Features of Public Governance in the Era of Digital Development

Abstract

Introduction. Public governance goes through the era of fundamental technological transformations, which results in restructuring the entire administrative system – from external channels of communication with citizens to internal decisionmaking processes. Digitalization is no longer just a technical supplement: today it is a system-forming factor that determines the architecture of the state apparatus, the logics of administrative procedures and the criteria for assessing the activities of the state power authorities. The relevance of the topic is induced by the changes in the management paradigm, increased expectations of citizens for the quality of public services and the emergence of new legal and ethical problems. The aim of the article is to identify the features of public governance in the context of digitalization and determine directions for its improvement. Materials and Methods. The scientific publications regarding digitalization of public governance within the Russian Federation regulatory framework, international practices in building “digital government”, and key theoretical models have been analysed. The study was conducted using system analysis, dogmatic legal and comparative legal methods. The methodological toolkit included the e-government, platform state, and data-centric governance concepts. Results. It has been ascertained that digital transformation of public governance is not limited to the automation of existing procedures, but implies reengineering of management processes proper. The essential attributes of public governance in the digital era have been identified: data-centricity, platform-based approach, proactivity, and algorithmization. Six features of modern public governance, distinguishing its quality from the previous models, have been systematised, and some of the associated risks have been determined. Discussion and Conclusion. The results of the study can serve a basis for improving public governance mechanisms in the digital environment. The need to harmonize the technological efficiency with the fundamental principles of a lawgoverned state such as legality, equality, accountability, and respect for human dignity has been substantiated. Due to such harmonization, digitalization will transform from a technical task into a tangible tool of improving quality of citizens’ life and enhancing their trust in power authorities.