Non-governmental Structures Research Articles

Социально-экономическая устойчивость муниципалитетов: методика и опыт исследования

Introduction. The issue of socio-economic sustainability of territories has been studied in depth in the scientific literature. This concerns both the concept of socio-economic sustainability itself and its application to the analysis of regional and municipal development. Various aspects of socio-economic sustainability are also addressed in a significant number of territorial ratings currently available on the information market and published by both government agencies and non-governmental structures – analytical centers, rating agencies (RA), and mass media. Most of these information and analytical products relate to the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. A striking example is the rating of regions for the implementation of the federal project “Formation of a Comfortable Urban Environment” from the Ministry of Construction of the Russian Federation. This series also includes the rating of the quality of life in the regions from the Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI), the rating of the socio-economic sustainability of regions from the Civil Society Development Fund, the rating of the socio-economic development of regions from RIA Novosti, the rating of the investment attractiveness of regions from RA Expert, and a number of others. A significantly smaller number of such products relate to the municipal level. And this is a big problem of practical and scientific nature, which, in the author's opinion, can be overcome by the developed assessment of the socio-economic sustainability of Russian municipalities.Materials and methods. The presented study used indicators of socio-economic and electoral statistics of municipalities relating to 2022-2023. The main source is Rosstat data. In addition, information contained on the official websites or in the official publications of regional and municipal authorities was used. The work used universal methods of scientific knowledge: analysis, synthesis, generalization.Results. The result of the study was regional ratings of the socio-economic sustainability of municipalities in five subjects of the Russian Federation within the Ural Federal District: Sverdlovsk, Tyumen and Chelyabinsk regions, Khanty-Mansiysk – Yugra and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrugs.

European Public Policy – Goal and Reality

The process of transformation of politics into public policy, which has been taking place in the democratic world since the 1950s and which also consists in the involvement of non-governmental (non-political) structures in policy making, started to develop more intensively in the structures of the European Union after 2000. This study analyses the ways in which market and civil society actors participate in policy making in selected EU policies. In particular, using examples from Slovakia it presents how and in what way this participation takes place. It notes the diversity of approaches and forms, but also the fact that current European Union policies already meet the basic criteria for being considered public policies.

Russian civil society of wartime: the specifics of development in the conditions of Special military operationa

The purpose of the article is to study the trends and features of the development of civil society in the Russian Federation in the process of a special military operation in the regions of historical Novorossiya. It is noted that the influence of ITS on the functioning of the Russian model of the «third sector» leads to fundamental transformations of the nature of the state-civil dialogue. It is argued that the field of civil-military relations is becoming a priority area of interaction between society and the state in modern Russia. As evidence, examples are given of an increase in the composition of non-governmental structures both in the direction of their activities and in spreading to the lowest level of territorial and political organization. It is proved that the priority task of the vast majority of newly emerged and previously existing public entities is to provide some kind of support to units and units of the Russian army in theaters of armed struggle, as well as social protection of military personnel and their family members. For a very limited time period, institutionalized and networked associations en masse include all new social aggregations and territorial communities, which became the organizing link of the national patriotic upsurge during the period of their independence. It is predicted that those actors who have been able to prove themselves as a link between the army and the people will be able to act as a core component of civil society in Russia of the 21st century in the foreseeable future.

ДИНАМИКА ТОРГОВОГО СОТРУДНИЧЕСТВА ТУРЦИИ И ТАТАРСТАНА В XXI ВЕКЕ

The article considers a new — intra-country vector of the policy of geographical diversifi cation of Turkish exports. The Republic of Tatarstan stands out as a promising trading partner. The author notes the importance of creating various non-governmental structures for the development of relations. The dynamics of foreign trade is given. The commodity structures of exports and imports are also analyzed. Because of the analysis, it is noted that, cooperating with the Republic of Tatarstan, Turkey has had signifi cant success in implementing an export-oriented strategy. Thus, Turkey›s exports to Tatarstan increased by about 30 times during the period under review. Imports, on the contrary, decreased by 4 times. The foreign trade balance has become positive for the Turkish side. The ratio of exports to imports exceeded 100%. At the same time, Turkey increased the range of exports, diversified its structure and expanded the geography of trade. The tendency of the predominance of medium-tech industries in the export of goods indicates an increase in the manufacturability of export products. In addition, mineral products have ceased to occupy leading positions in Turkish imports due to an increase in the share of wood and transport. The author notes the possibilities of further industrial cooperation of the parties and integration into the value chains of production.

