Improving administrative decision-making processes in Ukraine by ensuring their publicity under martial law

Problem statement. The requirement to make timely and correct administrative decisions is  relevant for public management at any level, in all countries  and in all historical periods. Therefore, many managers wonder how to develop a mechanism for making such a decision. There are conditions in which the administrative decision-making process acquires additional complications.

In the conditions of martial law, the improvement of such a process acquires certain specific features. It is affected mainly by the safety and value components of social life, as well as the change in the algorithms of interaction between society and authorities in the specific conditions of war. An additional factor that provokes the need to revise the administrative decision-making process in Ukraine is the implementation of systemic reforms in the context of fulfilling the requirements for our country’s accession to the EU and NATO.

Therefore, improving the administrative decision-making process in Ukraine, ensuring their publicity, is becoming particularly acute.

Presentation of basic material. The article analyses the administrative decision- making process under martial law in Ukraine through the principle of publicity, specific requirements for the publicity of information management and administration via the prism of security requirements, and interaction with the Armed Forces.

It substantiates that the publicity principle ensuring the formation and implementation of administrative decisions at management levels is a European integration requirement. Based on the analysis of normative and legal instruments it establishes that organisational, institutional, and legal requirements for the authorities’ activity provide for and oblige them to follow the publicity principle while adopting administrative decisions under martial law. Possible restrictions on public information disclosure are analysed and defined. It is revealed that restrictions relate to the issues of defence means and forces of Ukraine, but not to the processes of making administrative decisions, the public information holder is responsible for the information content in the decision-making process, and it is stipulated by the legislation.

It is shown that the administrative decision-making process improvement in Ukraine by ensuring its publicity under martial law is achievable through several strategies (digitalisation, financing control, electronic reporting development, revision and improvement of crisis communication algorithms between the population and authorities, civil society institutions development, in particular, motivation of people to participate in making managerial decisions, enhancing officials’ skills in communicating with the population based on the publicity and compliance balance with the requirements of the martial law on access to information, etc.).

Conclusions and suggestions. A conclusion is made that Ukraine is developing during wartime in line with European managerial approaches, among which is publicity in making managerial decisions by the authorities. Among the promising directions of research, we see the issue of cooperation with international organizations and partners to strengthen efforts to ensure publicity during the administrative decision-making process at various levels; exchange of publicity practices with democratic countries that have experience in decision-making during military conflicts.