Practice Of Public Administration Research Articles

CURRENT APPROACHES TO UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT OF DISCRETIONARY POWERS OF THE PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the nature of the discretionary powers of the public administration of Ukraine. Carrying out theoretical studies of the legal categorical apparatus in the science of administrative law ensures the correct understanding of certain concepts, serves as a guide for the law-making activity of public administration, improvement of legislation and judicial practice in the consideration of legal disputes in the public sphere. Features of their legal regulation and prospects for improving interpretation and understanding are characterized. Based on the theoretical developments of administrative and legal science, domestic and foreign legislation, and the results of administrative practice, an analysis of a number of elements of the conceptual and categorical apparatus was carried out. Legal categories: ‘administrative discretion’, ‘discretion’ and their relationship with the concept of ‘discretionary powers’ were studied. The article draws attention to the fact that the presence of discretionary powers is a way to solve existing problems in the law enforcement practice of public administration and their officials and officials. Along with this, when talking about discretionary powers, the issue of the appropriate conceptual apparatus needs clarification and additional study. It is substantiated that all interpretations and concepts of the definition and interpretation of the concepts of ‘discretionary powers’ cannot be reduced to a single term and approach, the multifaceted understanding of the meaning of the concept of ‘discretionary powers’ is a peculiar scientific reflection of the instability and multifacetedness of social relations, and the legal regulation of public administration activities . It was concluded that the discretionary powers of the public administration should be defined as a set of their rights and obligations regulated by the norms of administrative law, to act at their own discretion. At the same time, discretionary powers should not be considered as absolute freedom of administrative discretion. Such limitation of discretion in the content of discretionary powers should occur in the limitation of state power through the guarantee of human rights. And this approach should be the basis of discretionary powers. Therefore, it is important to develop and at the legislative level establish the conditions and limits of the use of discretionary powers by state authorities and local selfgovernment bodies.

Administracji publicznej współpraca z prasą – przykra konieczność czy szansa?

SummaryThe subject of the article is an analysis of the issue of cooperation between public administration and the press – its legal basis as well as its current condition in the reality of social life. The press is an entity operating in the administrative environment, cooperation with which may support carrying out of public administration tasks. The argument for such a perspective in analyzing this issue is the fact that the aims of both entities’ activities – public administration and the press – are essentially the same; it is the public interest and the welfare of citizens. Therefore, the cooperation between public administration and the press may become an instrument for improving the organization and functioning of the administrative apparatus, strengthening its transparency and the confidence of citizens in the activities of public administration. The evaluation of this cooperation is directly related to the practice of public administration and the level of freedom of the press in Poland.

ПРІОРИТЕТНІ НАПРЯМИ УДОСКОНАЛЕННЯ МЕХАНІЗМІВ ПУБЛІЧНОГО УПРАВЛІННЯ У СФЕРІ ЗОВНІШНЬОЕКОНОМІЧНОЇ БЕЗПЕКИ УКРАЇНИ В СУЧАСНИХ УМОВАХ

The article investigates current priority areas for improving public administration mechanisms in the field of foreign economic security. In particular, it is noted that public administration in the field of foreign economic security is a dynamic process that develops over time, space and depends on many factors. It is established that the main political and security trends of today indicate that global contradictions are exacerbated in the world, which together with the ineffectiveness of international security instruments does not allow to resolve existing and provokes new conflicts. The competition of large powers is intensifying, in particular for resources - human, natural, economic, etc. Stronger international players seek to improve their positions at the expense of weaker ones... The nature of international conflicts is changing, in which non-military instruments are playing an increasing role: political-diplomatic, economic, information-psychological, cybernetic. Mercenaries, paramilitary groups, private military companies, criminal and terrorist organizations, and religious sects are increasingly used. It is determined that in the Foreign Policy Strategy of Ukraine, Ukraine’s relations with five countries (USA, Great Britain, Canada, Germany and France) have a strategic priority. However, the range of strategic partners is not limited to this. According to the document, Ukraine's strategic partners are Poland, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Lithuania, Romania, China and Brazil. It is also about the global partnership with Japan and the importance of cooperation with India. In turn, it emphasizes the priority of developing relations with neighboring countries, in particular, bringing contacts with Moldova to a strategic level. It is proposed to introduce into the practice of public administration of national security of Ukraine a conceptual model of formation of mechanisms of public administration in the field of foreign economic security, as well as an integrated model of institutional matrix of public administration in the field of foreign economic security.