Rural Communities and Water Governance: Understanding Participatory Processes for Catchment Management in the Upper Umzimvubu Catchment

Water is a crucial issue for sustainable livelihoods, and a lack of it impacts human life. Catchment areas play an essential role in water provisioning, and their management is fundamental for sustained water availability. The UN-endorsed Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) approach best expresses catchment management ideals that resonate with South Africa's constitutional ideals of efficient and equitable distribution of resources. South Africa has a history of inequality that led to severe neglect of rural areas in many facets, including the water sector. Despite the country's reformed laws and policies, sustainable water provision and access remain challenging, particularly in rural-based municipalities where land degradation and a weak revenue base interact to reduce access to water for most communities. This paper reports on a study that sought to understand participatory processes for catchment management in the upper Umzimvubu catchment within Matatiele Local Municipality in the Alfred Nzo District Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province. This study used a qualitative approach to data collection and document analysis. The findings show that participatory water governance strategies exist and tend to coalesce around non-governmental structures. The findings also show that there is room for improving water governance in rural communities, including the need to finalize the establishment of Catchments Management Areas (CMAs) in all nine existing Water Management Areas (WMAs) while incorporating strong community involvement and strengthening the capacity of rural municipalities.

Systemic Pressure of the United States on the Russian Orthodox Church in the Ideological and Geopolitical Confrontation

The paper represents the interim results of a study conducted by the Russian Expert School Research Centre and reveals the politics, as well as scientifi c and expert mechanisms, used by the United States when applying the religious factor for geopolitical purposes. It also examines the way the United States exploits the religious agenda to put the direct political pressure on Russia. The purpose of the study is to identify the mechanisms used by the United States to deliver international pressure on world Orthodoxy and the Russian Orthodox Church. In 1998, the USA adopted the Law on International Religious Freedom, which secured the right of the USA to interfere with religious processes occurring in other countries. For the practical implementation of this law, the United States established an extensive network of governmental institutions, as well as non-governmental structures, formally independent from the government but closely related to it, that would provide ideological, political and administrative support in this area. These institutions and structures involved off icials, scientists, experts, journalists, religious leaders and theologians interested in promoting American national interests. In the 2000s, the weakening of the international infl uence of the Russian Orthodox Church and the weakening of Russia’s role as the centre of world Orthodoxy became the key direction for the international religious policy of the United States. The USA used the Patriarchate of Constantinople as the main tool to split the Russian Church and world Orthodoxy. The strongest strike intended to reduce the infl uence of the Russian Church was infl icted by the United States in Ukraine, where, after the coup d’etat 2014, the сanonical Orthodox Church (Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate) found itself in the most vulnerable position. The United States has launched a system struggle against the Russian Orthodox Church, which includes theological, expert and media levels, as well as events of direct (administrative and physical) pressure on the Moscow Patriarchate parishes. The United States aims the global vector of this activity at dividing and weakening world Orthodoxy, and the local one — at destroying historical spiritual ties between Orthodoxy in Russia and Orthodoxy in Ukraine.

