewing, how knowledge about the approach is accumulated and shared, and how systematically it is integrated into professional training for practitioners and university education.

We presented the first findings to the international professional community at the International Investigative Interviewing Research Group (iIIRG) Conference in Belgium. For us, this was an important step towards bringing Ukraine’s experience into the international professional dialogue on the development of Investigative Interviewing.

We are sincerely grateful to the team that laid the foundation for this area of research: Yurii Bielousov, Volodymyr Vasylchuk, Ihor Polshchykov, Yuliia Usenko, Vasylyna Yavorska, and Marta-Mariia Yatsynina.

What the First Stage Showed

Ukraine received the following scores:

• Legislation — 2.125 out of 4
• Professional training system — 2.20 out of 4
• Knowledge base — 2.50 out of 4

The overall conclusion of the first stage can be summarised as follows: Ukraine has already developed a strong substantive foundation for Investigative Interviewing, but its institutional sustainability remains limited.

Legislation — 2.125/4

The Criminal Procedure Code sets out the main rules governing interviews with key categories of participants in criminal proceedings and provides important procedural safeguards, including the right to remain silent, the right to legal assistance, and protection against coercion, with additional safeguards for children.

It is also important that Investigative Interviewing has already been reflected in national-level public policies and strategies.

At the same time, there is still no single methodological standard for Investigative Interviewing that is mandatory for all pre-trial investigation bodies. Video recording of interviews remains optional in most cases, while systematic mechanisms for monitoring and assessing interview quality still require further development.

Professional Training System — 2.20/4

Ukraine already has a training system supported by a national team of trainers, with JustGroup contributing to its development. By the end of July 2026, around 500 professionals had completed the basic programme. However, the reach of the methodology is significantly broader, as trained practitioners continue to share this knowledge with colleagues within their institutions and professional communities.

The programme focuses on changing investigative mindsets, respecting human rights, and applying evidence-based approaches to interviewing.

At the same time, training programmes currently reach only around 5–8% of investigators and prosecutors. Judges are not yet systematically included in such training, learning outcomes are assessed inconsistently, and basic and specialised programmes have not yet been integrated into a single approved professional development pathway.

There is also no mandatory periodic refresher training or recertification, meaning that the sustainability of the system still depends to a significant extent on the initiatives and support of individual institutions and organisations.

Knowledge Base — 2.50/4

Ukraine has developed a broad, evidence-based knowledge base for working with different categories of people and different types of crime. It covers memory, rapport-building, the risks of coercion and false confessions, communication with vulnerable people, and other aspects of Investigative Interviewing.

The scientific foundation of the approach is strong, and contemporary evidence-based concepts are increasingly being integrated into training.

The main challenges are the uneven institutional integration of this knowledge across public authorities and universities, and the absence of a single national standard. As a result, contemporary evidence-based approaches can still coexist with outdated materials and practices.

What Is Already Working — and What Still Needs to Be Strengthened

Among the strengths identified by the researchers are the development of a national trainer network, the involvement of universities, special procedures for children, regular basic training programmes, and the development of infrastructure for conducting interviews.

The next stage of transformation requires more unified rules, wider use of video recording, a structured system of professional training and assessment, and common standard operating procedures.

FIT allows us to look at these elements not in isolation, but as parts of one system — and to understand where change has already become sustainable and where it still depends on individual teams, institutions, or projects.

What Comes Next

At the next stage of the FIT study, we will focus on three more factors:

• leadership — the role of managers and management decisions in implementing the new approach;
• technology for Investigative Interviewing — which technical solutions are already being used, what is still missing, and how technology can support interview quality;
• selection of professionals to conduct Investigative Interviews — how decisions are made about who should conduct interviews, which competencies are required, and to what extent the system takes these requirements into account.

Step by step, this will allow us to build a more complete picture of how deeply Investigative Interviewing has become embedded in Ukraine’s criminal justice system and what is still needed for further transformation.

The project is implemented by JustGroup with the support of the Askold and Dir Fund as part of the Strong Civil Society of Ukraine — a Driver towards Reforms and Democracy project, implemented by ISAR Ednannia, funded by Norway and Sweden. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of JustGroup and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the Government of Norway, the Government of Sweden, and ISAR Ednannia.