«Образ будущего» в политико-правовой и экономической мысли российского либерализма конца XIX – начала ХХ в.

The article examines the main characteristics of the image of the future formulated in the politico-legal thought of Russian liberalism of the late 19th – early 20th century as reference points for political and social design. Based on the results of the analysis, it is concluded that Russian liberal thought formed a general image of the future Russian society which presupposed the synthesis of a liberal worldview with historically established practices of public administration. The liberal model of reforming the country was viewed as the basis of the image of the future, and the primacy of peaceful reform of socio-political system was considered as the basic paradigm of social construction. This approach is valid for both politico-legal and socio-economic thought, although there is a certain specificity in relation to the latter, which is reflected in this article and can be found in the works of such thinkers of the time as I. Babst, I. Yanzhul, A. Butovskii, D. Mendeleev, S. Bulgakov, M. Tugan-Baranovskii, and others. Within the framework of the analysis, the following aspects of difference are considered: a significant difference in the perception of the place and interconnection of the economic system with society, which led to the appearance of the term “moral capital” in the works of Russian liberals and proof of the connection between morality and economic development; the perception of a person whose role was thought of as that of the creator of economy by Russian liberal economists in the context of the future of our country; adaptation of the European experience to the conditions of Russian reality, which forced the image of the ideal economy of the future of Russia to be adjusted taking into account national characteristics of the country; the presence in the works under analysis of a clear idea that it is possible to achieve a bright future only with a new stage of reforms “from above.” At the same time, the article emphasizes that despite the presence of the specific features under consideration, the general approach to the image of the future in the economic context fits perfectly into the mainstream liberal conception.

ПРІОРИТЕТНІ НАПРЯМИ УДОСКОНАЛЕННЯ МЕХАНІЗМІВ ПУБЛІЧНОГО УПРАВЛІННЯ У СФЕРІ ЗОВНІШНЬОЕКОНОМІЧНОЇ БЕЗПЕКИ УКРАЇНИ В СУЧАСНИХ УМОВАХ

The article investigates current priority areas for improving public administration mechanisms in the field of foreign economic security. In particular, it is noted that public administration in the field of foreign economic security is a dynamic process that develops over time, space and depends on many factors. It is established that the main political and security trends of today indicate that global contradictions are exacerbated in the world, which together with the ineffectiveness of international security instruments does not allow to resolve existing and provokes new conflicts. The competition of large powers is intensifying, in particular for resources - human, natural, economic, etc. Stronger international players seek to improve their positions at the expense of weaker ones... The nature of international conflicts is changing, in which non-military instruments are playing an increasing role: political-diplomatic, economic, information-psychological, cybernetic. Mercenaries, paramilitary groups, private military companies, criminal and terrorist organizations, and religious sects are increasingly used. It is determined that in the Foreign Policy Strategy of Ukraine, Ukraine’s relations with five countries (USA, Great Britain, Canada, Germany and France) have a strategic priority. However, the range of strategic partners is not limited to this. According to the document, Ukraine's strategic partners are Poland, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Lithuania, Romania, China and Brazil. It is also about the global partnership with Japan and the importance of cooperation with India. In turn, it emphasizes the priority of developing relations with neighboring countries, in particular, bringing contacts with Moldova to a strategic level. It is proposed to introduce into the practice of public administration of national security of Ukraine a conceptual model of formation of mechanisms of public administration in the field of foreign economic security, as well as an integrated model of institutional matrix of public administration in the field of foreign economic security.