PR-КОМУНІКАЦІЇ ВОЄННОГО ЧАСУ: МЕТА, МОДЕЛІ, НАПРЯМИ

<p><strong><em>The purpose</em></strong><em> of the article is to study the goals, models, and directions of wartime PR communications that have been existing in the information space of Ukraine in the period since February 24, 2022, to the current time and reflecting the presence of public relations of various state and non-governmental institutions and organizations. </em></p><p><strong><em>Research methodology.</em></strong><em> To find out the main goal, models, and directions of wartime PR communications in the information space of Ukraine as a reflection of public relations of state and non-governmental institutions and organizations, the following methods were used: analysis, description, classification and generalization.</em></p><p><em> <strong>Results.</strong> The article focuses on the role of the most effective and most relevant models of PR communication with target audiences during military operations in Ukraine.</em></p><p><em>It is emphasized that all models of PR communication, which were once formed by J. Gruning and T. Hunt (press agency model, public information model, bilateral asymmetrical model, and bilateral symmetrical model) are relevant and effective during the crisis caused by the war in Ukraine. Their use is a condition for preserving the unity of the nation, a condition for transparent relations between the government and society, between business and society, between civil society institutions and all state and non-governmental structures and citizens of Ukraine. These models help to identify certain phenomena in the practice of public relations, the basis of which is communication as a dynamic process of information exchange.</em></p><p><em>It is noted that PR communications become the tool that allows the creation of a unified field of interconnected information, which is supported by feedback necessary for the survival of the country. </em></p><p><em>The concept of public relations as an effective social and communication technology, which provides dialogue forms of interaction between different social groups during such a crisis situation as military aggression, is revealed. The role of PR communication in the shaping of information and psychological security of a state's citizens in wartime is defined. The conditions for using PR models during the specified crisis are outlined.</em></p><p><strong><em>Novelty.</em></strong><em> The scientific novelty of the study consists in determining the main goal, models and directions of wartime PR communications that have been existing in the information space of Ukraine in the period since February 24, 2022, to the current time and reflecting the presence of public relations of various state and non-state institutions and organizations. </em></p><p><strong><em>Practical meaning.</em></strong><em> The practical significance of the research results lies in the possibility of their use during the preparation of public relations educational programs, the training of specialists in the field of public relations, and the development of educational and scientific courses on the specified problem.</em></p><p><strong><em>Key words:</em></strong><em> PR, information space, PR communication, models of PR communication, state institutions, non-governmental institutions, information and psychological security.</em></p>

Research of technological interaction methods between expert structures and political institutions

The article analyzes the current state of interaction between political institutions and the expert community. This scientific research was conducted in the form of an interview. The respondents were members of expert communities, both non-governmental structures and representatives of expert structures under state authorities, as well as representatives of political institutions. Interview questions reveal a set of competencies that are necessary in order to be fully called a professional expert, attracted by political institutions to build a dialogue and help in the formation of effective public policy. The questions also related to the current situation with the rotation of the composition of experts in expert structures. The opinion of experts and representatives of political institutions was studied on what improvements and mechanisms should be implemented and adjusted to build productive and effective interaction between expert communities and representatives of political institutions. The relevance of the research lies in the analysis of the answers to these questions. The logical purpose of the work is to form an understanding of a number of modern problems faced by both experts and representatives of political institutions at the current stage of development of their interaction in the formation of public policy.

From Sport Policy to National Federation Sport Policy: An Integrative Literature Review and Conceptualisation Attempt

The notion of sport policy is a relatively recent subject of study, but it has been frequently used over the last 20 years, particularly referring to governmental sport policies. However, less research has been conducted in the field of national sport federations (NSFs), which are key non-governmental structures in governing, organising and sustaining the development of sports. The objective of this article is to propose a conceptualisation of the notion of sport policy adapted to NSFs. The proposed approach consists of two steps: first, we conducted an extensive integrative literature review around the notion of sport policy. Second, based on the literature review, we developed a model that conceptualises what an NSF sport policy is. This conceptual model is intended to be a useful analytical tool to design, implement and assess the success of a sport policy for both researchers and practitioners working in the field of NSFs.

Публічні послуги у сфері публічного управління: теоретичні аспекти

Розглянуто теоретичні підходи до здійснення публічних послуг у сфері публічного управління. Проаналізовано різні підходи до трактування сутності поняття “публічні послуги” і на основі цього представлено авторське розуміння згаданого поняття. Розглянуто класифікаційні підходи до розуміння публічних послуг. Представлено алгоритм надання публічних послуг у сфері публічного управління. Обґрунтовано процедуру здійснення публічних послуг, враховуючи надавачів та споживачів у сфері публічного управління. Аргументовано, що публічні послуги є ширшим поняттям, аніж державні послуги.

