TOOLS FOR IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF PUBLIC SERVICES IN THE CONTEXT OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC PLANNING OF TERRITORIAL DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

Introduction. Improving the quality of public services is increasingly linked not only to administrative procedure but also to the quality of strategic and operational planning for territorial development, as well as to the ability of public authorities to work with forecast scenarios, risks, resource constraints, and residents’ expectations. Under conditions of war, uneven territorial development, migration shifts, and fiscal instability, special importance is attached to tools that combine service quality standards with the socio-economic priorities of a territory.

Purpose. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the tools for improving the quality of public services in the context of socio-economic planning of territorial development and to determine the role of planning and forecasting mechanisms in shaping an effective service policy.

Materials and methods. The study applies systemic, structural-functional, comparative, legal, and analytical approaches. The empirical base includes Ukrainian legislation, OECD and SIGMA analytical materials, and recent scholarly publications on public service quality, territorial development, evaluation, and forecasting.

Results. It is proved that the quality of public services at the territorial level depends on the coherence of strategic goals, the network of service providers, digital services, budget decisions, and monitoring arrangements. An instrumental framework is proposed, including population needs mapping, segmentation of service recipients, demand forecasting, process standardisation, the use of indicators of accessibility, timeliness, effectiveness, and satisfaction, digital feedback channels, and scenario planning for territories with different demographic and fiscal trajectories. The article argues that planning and forecasting should move from the formal preparation of documents to a mode of continuous renewal of management decisions based on data.

Prospects. Further research should focus on models for integrating registry data, public service quality indicators, and territorial forecasts into a unified digital decision-making environment.