РОЛЬ КЛИЕНТОЦЕНТРИЧНОСТИ И РЕПУТАЦИОННЫХ РЕСУРСОВ РЕГИОНА В ФУНКЦИОНИРОВАНИИ СОВРЕМЕННОЙ СИСТЕМЫ ПУБЛИЧНОГО УПРАВЛЕНИЯ

Intangible resources of regional development are of particular importance in the context of the crisis of the economy and management, as well as increasing the level of competition for resources between regions. A reputation resource as a set of characteristics that affect the positioning of an entity in the public sphere, on the basis of which counterparties can form an opinion about the expediency and risks of interacting with it, is closely related to citizen-centricity. The latter is one of the main factors forming a reputation. Together with other factors, citizen-centricity has a significant impact on the interaction of the state, citizens and business, which makes it necessary to consider the most effective practices in this area to improve the quality of public administration. The purpose of the study is to identify the main factors of the formation of a reputation resource, as well as the formation of recommendations for the introduction of a citizen-centric approach in public administration based on the study of foreign and domestic experience. For this purpose, the article examines scientific research by Russian and foreign authors on the formation and evaluation of reputational resources, compares regulatory legal acts and practices of leading countries on the implementation of public administration practices that meet the citizen-centric approach. The main factors forming a reputation are: citizen-centricity, public positioning and socio-economic conditions. Regarding the foreign experience of implementing a citizen-centric approach in public administration, it is concluded that there is a wide diversification of methods for implementing this approach. It is related to the profiling of citizens and the maintenance of a register of life situations, the design and reengineering of services, motivation and KPIs of civil servants. Russia has already established a regulatory framework for the development of a citizen-centric approach in public administration, there are pilot regions for the introduction of citizen-centricity in various services. However, there is a lack of framework requirements for the introduction of a citizen-centered approach in terms of motivation of civil servants and KPIs of their activities in Russian practice. This aspect leaves room for the introduction of best practices in the field of citizen-centricity and is an incentive for further research in this area.

Оценка социо-эколого-экономического благополучия регионов востока России с использованием расширенной функции А. Сена

The accelerated development of the Russian Far East is among the country’s national priorities. Since the ultimate goal is to increase the well-being of the population, it is important to create a healthy environment. The article presents the comprehensive assessment results of the welfare of the Eastern regions in the context of achieving the strategic goals of the state policy for the development of the Russian Far East. The research aims to assess the character of socio-economic development, as well as to obtain quantitative characteristics of socio-ecological and economic well-being of the Eastern regions using a multiplicative model based on Sen’s extended welfare function. It is hypothesised that environmental factors play an important role in the quality of life in the Eastern regions, meaning that the inclusion of the corresponding component in the multiplicative model will lead to a decrease in the assessment of their welfare. For some regions, the study identified such negative trends as the strengthening of the raw material orientation of economic development, a decrease in the share of manufacturing industries, continuing resource export. The inclusion of the environmental component into the multiplicative model significantly affected the assessment results: in most of the Eastern regions, environmentally adjusted characteristic of regional development was significantly lower than the indicator that does not consider this aspect. Moreover, some border regions showed the worst dynamics of the examined indicators. Advantages of the border situation and accelerated development mechanisms currently implemented in the Far East have not yet contributed to a noticeable increase in the welfare of these regions. The research results can be used in the public administration practice for developing strategic planning documents, socio-economic and environmental programmes, as well as for evaluating the effectiveness of implemented accelerated development mechanisms.

Процессная модель государственного управления региональными институтами инновационного развития

Introduction: the current stage of Russia’s development is characterized by the growing influence of science, innovation and technology. With the proper realization of the potential in this field, it is possible to create conditions for reducing the technological gap between Russia and developed countries. Based on the need to increase innovation activity in the Russian economy, the article analyzes approaches to the concept of regional innovative development institutions, discusses the problems of their functioning. Objectives: to present the process model of public administration of regional innovative development institutions. Methods: in line with the systematic approach, general scientific methods were used, as well as formal-logical, structural-functional, formal-legal, and comparative legal analysis. Results: a theoretical analysis of the public administration practices existing in Russian regions has been carried out, the process model of public administration of regional innovative development institutions has been presented. The model considers the coordination scheme between the regional innovation development institutions and federal and local government authorities, as well as the business community. Coordination interaction should be carried out by the regional government authority having respective powers in the field of science and innovation. Conclusions: the application of the developed model in a region can contribute to its socio-economic development, expand the innovative component of the economy, while promoting the existing regional strengths in innovations and science.

GOVERNMENT EXPENSES AND PROBLEMS OF EFFICIENCY OF THEIR USE

The state, with the help of financial resources, finances all spheres of economic life and thereby affects the interests of every inhabitant, every subject of economic activity. In connection with the curr ent crisis affecting all economic processes, attention to finance, in particular to public finances, is becoming heightened. A lot of scientific works, as well as publications, are devoted to research on this topic. For example, in the work of R. Musgrave and P. Musgrave [1], J. Stiglitz [2], it was proposed to use the method of cost -benefit analysis when making budget decisions; the issues of effective management of budget expenditures, the solution of the problems of the effectiveness of budget expenditur es in the Republic of Kazakhstan were considered by Z.D. Iskakova, A.B. Zeinelgabdin, K.K. Ilyasov, Zh.M. Elubaeva, N.R. Veselskaya, M.T. Kakimzhanov and others. The problems of public spending in the Republic of Kazakhstan are a huge layer in the doctrine and practice of public administration. And the decision here depends on how quickly the financial system develops, how resource management is linked to laws, how responsibly the authorities approach the planning of financial resources and their use. Hence, if we consider the concept of public spending as part of the concept of public finance, then we can say that public finance cannot be fully expressed and understood without its components: public revenues, public spending.

