FOREIGN EXPERIENCE IN BUILDING REGIONAL RESILIENCE MECHANISMS AND THE POSSIBILITY OF THEIR APPLICATION IN UKRAINE

Abstract

Introduction. The article examines foreign approaches to the formation of mechanisms for regional sustainability, in particular participatory management based on the model of consortia in the United States, structural planning based on the German Strukturwandel model, and Japanese technologies for digital crisis management.

It is reasonable that within the framework of foreign scientific tradition, the region is viewed as a complex socio-economic and communicative system capable not only of recovering from crises and threats, but also of transforming itself, generating new trajectories of development.

The theoretical basis of the study was the concept of ecological sustainability by K.S. Holling, the interpretation of regional sustainability by R. Martin and P. Sanli based on this concept, and approaches to defining institutional and personnel mechanisms for ensuring regional sustainability by G. Bristow and A. Healy, A. Boyne, and M. Lodge.

The author proposes a definition of regional sustainability mechanisms as an integrated set of institutional, organizational, financial, regulatory, social, and communicative tools and processes that enable a region to maintain its functional integrity, adapt to crisis challenges, transform without losing its identity, and recover through the coordination of actions by public authorities and the community.             

Based on an analysis of international practices, it is argued that ensuring sustainability mechanisms at the regional level in the Ukrainian context objectively requires the formation of a comprehensive mechanism, an integral part of which must be a communication mechanism.

The conclusions formulated can serve as a methodological basis for integrating the communication mechanism into the strategic planning system, in particular through the creation of regional dialogue platforms, the development of new and improvement of existing digital tools for open information with the aim of strengthening interaction between public authorities and the public. This will contribute to increasing institutional trust, consolidating social capital, and forming an adaptive model of regional development in Ukraine in conditions of uncertainty.

Purpose. The purpose of this study is to conduct a comprehensive analysis and scientific synthesis of international experience in developing mechanisms for regional resilience, to identify their institutional, organizational, and communicative components, and to assess the feasibility of adapting the most effective practices to the conditions under which Ukrainian regions operate in an uncertain environment.

Materials and methods. The methodological foundation of this study is an interdisciplinary approach to analyzing the mechanisms of regional sustainability, which combines principles from public administration theory, regional economics, systems theory, and sustainability concepts.

The theoretical foundation consists of scientific works by domestic and foreign researchers, particularly in the areas of institutional support for sustainability, decentralization, crisis management, and communicative interaction.

The empirical basis of the study is formed by materials from international analytical reports, regulatory and legal documents, as well as practices in implementing policies to ensure regional sustainability in the United States, Germany, and Japan. Open data from international organizations, official resources of public authorities, and the results of contemporary scientific research on the issue of regional sustainability in crisis conditions were utilized.

A range of general scientific and specialized methods was applied in the research process. In particular, the method of theoretical generalization was used to systematize scientific approaches to understanding the essence of regional resilience mechanisms; the comparative method — to analyze the characteristics of the formation of such mechanisms in foreign countries; the systemic method — to consider the region as an integrated socio-economic and communicative system; the structural-functional method — to identify the components of resilience mechanisms and their role in ensuring the region’s adaptability; and the institutional approach — to examine the role of public authorities in fostering resilience.

In addition, analytical and synthetic methods were employed to assess the feasibility of adapting international experience to the Ukrainian context, and elements of a predictive approach were used to determine the prospects for implementing a comprehensive mechanism for regional resilience, taking into account current security challenges.

Results. The research article establishes that international approaches to developing mechanisms for regional resilience are based on a comprehensive combination of institutional, organizational, technological, and communicative components that ensure regions’ ability to adapt to crisis challenges and maintain functional integrity.

It was found that the American model focuses on decentralized interaction among actors through networked forms of cooperation and digital tools; the European model (using Germany as an example) focuses on strategic planning, structural transformation, and social dialogue; the Japanese model focuses on the digitalization of governance and the implementation of innovative risk response technologies.

It is argued that a common characteristic of these approaches is the decisive role of a communication mechanism that ensures the coordination of actions between public authorities and the public.

The article demonstrates the feasibility of establishing a comprehensive regional resilience mechanism in Ukraine that integrates international practices while accounting for national characteristics, where the communication component serves as a key element in ensuring effective governance under conditions of uncertainty.

Discussion. Prospects for further research lie in deepening the theoretical and methodological foundations for developing mechanisms of regional resilience, particularly with regard to the creation of tools for their quantitative assessment and modeling. It is important to establish comprehensive indicators of regional resilience and to test relevant methodologies using specific regions of Ukraine as case studies.

Further research is needed on the role of the communication mechanism as a system-forming element in ensuring resilience, particularly in the context of the digitalization of public administration and intensifying security challenges.

Another promising area is the analysis of the effectiveness of implementing foreign practices into the domestic public administration system, taking into account the specific conditions of martial law and Ukraine’s post-war recovery.