CONCEPTUAL FUNDAMENTALS OF TRANSFORMATION OF THE PUBLIC MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION SYSTEM OF UKRAINE BASED ON THE PRINCIPLES OF GOOD GOVERNANCE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31673/2786-7412.2026.036205Keywords:
public governance, public administration, good governance, European integration, rinciples of good governance, institutional capacity, public service, digitalisation, strategic communications, participatory governance, public valueAbstract
The article provides a comprehensive study of the conceptual
foundations for transforming Ukraine's system of public governance and administration
in the context of European integration. It substantiates that the contemporary
transformation of public governance cannot be reduced to isolated reforms of individual
public authorities, improvements in administrative procedures, or the digitalisation of
public services. The necessity of adopting an integrated approach is demonstrated,
according to which transformation is understood as a systemic process involving changes
in the institutional, professional, technological, communicative, and strategic
foundations of the exercise of public authority. It is established that the European
principles of good governance should serve not only as external standards for assessing
the national system of public governance but also as a normative and value-based
foundation for shaping a modern model of governance in Ukraine.
The evolution of theoretical approaches to understanding public governance is
analysed, and the transition from the traditional model of public administration to the
contemporary paradigm of good governance is substantiated. It is established that the
modern European model of public governance is based on a combination of the principles
of the rule of law, human-centredness, professionalism, openness, accountability,
effectiveness, and citizen participation in public policymaking processes. It is emphasised
that the principles of good governance constitute an interconnected system of governance
values within which the effectiveness of public authority must be combined with
democratic legitimacy, legal guarantees, and public responsibility.
The main systemic determinants of the European-oriented transformation of
Ukraine's public governance and administration system are identified. The internal
dimension of governance transformation includes institutional capacity, the
professionalisation of the public service, and strategic coordination, whereas the external
dimension comprises digitalisation, strategic communications, and participatory
governance. It is substantiated that these components should be considered
interconnected governance capacities, since their isolated reform does not ensure the
formation of a coherent system of good governance.
The article proposes an original conceptual model of a European-oriented system
of public governance in Ukraine as an integrated ecosystem of governance capacities.
The architecture of the model consists of five interconnected dimensions: institutional,
professional and human-resource, digital, communicative and participatory, and
strategic and results-oriented. It is demonstrated that the defining feature of the proposed
model lies in the synergistic interaction of its components, whereby institutional reform,
the professionalisation of the public service, digital transformation, strategic
communications, and citizen participation function not as autonomous areas of reform
but as mutually reinforcing mechanisms for developing a modern system of good
governance.
It is determined that the effectiveness of the European-oriented transformation of
public governance should be assessed not only through formal indicators of reform
implementation but also through actual improvements in the institutional capacity of the state, the quality of public policy, the professionalism of the public service, the level of
digital maturity, the openness and accountability of public authorities, and the extent of
meaningful citizen participation in public decision-making processes. It is substantiated
that the integral criterion for assessing the effectiveness of the proposed model is the
capacity of the public governance system to create public value by ensuring the effective
exercise of human rights, meeting societal needs, and improving the quality of interaction
between the state and society.
REFERENCES
1. Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. (1996). Konstytutsiia Ukrainy [Constitution of Ukraine]
(Law of Ukraine No. 254k/96-VR, June 28, 1996). Retrieved August 31, 2026, from
https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/254%D0%BA/96-%D0%B2%D1%80#Text
2. Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. (2015). Pro derzhavnu sluzhbu [On civil service] (Law
of Ukraine No. 889-VIII, December 10, 2015). Retrieved August 31, 2026, from
https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/889-19#Text
3. Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. (2022). Pro administratyvnu protseduru [On
administrative procedure] (Law of Ukraine No. 2073-IX, February 17, 2022).
Retrieved August 31, 2026, from https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/2073-20#Text
4. Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. (2021). Deiaki pytannia reformuvannia derzhavnoho
upravlinnia Ukrainy [Some issues of public administration reform in Ukraine] (Order
No. 831-r, July 21, 2021). Retrieved August 31, 2026, from
https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/831-2021-%D1%80#Text
5. OECD. (2023). The principles of public administration. OECD Publishing. Retrieved
August 31, 2026, from https://www.sigmaweb.org/en/publications/the-principles-ofpublic-administration_7f5ec453-en.html
6. OECD. (2024). Public administration in Ukraine: Assessment against the principles
of public administration. OECD Publishing. Retrieved August 31, 2026, from
https://www.sigmaweb.org/en/publications/public-administration-inukraine_078d08d4-en.html
7. Council of Europe. (2023). Recommendation CM/Rec(2023)5 of the Committee of
Ministers to member States on the principles of good democratic governance.
Retrieved August 31, 2026, from https://rm.coe.int/0900001680abeb87
8. OECD. (2026). Public governance review of Ukraine. OECD Publishing. Retrieved
August 31, 2026, from https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/public-governancereview-of-ukraine_7810f059-en/full-report.html
9. European Commission. (2024). Ukraine report 2024. European Commission.
Retrieved August 31, 2026, from
https://enlargement.ec.europa.eu/document/download/1924a044-b30f-48a2-99c1-
50edeac14da1_en?filename=Ukraine+Report+2024.pdf