The Crowdsourcing Concept and Crowd-Based Technologies as Principles for Increasing the Efficiency of Local Self-Government

Abstract

The article substantiates the relevance of the study of the concept of “crowdsourcing” and crowd-technology as a basis for increasing the efficiency of the functioning of local self-government. The conceptual and categorical apparatus of the determined subject of research is analysed. In particular: a variety of approaches to defining the concept of crowdsourcing (method, model, form, method, tool, technology, process, approach, practice, mobilization, etc.); approaches to understanding the phenomenon of crowd-technologies: managerial, marketing, financial-economic and informational. It is pointed out the forms of crowd-technology activities developed in the domestic practice of public authorities (labour activities, financial activities, optimization activities).

The leading principle of crowdsourcing is determined - self-organization, the ability of the community to produce an optimal solution in the discussion process. Attention is focused on such a feature of crowdsourcing as the participation of interested users of administrative services in the management of the territorial community, which involves direct participation in the development, adoption and implementation of management decisions regarding all those issues that relate to the well-being and life of the community, which radically changes the motivation and behaviour of participants in management relations

The list of principles of crowdsourcing determined by scientists was supplemented with the following principles: cooperation, partnership interaction with a wide range of actors, coordination of efforts to solve certain problems of local development; joint production of public goods and products; consensus orientation, strategic vision, response, accountability of authorities; innovativeness; recognition of the values of collective intelligence in solving problems, etc. The experience of implementing crowdsourcing projects at the local level was analysed, which were related to different goals in their essence, and therefore had a certain set of advantages for employees of local self-government bodies in Ukraine.

It is noted that crowdsourcing technologies change approaches to solving complex problems, at the same time act as the main tool for forming strategies for the development of territories, with the participation of interested users of administrative services, which radically changes their motivation and behavior, turning them into active participants in the management of the socio-economic development of the territorial community.

It was concluded that the concept of crowdsourcing was formed, the following was developed: a certain system of views on the understanding of the conceptual and categorical apparatus, the approaches were distinguished and the principles were determined, the observance of which makes it possible to master crowd technologies, depending on their type, type and scope of application, classifications were systematized for the use of certain crowdsourcing technologies in the management activities of public authorities.