THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL SUBSTANTIATION OF REFORMS IN THE PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Abstract

Modern period of the Ukrainian society and statehood development necessitates addressing modern challenges by pursuing reforms in the field of public administration. The latter is related to the process of reforming social and economic relations, decentralization of power, establishing new territorial and administrative structure and changes in the healthcare system, education, etc. Within this context it is necessary to provide theoretical and methodological substantiation of the reforms under study, present them as well thought over ones, and overturn arguments of their spontaneous and unconsidered nature.

The latest publications and researches in the world and domestic literature show that issues of general methodological substantiation of successful reform implementation require more specific consideration which is the goal of this research.

It is identified that scientific substantiation of the reform process should take into account general democratic prerequisites, which include expanding social administration base and its transformation into deliberative (network) administration including participation of public subjects of society development and compliance with the principles of competition, transparency, social responsibility and accountability.

Unlike condensed spontaneous and subjective forms of reform content identification, their theoretical and methodological substantiation is characterized by the combination of features of rational intermediation of different aspects of reform performance. They include identification of main subjects of reform and typical aspects of their activity, fixation of objective reality as a public activity prerequisite, illustrating the necessity of conceptual substantiation of each of the proposed reforms and specification of the tools for reform implementation.

Conclusions and proposals are related to placing emphasis on the value of systemic theoretical and methodological substantiation of reforms in the field of public administration and bringing it in line with specific performance imperatives.