INFORMATIZATION OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION OF UKRAINE’S SOCIAL SPHERE: THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS AND PRACTICAL ASPECTS

Abstract

The article examines the theoretical foundations of the informatization of public administration in Ukraine’s social sphere and determines its impact on enhancing the effectiveness of the social protection system. The relevance of the topic is determined by digital transformation, Ukraine’s European integration course, and the challenges caused by the Russian-Ukrainian war, which intensify the need for prompt, transparent, and targeted provision of social services. It is substantiated that informatization should not be reduced merely to the technical and technological renewal of public authorities’ activities, but should be regarded as a complex institutional process.Particular attention is paid to the social sphere as one of the areas of public administration most sensitive to informatization, since it is within this sphere that the state’s basic social guarantees are implemented and support for vulnerable population groups is provided. The article reveals the significance of the Unified Information System of the Social Sphere, integrated registers, electronic document management, electronic accounts for service recipients, online services, and mechanisms of automated interdepartmental interaction for the formation of a service-oriented model of public administration. It is substantiated that the implementation of digital tools ensures the optimization of application processing times, strengthens the targeted nature of social support, reduces the bureaucratic burden, increases the transparency of resource allocation, and reinforces the accountability of public authorities. The article concludes that the informatization of public administration in the social sphere is a strategic factor in the modernization of Ukraine’s social policy. Its effectiveness depends on an appropriate regulatory and legal framework, the integration of information systems, the development of digital competences, and adherence to the principles of human-centredness and social justice.