Abstract
<jats:p>This article examines the methodological challenges associated with assessing the socio-economic potential of Livelihood projects in (post-)war Ukraine and identifies methods for evaluating their effectiveness. The article notes that, in a narrow sense, Livelihood projects are designed to meet people’s basic needs and overcome acute humanitarian crises. At the same time, the authors emphasise that the objectives of Livelihood projects can be broader, specifically, supporting households with the potential for business development and scaling up in the future. The essence of the socio-economic potential of Livelihood projects is defined as a set of resources that generate social and economic effects as a result of their implementation. A SWOT analysis of the implementation of Livelihood projects in Ukraine during wartime has been conducted. Stages for the implementation of Livelihood projects are proposed. The authors argue that when assessing the effectiveness of realising the socio-economic potential of Livelihood projects, both methods of social impact and economic efficiency should be used, in accordance with the stages of project implementation, whilst arguing for the necessity of applying the “Outcome Harvesting” methodology as a qualitative approach to assessing social impact, with the aim of identifying, describing, verifying, and analysing changes brought about by activities related to Livelihood projects. The importance of stakeholder management in livelihood projects is emphasised, as it determines the effectiveness of realising the socio-economic potential of business-oriented projects during wartime and post-war periods. The importance of applying design thinking in the planning and implementation of Livelihood projects is highlighted as a methodology focused on finding creative solutions to social problems through a deep understanding of the needs of target groups and the involvement of various stakeholders. The necessity of taking into account the socio-cultural diversity of communities based on global and domestic experience in implementing Livelihood projects is substantiated. The main methodological challenges of assessing the socio-economic potential of Livelihood projects are identified.</jats:p>