WAYS TO EXCELERATE THE FUNCTIONING OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION IN CONDITIONS OF WAR
Authors:   Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine, NAZARYAN Armen 
Published: November 2024

Background . War is one of the most serious challenges for any state. It significantly changes the conditions for the functioning of the state apparatus and requires it to quickly adapt to new realities. National security, defense, humanitarian aid, and infrastructure restoration come to the fore. This leads to a redistribution of budgetary funds and a change in the focus of government agencies. War creates an additional burden on government agencies related to resource mobilization, coordination of various agencies, ensuring public safety, etc. In emergency situations, there is often an increase in the centralization of power, which may be accompanied by restrictions on the rights and freedoms of citizens. This creates additional opportunities for corruption related to the distribution of humanitarian aid, procurement for the army and infrastructure restoration, leads to the depletion of resources, both material and human, and complicates planning and decision-making. Methods . To obtain the scientific results, the method of system analysis was used, which allowed us to consider public administration as a complex system consisting of interconnected elements (government, civil society, business, etc.), to analyze the interaction of these elements and to identify bottlenecks in the management system. The retrospective analysis was applied to study the evolution of public administration in Ukraine, in particular, in the context of previous crises. This allowed us to identify patterns of public administration development and predict possible scenarios in the future. Functional analysis allowed us to analyze individual functions of public administration (policy making, resource management, service delivery), identify problems and shortcomings in the performance of specific functions. Results . The full-scale war has become not only a challenge for national security, but also a powerful incentive for reforms in the public administration system. It has accelerated the processes of decentralization, digital transformation, and the role of civil society. Decentralization has proved to be an effective tool for ensuring the state's resilience in times of crisis. Communities have demonstrated the ability to respond quickly to the needs of the population and provide the necessary services. The war also emphasized the need to invest in human capital development. Upskilling civil servants, adapting educational programs, and developing the skills necessary to work in a crisis are priority tasks. The introduction of e-services has made it possible to ensure the continuity of administrative services, increase their accessibility, and simplify the interaction of citizens with government agencies. Ensuring social stability and providing assistance to war victims is one of the key tasks of the state. The role of social workers in overcoming the consequences of the armed conflict is irreplaceable. Despite the results achieved, the public administration system in Ukraine still faces a number of challenges, such as corruption, bureaucracy, insufficient funding, and lack of public trust in state institutions. Therefore, to further develop the public administration system, it is necessary to: continue the decentralization reform, intensify the fight against corruption, improve the level of professional training of civil servants, develop e-governance, ensure social protection of the population, and engage civil society in the decision-making process. Conclusions . Effective governance in a time of war requires prompt decision-making, optimal resource allocation, and ensuring the stability of state institutions. To achieve this, it is necessary to decentralize power, introduce digital technologies, engage civil society, improve the skills of civil servants, and fight corruption. The transfer of powers to the local level allows for a faster response to local needs, the involvement of citizens in the decision-making process increases the legitimacy of the government and the effectiveness of governance, and the introduction of digital technologies allows for greater transparency, efficiency, and accessibility of public services. In addition, providing civil servants with the necessary knowledge and skills increases their efficiency.