Indigeneous Public Administration: A Review and Deconstruction of the Idea, Concept, and Theory of Government and Governance

Indigenous Public Administration (IPA) has attracted researchers' attention and awareness of the importance of developing contextual theory and practice of public administration, especially in developing countries such as Indonesia. IPA emerges in many developing countries since the concept, theory and practice of Western Public Administration (WPA) have failed to respond to local issues, and therefore WPA practice is considered irrelevant. Basically, IPA is a constructed concept to fill a vacant space that unoccupied by Western Public Administration (WPA). This descriptive qualitative study aims to explain and criticize the theory and practice of IPA and WPA. The data were gathered from books, journals, institution reports, regulations and other relevant writings of organizations, professionals, and academicians. The technique of data analysis was based on a data analysis spiral. It reveals that IPA applies to countries such as Indonesia and China. In both countries, the practice of IPA helps to overcome public issues concerning social, economic, and political. It is expected that the findings of this study will pave the way for developing both concept and theory of IPA and responding to more complex society and government's demands and needs.

Implementation of innovations in the public administration system for the social sphere: reform of the deinstitutionalization process in Ukraine

The main purpose of the research is to identify problems of public administration in the context of achieving strategicgoals of the deinstitutionalization process for children’s social care in Ukraine to ultimately implement innovative changes inthe children’s social care. In terms of the theory and practice of public administration in Ukraine these issues remainunresolved and require further development and research. The article examines the reform of the national system ofinstitutional child care in the following logical sequence: analysis of the main stages of the reform of the deinstitutionalizationprocess for the children’s social care starting from the Ukraine’s independence; assessment of the results of the reform andthe level of its efficiency; identification of problems of public administration in the context of achieving the strategic goalsof the reform of the deinstitutionalization process for children’s social care in Ukraine; development of proposals for theadaptation of public administration system for the children’s social protection to comply with the European standards. Thearticle provides an analytical review of the implementation of the reform of deinstitutionalization process of child care andshowed the gap between the current model of child care deinstitutionalization in Ukraine with today's needs that requires aradical change in the priorities of public policy for the social care sphere. As the results of the research process the authorshave proposed the main directions for the implementation of innovations in the public administration system for the children’ssocial care, namely: introduction of multilevel governance; creation of a new network of social care institutions both in theterritorial dimension and in the functional direction; introduction of new tools for social investment. The achieved results mayserve as a basis for further research on modernization of public administration for the children’s social care.

PECULIARITIES OF APPLICATION OF PUBLIC AUTHORITY INSTRUMENTS FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF AGRICULTURAL POLICY OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA AT DIFFERENT STAGES

Topicality. The urgency of the problem of using the positive foreign experience of economic transformations and opportunities for its application in the domestic practice of reform and public administration based on the use of public authorities to implement the agricultural policy of the People's Republic of China is currently very important. Aim and tasks. The aim of the article is to develop theoretical and methodological provisions for the application of public authorities for the implementation of agricultural policy of the People's Republic of China at different stages of its development. Research results. In the Chinese economy, the agricultural sector continues to play a significant role, remaining the world's leading producer and exporter of agricultural products, although it owns only 10% of the world's arable land. China's agriculture was focused on meeting the country's domestic grain needs on its own, but in recent years they have been covered by imports. Thus, the reduction of land available for crops, made it more profitable to import crops such as wheat and rice, which allowed to save China's resources for growing more valuable products (fruits, nuts or vegetables). To support the country's independence in the field of cereals and maintain the quality of food, the Chinese government is stepping up policies aimed at cultivating more profitable crops. The main directions of modernization of the commodity economy with the purpose of revival of economic activity on transition of mainly traditional (consumer) agriculture to market (commodity) type are substantiated, where the main main direction of the accelerated development of agriculture became deep structural reorganization, refusal of monoculture of grain in agriculture and transition to diversification. farms. It is determined that in the differentiation of Chinese markets, their main common feature is the regulated nature. This is what ensured the stability of the reform movement, and the practice gave the economic process the appearance of permanent compromises in the formation of flexible economic policy. Conclusions. The agrarian policy of the state, largely due to an effective system of public administration, must ensure its food security, which is an important component of national security, which guarantees the political independence of the country, its economic integrity and stable social security. Agriculture plays a significant role in the country's economy, thanks to which the country occupies a leading position in the world in terms of agricultural production and exports. The structure of agricultural production is dominated by crop production, although the country's livestock industry has been actively developing in recent years, but has very low productivity. Increasing attention to the countryside implies a significant increase in investment in this sector, especially foreign ones. The reform of China has gone through five stages, each of which had its own specific purpose, timing, detailed testing by previous field experiments with a clear definition of future actions on the results of the positive results, which were mounted in the new programs. In the agrarian sphere, this manifested itself in the introduction of the family contract system in the agrarian sphere, the reform of the sphere of circulation, the introduction of various forms of trade, the development of hired labor, and so on. This allowed us to test new forms of market recovery and regulation, which a few years after the beginning of the reforms in the countryside were adopted in industry.