Реформирование политики Европейского союза в сфере урегулирования конфликтов в контексте кризиса на Украине

Introduction: in 2020 the European Union (EU) reviewed its key documents designed as guidelines for peacekeeping practices; this was aimed at broadening the geography of participation, ensuring more efficient interaction between government and non-governmental structures, as well as providing more flexibility in dealing with parties of conflict zones. For the past three decades, the EU’s peacekeeping activities have changed drastically, turning mainly into a factor of European “soft power” and influence expansion. Objectives: to consider transformations in peacekeeping processes at the US regulatory and institutional levels. Methods: analysis of the EU regulatory and contractual framework, conceptual documents. Results: the article covers the motives for EU participation in peace mediation and the leading theories explaining them. The author concluded that before the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine in 2022, the restrictions that prevented the EU involvement in the conflict played a greater role than the motives for participation. However, due to the confrontation between Russia and the West, the aspect of peacekeeping policy that was associated with unwillingness to collide with Russian interests and always weakened it, has generally lost its relevance. Conclusions: recent transformations in peacekeeping processes at US regulatory and institutional levels expand the EU’s reaction capability; but upscaling these activities and increasing its efficiency do not seem possible without a fundamental review of the Common Foreign and Security Policy instruments.

Methodological Basis of the Comparative Evaluation of Inclusiveness Level of Economic Development

Abstract The article is devoted to the methodological basis of comparative assessment of the level of inclusion of economic development in different areas and regions. The article focuses on the methodological problems of analyzing, evaluating, and raising the level of inclusiveness of economic development. The importance of raising the level of inclusion in the context of new development trends in society and the economy is interpreted. The need for a new look at the scientific and theoretical basics of economic development are emphasized. Available studies on inclusive development issues are analyzed. Indicators and sub-indices characterizing the inclusive development of the society are proposed. An analysis of international scientific research on the problems of inclusive development was conducted. As the increase in the inclusion of the economy leads to an increase in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the urgency of developing its prospects is justified. Ratings of advanced countries on inclusive economic development indices were analyzed. Indicators of inclusive development of international economic organizations have been identified and based on them, relevant improvements have been made and additions have been made. Indicators and sub-indices characterizing the inclusive development of society are offered. The evaluation of inclusive development at the international level is analyzed. The methodological basis of the evaluation of the inclusiveness level is explained and a technique is developed. Key efficiency indicators for inclusive growth and development have been identified. The country's National Inclusive Development Index (NII) is proposed as a dependency on sub-indices that reflect several areas. Subindices and indicators forming the level of inclusion of national economic development have been proposed. The scientific-methodological approach proposed for the assessment of inclusion at the national level is presented in the form of algorithms and conceptual stages. Assessment of the level of national inclusion is offered as Level I - inclusion at the national, social, or macro-level; Level II - inclusion of regional or individual cities and regions; Level III - intersectoral or sectorial inclusion; Level IV - inclusion in the private sector, non-governmental structures; Level V - inclusion in non-governmental and public administration; Level VI - inclusion in the micro or enterprises, production level; Level VII - in several sub-levels as individual inclusion in homes and families. National and international evaluation of the inclusive society and economic development is studied. The main factors of inclusive development of Azerbaijan's economy such as GDP per capita, labor productivity, expected healthy life length, employment level, Gini index of income, poverty level, Gini index of wealth, monthly household income, net savings, carbon capacity, public debt to GDP indicators such as ratio, demographic load ratio have been developed. The importance of the use of inclusion technologies was highlighted and reported on. It was noted that the effective platform for increasing the inclusion of the information society has many opportunities. It was noted that the globally implemented “Internet of Things” (IoT), Cloud computing, soft-computing, Big Data technologies, and components of the 4.0 Industrial Revolution will create additional opportunities for joint effective activities of citizens in society, increasing the level of inclusion.

