Organisational and Managerial Mechanism for the Provision of Social Services under Contemporary Conditions

Abstract

The article examines the organisational and managerial mechanism for the provision of social services in the context of the decentralisation of public administration and the transformation of Ukraine’s social protection system. The relevance of the study is driven by the need to enhance the effectiveness of local self-government bodies in ensuring the accessibility, quality, targeting, and continuity of social services, particularly under martial law, the growing number of vulnerable population groups, and the increased responsibility of territorial communities for implementing state social policy at the local level. The purpose of the study is to provide a theoretical substantiation of the essence, content, and structure of the organisational and managerial mechanism for the provision of social services in territorial communities, to identify its key components, and to develop practical directions for improving the functioning of the local social service delivery system. The methodological framework of the research is based on general scientific and special research methods, including the systems approach, structural-functional analysis, logical analysis, generalisation, and graphical modelling, which made it possible to comprehensively examine the management mechanism for the provision of social services. The study generalises scientific approaches to the interpretation of the concept of social services, systematises their functions, identifies the specific features of the social service delivery system in territorial communities, and substantiates the definition of the organisational and managerial mechanism for the provision of social services. A structural model of the mechanism has been developed, incorporating interconnected elements such as principles, objectives, subjects, objects, management functions, methods, levers, instruments, resource support, and expected performance outcomes. The content of each component of the mechanism is described, and the managerial roles of the main participants in the social service delivery process are identified. The study substantiates that the effectiveness of the organisational and managerial mechanism largely depends on adequate regulatory and legal, financial, human, informational, and organisational support, as well as on the level of coordination among the actors involved in the social protection system. Practical directions for improving the mechanism are proposed, including the development of strategic planning, optimisation of the organisational management structure, strengthening interagency cooperation, digitalisation of management processes, enhancement of staff professional competence, implementation of quality management systems, expansion of partnerships with the non-governmental sector, and improvement of financial management. It is concluded that the proposed organisational and managerial mechanism provides a comprehensive approach to managing the process of social service delivery in territorial communities, contributes to more efficient use of resources, improves the quality and accessibility of social support, strengthens the institutional capacity of local self-government bodies, and creates a foundation for the sustainable development of territorial communities and the implementation of the principles of social justice.