Информационные системы как правовой инструмент воздействия на общественные отношения: анализ российской и мировой практики

Introduction. The practice of public administration in the Russian Federation is largely based on the implementation and use of public information systems in all areas. Such information systems become a tool for influencing public relations, firstly, acting as a continuation of legal norms, secondly, replacing the actual norms of law in rare individual cases and, finally, acting as a means of certifying and qualifying legal facts. Theoretical analysis. Legal facts act as the most important links of the legal mechanism – both in legal regulation and in law enforcement. An integral part of the legal regulation mechanism is the system of fixing and certifying legal facts. Empirical analysis. State information systems ensure the maintenance of state registers intended for registration and storage of legal facts, and are also able to collect information in an automated mode and receive new information based on the processing of primary data. In the system of legal regulation, there is a tendency to endow such data with legal force, as a result of which they act as legal facts, and the activities for their qualification are delegated to the information system. The increasing complexity of information systems leads to the fact that the implementation of the rights and obligations of subjects becomes critically dependent on their correct work. Results. The author proposed to establish a number of legislative principles and restrictions, in particular, the principle of verification of conclusions obtained through the use of information systems by a person, in cases where such a conclusion has the force of a legal fact that affects the rights and obligations of a person.

Реалізація цілей сталого розвитку в процесі ревіталізації здеградованих міських територій

Проведено аналіз еволюції становлення концепції сталого розвитку в світі та її значення для розроблення політики ревіталізації міста. Встановлено, що, з погляду на сталий розвиток, ревіталізація стосується трансформації здеградованих міських територій одночасно у економічній (покращення ділової активності, створення нових робочих місць), соціальній (поліпшення рівня життя мешканців) та інфраструктурно-просторовій (збереження культурної спадщини, покращення природного середовища тощо) сферах. Обґрунтовано локальне спрямування глобальних 17 Цілей сталого розвитку, а також визначено основні завдання ревіталізації міста за кожною ціллю. Узагальнено 6 груп інструментів ревіталізації міста (інструменти планування, ринкові інструменти, фінансові інструменти, податкові інструменти, інструменти підтримки та інші правові інструменти), які необхідно застосовувати міськими органами публічного управління для забезпечення сталого розвитку території.

Модернізація публічно-управлінських підходів у соціальній сфері

Проаналізовано особливості і тенденції трансформаційних перетворень системи публічного управління у сфері соціального розвитку, вказано на вплив процесів децентралізації. Виокремлено актуальні проблемні аспекти функціонування соціальної сфери. Акцентовано увагу на концептуальних змінах у соціальних відносинах між органами влади і громадськістю, важливості дієвого міжсекторного партнерства у системі публічного управління соціальною сферою. Обґрунтувано ключові напрями модернізації публічно-управлінських підходів у соціальній сфері.