THE CONCEPT OF CIVIL SOCIETY, ITS FORMATION IN UKRAINE, FUNCTIONS AND FEATURES

The concept of «civil society» in modern political science is given. The relevance of its theoretical and practical aspects which is caused by the obvious increase the role of ordinary citizens and their voluntary associations in all spheres of human society: economic, political, social, spiritual, is analyzed. The successes of public organizations and movements of people of good will in the field of detente of international tensions, in providing assistance to peoples affected by natural disasters, catastrophes and other social unrest are widely known. It was established that the basis of victories is the development of civil society, high activity of citizens and their voluntary associations. This is achievable only in a sufficiently developed civil society. It has been proved that success comes where the business activity of citizens and the non-governmental structures they create increases, state intervention in economic, social and spiritual life is limited, where civil society develops and improves. The theoretical and applied aspects of the phenomenon of civil society are comprehended through a theoretical analysis of the concept of civil society in the history of socio-philosophical and political thought, from Plato and Aristotle to the views of modern researchers. It is emphasized that civil society is a type of social system, the hallmark of which is the real multi-subjectivity of economic, social, cultural and political life. The formation and development of civil society in Ukraine during the years of independence is analyzed. It is proved that the formation of civil society is manifested in the formation of its institutions - voluntary public associations, public movements, trade unions, independent media, public opinion as a social institution, elections and referendums as a means of public expression and protection of public-dependent interests. judicial and law enforcement systems, etc. The peculiarities of the interaction of civil society and the rights` state are substantiated.

FORMATION OF THE MECHANISM OF REGULATION OF THE MARKET OF CONSUMER GOODS OF UKRAINE IN THE CONDITIONS OF GLOBALIZATION

The globalization of economic processes significantly affects the main trajectory of Ukraine's economy, in particular, determines the current characteristics of the national market of consumer goods. Increasing interdependence of national economies, increasing economic turbulence, increasing the role of informatization and digitalization lead to the emergence of new, previously unknown phenomena in the economic sphere, which initiate the transformation of the architecture of the consumer goods market. The current state of functioning of the consumer goods market is under the influence of inflation and is characterized by imbalance as a result of imperfections of market mechanisms and the lack of a comprehensive state policy on its development. In recent years, key levers of real influence on consumer goods market indicators have been lost, attention to the settlement of systemic development problems has weakened, which has led to deepening structural deformations, significant shadowing of the market, reduced quality and safety of goods. Theoretical studies of the need and essence of regulation make it possible to form a system of regulation of the consumer goods market. In practice, such a system accumulates three basic blocks: formation, implementation and adjustment. They are interconnected and are aimed at achieving certain criteria for regulating the consumer goods market and achieving its development goals. Changes in the socio-economic environment, the need to accelerate the decentralization of management, strengthening the regulatory functions of market mechanisms and public regulation necessitate the development of new strategic measures to regulate the consumer market in globalization, which will ensure balanced, sustainable and safe development and expansion. a full-fledged socially oriented market environment, satisfying the population's demand for consumer goods at affordable prices and a guaranteed level of quality and safety of goods. To solve such problems, we have proposed strategic directions and organizational and economic mechanisms for their implementation. The mechanism for ensuring the implementation of strategic objectives includes: improving institutional support; identification of sources of funding for regulatory measures; formation of information support system; organization of scientific support; increasing the level of staffing in the field of consumer goods market regulation; ensuring interaction and organization of cooperation with public and non-governmental structures. Key words: mechanism, state regulation, consumer market, functions, methods.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC CONTROL IN BUILDING A DEMOCRATIC STATE BASED ON THE RULE OF LAW AND THE FORMATION OF CIVIL SOCIETY AND IN THE MANAGEMENT OF SOCIETY

This article discusses the formation of views on a democratic state governed by the rule of law and civil society. The article also discusses the state guarantees and support for the protection of non-governmental organizations. In legal democracies, strong governance is largely the responsibility of civil society institutions. At the same time, the direct participation of the public in the implementation of governance will be expanded. A self-governing society is based on strong non-governmental structures.

