Stage analysis of dynamics of public organizations in the context of interaction of the state and civil society

Problem setting. The current development of Ukraine as a state, which constantly announces its path as irreversibly democratic, makes for more effective cooperation between state authorities and civil society institutions in all spheres of social and political life. It is important to identify positive and negative phenomena in the development of civil society institutions, in particular civil society organizations, at each stage of their development during the years of Ukraine's independence, focusing the problem in three dimensions – the position of the authorities, the legislative framework, and the motivation of the “third sector”.

Recent research and publications analysis. Among the most recent publications useful in our material, it is worth highlighting the work of M. Nazaruk “Istorychni aspekty stanovlennia instytutu hromadskyh objednan”, in which we find a peculiar approach to the division into periods of public organizations development in an independent Ukraine, and I. Kondratenko's material on the role of public organizations in the socio-political life of Ukraine and the growth of demand for civil society institutes.

Much attention deserves N. Gaeva's works on a detailed analysis of the latest version of the Law of Ukraine “Pro hromadski objednannia”, S. Ishchuk, “Kontseptualni zasady realizatsii prava na svobodu objednan v Ukraini” on the target regional programs for the development of civil society and K. Levchuk “Hromadski orhanizatsii Ukrainy: stvorennia ta diialnist (1985 – 1996)”.

Highlighting previously unsettled parts of the general problem. In the context of our research, our attention was paid to following tasks: the analysis of the dynamics of public organizations development during the years of Ukraine's independence and their stages; the outlining of specific features and problems of interaction between public authorities and civil society institutions; the specification of regional public organizations and the skillful use of their experience for the prospects of civil society development.

Paper main body. We offer our own stage of development of public organizations in independent Ukraine. In the logic of the criteria for the selection of such a classification, we put a chronicle of socio-political development of Ukraine, quantitative, qualitative and meaningful components of the work of public organizations, the evolution of the legislative foundations of their activities, the specifics of relations between state authorities and associations of citizens. Fixing positive and negative manifestations at each stage of the development of civic organizations in Ukraine, in our opinion, will have an important cognitive and applied effect for understanding the place and role of civil society, the mechanisms of the “third sector” in the dynamics of the development of democracy in general. Taking into account these components, we propose to consider the organizational and meaningful development of public organizations in Ukraine during the years of its independence in the following five stages: 1987 – 1990: spontaneous and organizational; 1990 – 1998: basic norm-making; 1999 – 2005: mass mobilization; 2006 – 2012: integration-institutional; 2013 – for the present: active volunteerism.

We will try to substantiate the boundaries of the stages of development of public organizations in independent Ukraine and their meaningful content, noting that the problem of their phased evolution should be investigated through a three-dimensional analysis of effectiveness – the position of state authorities to the essence of civil society, the constant application of the legislative framework and the motivation spectrum of the possibilities of the “third sector”. We believe that due to the unity of these components, we can achieve effective results in the process of democratization of public management and administration, as well as in the sustainable development of civil society.

Analysis of the dynamics of the development of public organizations during the years of Ukraine's independence shows, in our opinion, two main points. Firstly, the formation of civil society was perceived by citizens as a direct manifestation of the democratization of social relations and the possibility of direct pressure on the government to make important socio-political decisions. Secondly, the correction of the target activity of public organizations in the direction of realization of their key essence, namely, the “spirit of volunteering”, takes place quite slowly and situationally. The greatest manifestation of their activity is the crisis of social and political events (the period of the struggle for Ukraine's independence, the Orange Revolution, the Revolution of Dignity, the conduct of the Anti-Terroristic Operation).

Conclusions of the research and prospects for further studies. An analysis of the dynamics of the development of public organizations during the years of Ukraine's independence shows, in our opinion, two main points. Firstly, the formation of civil society was perceived by citizens as a direct manifestation of the democratization of social relations and the possibility of direct pressure on the government to make important socio-political decisions. This can be explained by the chaos of the creation of various public organizations, their association in more integrated, mass popular structures. Secondly, the correction of the target activity of public organizations in the direction of realization of their key essence, namely, “the spirit of volunteering”, takes place quite slowly and situationally. The greatest manifestation of their activity is the crisis social and political events (the period of the struggle for Ukraine's independence, the Orange Revolution, the Revolution of Dignity, the conduct of Anti-Terroristic Organization).