The creation of international collaborative governance discourse during the process of teaching vocabulary at the university

To improve the practice of public administration (PA) work at the time when collaboration governance principles and values have been especially needed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the new educational approach providing the creation of international collaborative governance PA discourse has become a very important task for public administrations of all the countries of the world because the common terms could help to make the communication of public servants and citizens more effective both in one and the same country and between different countries and regions. The literature concerning collaborative governance PA discourse creation has been thoroughly studied by the author. The experience of the creation of international collaborative governance PA discourse during ELT (English Language Teaching) and ESP (English for Specific Purposes) training of PA students at the Institute for Social Sciences (the ISS) of Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA) has been analyzed. The research methods included theoretical research, analytical research methods, methodology of empirical research, and methods of comparative research. The results of the analysis made it possible to conclude that in modern conditions of globalization and international communication in order to understand better the common values of citizens, to avoid discrepancies in vocabulary application and to improve mutual understanding of civil servants speaking different languages, the unification of the descriptive list of English terms concerning public administration activity is needed; the creation of international collaborative governance PA discourse during educational and training process of future public administrators should contribute to PA activity. The International PA Vocabulary as well as the process of writing new textbooks and teaching aids based on it and using new digital technologies and new methodology should be introduced into educational process.

How Many Es? What Must Public Administrators Consider in Providing for the Public Good?

Scholars and practitioners of public administration often discuss the core values of the field. Referred to as the pillars of public administration, economy, efficiency, effectiveness and equity have been raised as the 4 Es essential to the practice of public administration. In her 2011 article, “Balancing the 4Es: or Can We Achieve Equity for Social Equity in Public Administration?,” Norman-Major asks if social equity had been raised to the same status as economy, efficiency and effectiveness. This article re-examines that question along with the suggestion of the symposium editors that there should be a new set of Es: engagement, empathy, equity and ethics. The author concludes that all seven of the Es are important to consider in the practice of public administration.

State strategic management of innovative transformations: theoretical-conceptual and organizational aspect

The article discusses the main directions, forms, methods and tools of state strategic management of innovative transformations, which have not yet been developed in science in relation to innovative development. According to the author, the management resource, along with the "human" resource as an organizational and intellectual basis for the formation of an innovative digital economy, is becoming decisive in modern conditions. Therefore, the primary task of science is to reveal them, and the practice of public administration will learn to use them effectively. The approaches proposed by the author to the formation of the concept of state strategic management of a new quality, methods and forms of strategic management as the most important toolkit for ensuring effective innovative modernization can form the basis for the formation of a new management paradigm of innovative development.

Digitalization of public governance in the EAEU countries

Various aspects of digitalization of public administration in the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union are considered. It is noted that digitalization is spontaneous and comprehensive, and also affects almost all spheres of public relations, including the system of public administration. In this regard, there is a need to develop a joint interstate policy in the field of institutionalization of the processes of digitalization of society. Digitalization is defined as a set of digital transformation of the processes of economic entities and the creation of digital products and services, and not just as digitization - the transfer of data from analog form to digital. In turn, the definition of the term “public administration” can be formulated as a set of mechanisms, processes, relationships and institutions through which citizens of the state, their associations express their interests, exercise their rights and obligations and settle differences. The analysis of the practice of institutionalization of the processes of digitalization of public administration demonstrates the fact that the main regulatory norms and practices in this sphere are fixed within the framework of national target programs.This article analyses the program and target documents of all the member countries of the Eurasian Economic Union, affecting the digitalization regulation processes, the need to institutionalize the processes of digitalization of government and society, as well as the introduction of modern technologies in the practice of public administration. At the same time, the common element of all strategies, concepts and programs is only the digitalization of the process of providing public services, and the other parameters of the target documents are largely different. In this regard, it is required to form a unified model of digitalization of public administration of the Eurasian Economic Union on the basis of a unified strategy.

Information technology and public administration modernization in a developing country: Pursuing paperless clearance at Ghana customs

AbstractDespite significant information technology (IT) implementations in public administrations of developing countries to change their dysfunctional traditional practices towards modern forms, the outcomes are typically disappointing relative to the potential of IT for organizational change. With a case study of the customs clearance process when importing goods through Ghana's main port, the Tema Harbour, we explore why IT struggles to modernize traditional practices of public administration in a developing country context. We focus on explaining the persistence of paper use at Ghana customs despite more than a decade of digitalization and automation to establish paperless processes that eliminate malpractices of traditional clearance. We view modernization as a process of long‐term institutional change and therefore draw from the literature on IT and institutional change to focus our investigation on the dynamics of incongruent institutional logics of IT and public administration. We show that in the administration context of a developing country like Ghana, the endurance of patrimonial logics in the state and broader society, coupled with high levels of administrative discretion and ambivalent or weak compliance pressure limit the realization of IT for modernization and allows hybrid practices to emerge.