The Role of the Public in Prison Transformations of the 19th Century in Russia

Introduction: the article examines the circumstances that promoted the activity of social forces of the 19th century in improving prison life and re-socialization of persons released from prison. The article describes the areas of public activity aimed at the transformation of prisons in the Russian Empire and the impact of this activity on the improvement of the execution of sentences in the form of imprisonment. We analyze the activities of the Guardianship Society for Prisons, Patronage Societies and other non-governmental structures. We assess the role of the public in the development of domestic legislation and law enforcement practice and analyze errors and omissions that occurred. Methods: the study is based on the axiological approach. Finding a solution to the research problem was facilitated by the use of general philosophical principles of dialectics and special methods of cognition: systematic, formal-legal, sociological, etc. Results: the ideas of the Age of Enlightenment contributed to the manifestation of social activity, in the public consciousness there emerged a thought about the necessity to abandon the cruelty of punishment. The organization of patronage is a necessary condition for the transformation of prisons. Discussion: it is noteworthy that in the works of different historical periods, we can find common views and negative assessments of the activities of non-governmental entities of the pre-revolutionary period associated with the prison department. Conclusions: the activity of the public in the field of transformation of correctional institutions cannot be considered faultless. However, the number of its critical assessments is so large that there is no need to increase it; anyway, this cannot change anything. From an axiological point of view, it is much more important to identify what is valuable for social practice: it stimulated the development of public initiative in addressing the issues related to punishment and its execution, the establishment of new public formations that aimed their activities at providing assistance to those released from prison, organizing the execution of sentences against minors, the removal of children of convicts from prisons and the establishment of shelters for them, etc. Keywords: Public; Enlightenment era; Guardianship Society for Prisons; patronage societies; societies for agricultural colonies and craft shelters; academic community; prison; prison transformations; prison reform; prisoners; rehabilitation; juvenile offenders; international congresses

Ukrainian

There is a steady trend in the wide range of literature on the study of institutions: the definition of theoretical judgments often does not coincide and is not combined with the definition of general connections and patterns, which leads to ignoring the principle of systematic analysis of socio-economic processes. Indirectly, this means the priority of the random (individual) over the whole and general. Meanwhile, the concept of an institution correlates with the specific content of a phenomenon or process and is supplemented by a generalized and systematic approach. The study of such an urgent problem of the market economy as institutional choice through non-profit organizations requires the extension of the analysis not only to governmental but also to non-governmental structures, which are an element of the whole. In this regard, the article provides a historical overview of the development of nonprofit organizations and charitable activities as a large-scale social phenomenon, which made it possible to draw attention to the possibility of using the experience of past years for the purposeful organization of non-state institutions of charity, including by improving social partnerships. Analysis of the current state of non-profit organizations in Ukraine, despite the growth in their number, shows a decrease in the volume of charitable activities. In recent years, the country has taken certain steps to improve charity. However, this is not enough. The institutional environment for philanthropy needs to be improved. The solution to this problem is possible with the active influence of the state on the management of non-commercial activities. Improving the tools of functioning, financing, as well as increasing attention to the development of statistics in this area of activity is considered relevant. In this regard, the purpose of the article is to identify pressing issues and ways to improve charitable organizations. The solution to this problem is possible with the active influence of the state on the management of non-profit activities. The development of the institutional framework of the nonprofit sector of the economy means the improvement of financial reporting, greater openness of charitable organizations, streamlining of their legal relations, liberalized taxation and strengthened control over the activities of non-profit organizations. The article pays special attention to the problem of accumulation and distribution of charitable funds. The potential of charitable organizations can be expanded by shifting the focus of their regulation away from predominantly corporate to regional administration, which increases the importance of the institution of partnership in the development of charity. The article uses historical and logical methods, which allowed to study the formation and development of non-profit organizations in the evolutionary aspect.

МЕТОДИ ОЦІНЮВАННЯ ЕФЕКТИВНОСТІ ПОЛІЦЕЙСЬКОЇ ДІЯЛЬНОСТІ

The article analyzes the existing methods of evaluating the effectiveness of policing. It is proved that the modern system of methods for evaluating the effectiveness of policing should consist of traditional methods specific to policing and non-traditional methods introduced from other areas. It is concluded that the current issue is the use in assessing the effectiveness of policing methods (techniques) used in the private sector to assess the effectiveness of various institutions, enterprises, organizations, as well as methods of evaluating staff, successfully tested and implemented in management, non-governmental structures, which are quite diverse. Today, the performance of the police is a necessary tool in the management industry. We see the application of benchmarking in the system of evaluating the effectiveness of police activities as promising, and the biographical method for personnel evaluation; the method of a given score; ranking; method of pairwise comparisons; standard method; graphic profile method; method by results; method «360о certification»; assessment center method; human resources analysis; goal management method; method of evaluation of key performance indicators. The authors emphasize that the use of these methods requires special knowledge of the subjects who use them, which is why one of the main tasks of the modern management system of the National Police should be to train managers capable of using modern methods of personnel evaluation. It is worth emphasizing that the departmental evaluation of efficiency of police activity can be carried out in relation to specific police officers. As for methods for evaluation of efficiency of police activity of individual police officers, they are significantly different from the methods of general assessment. It is concluded that there are no universal methods of evaluation, they, as well as criteria, evaluation should be carried out comprehensively taking into account various circumstances: the type of evaluation, its purpose, the object of evaluation, the subjects involved in evaluation, and their skills in the application of specific methods, available resources, etc.

СУЧАСНІ УМОВИ ВПРОВАДЖЕННЯ ЕЛЕКТРОННОЇ ДЕМОКРАТІЇ У ВІТЧИЗНЯНЕ ПУБЛІЧНЕ УПРАВЛІННЯ: РЕГІОНАЛЬНИЙ АСПЕКТ

The article is devoted to the analysis of the conditions that characterize the current state of e-democracy as a tool of public administration in Ukraine. The domestic normative and legal support of the phenomenon of e-democracy, social peculiarities of regional use of e-democracy in public administration, the institutional composition of the subjects of introduction of e-democracy in the public administration have been considered. The periodization of the development of domestic e-democracy has been analyzed, which includes 4 periods: preparatory, formation of e-government mechanisms, creation of electronic information system, and implementation of information system. A thorough analysis of the legal framework of this area of research allowed establishing the spread of regulations on general issues of legitimizing the transparency of government and note that the focus of the legislator shifts to creating a legal basis for specific mechanisms of e-democracy. The existence of regional inequality in the implementation and use of e-democracy has been established. This inequality is caused by two aspects: technological, which manifests itself in the insufficient provision of certain regions with Internet coverage, and educational, which is expressed in the lack of digital literacy in certain categories of the population. It has been stated that regulatory and legal support for the implementation of the studied tool of public administration can be positively assessed: the phenomenon of e-democracy is enshrined in the legal field, regulatory algorithms for its individual mechanisms – e-services, e-petitions, e-government are provided and more. The institutional level of the implementation of e-democracy in the domestic public administration manifests itself in the interaction of government, public, business and independent non-governmental structures, including the European level. Such a diverse institutional composition, along with the adoption of various legislative and administrative measures, testifies to the positive transformational shifts of Ukrainian society, the process of its real transition to the state of information society – a knowledge society focused on meeting the needs of citizens.

«МАРКА ИСПАНИИ»: РАЗРАБОТКА ГОСУДАРСТВЕННОЙ ПОЛИТИКИ ИСПАНИИ ПО РЕАЛИЗАЦИИ «МЯГКОЙ СИЛЫ»

The article is devoted to the study of the concept of “soft power” in the foreign policy of the Kingdom of Spain. It analyzes the development of its national interpretation, the nature of Spanish “soft power” and the implementation of the “Marca Espana” state project in 2012–2018. The main objective of the project was creating an attractive image of the country in the world so as to provide the state with more influence in international relations. The particular attention is paid to the investigations of Spanish foreign policy by the research centers, which were involved in the theoretical and practical development of the project, mainly to the role of the Elcano Royal Institute. Within the framework of “Marca Espana”, some series of programmes were initialized in the analyzed period, and the public position of the High Commissioner for “Marca Espana” was created. His duties included coordinating the activities of governmental and non-governmental structures in order to assure maintenance of a positive national brand and its effective promotion in the world. As a result of the study, key successes achieved by the programme were identified, as well as the reasons for its replacement in 2018 with a new project named “Espana Global”. The authors conclude that despite a series of flaws, the project “Marca Espana” proved to be an important step towards improving the Spain’s national management system.