QUALITATIVE MODEL OF ASSESSING THE LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION MANAGERS IN THE CONDITIONS OF SOCIAL TRANSFORMATIONS

Abstract

Introduction. Current societal transformations linked to the processes of digitalization, decentralization, globalization, and crisis-related challenges underscore the need to improve the effectiveness of the public administration system. Under these conditions, the role of public sector leaders—who are capable of ensuring strategic management, adaptation to change, and the stable functioning of state institutions—becomes particularly important. The effectiveness of government agencies increasingly depends not only on the professional training of managers but also on the level of their leadership potential, which encompasses strategic, communicative, ethical, and innovative characteristics. At the same time, traditional approaches to evaluating managerial staff are predominantly focused on formalized quantitative indicators and do not sufficiently account for qualitative parameters of leadership effectiveness, which necessitates the development of modern qualitative models for assessing the leadership potential of public administration managers capable of providing a comprehensive analysis of their managerial competencies and behavioral characteristics. In this regard, research into the development of a qualitative model for assessing the leadership potential of public administration managers is relevant in both the theoretical and practical aspects of the development of the modern public administration system.

Purpose. The aim of this study is to provide a theoretical rationale for and develop a qualitative model for assessing the leadership potential of public administration managers in the context of societal transformations. This model is based on a comprehensive analysis of the professional, personal, communicative, ethical, and strategic characteristics of managers and is designed to improve the effectiveness of human resources processes and managerial activities in the field of public administration.

Materials and methods. The research materials include: 1) regulatory and legal frameworks in the areas of public administration, civil service, human resources policy, and professional development of managerial staff; 2) scholarly works by domestic and foreign authors devoted to the issues of leadership, assessment of leadership potential, managerial competencies, and the development of human resource potential in the public administration system; 3) contemporary concepts of managerial leadership, the competency-based approach, and strategic management in the context of societal transformations; 4) analytical and methodological materials on the assessment of the professional activities of public administration leaders.

The following scientific methods were used in the course of the research: theoretical generalization and systematization (to examine the essence of the concept of “leadership potential of a public administration manager,” generalize scientific approaches to its interpretation, and define the structural components of a qualitative assessment model); analysis and synthesis (to identify criteria and indicators for assessing leadership potential, as well as to form a comprehensive structure of the qualitative model); structural-functional modeling (to construct a model for assessing the leadership potential of public administration managers in the context of societal transformations); comparative analysis (to compare domestic and foreign approaches to assessing managerial leadership); competency-based and axiological approaches (to identify the professional, ethical, communicative, and strategic characteristics of public sector leaders); logical synthesis of results (to formulate the study’s conclusions).

Results. This article examines the theoretical and methodological foundations for developing a qualitative model for assessing the leadership potential of public administration managers in the context of contemporary social transformations. It has been established that traditional approaches to evaluating managerial personnel are predominantly focused on quantitative performance indicators and do not sufficiently account for qualitative characteristics of leadership, in particular value orientations, emotional competence, the ability to think strategically, innovation, communication, and crisis response. The author proposes an interpretation of the concept of “leadership potential of a public administration manager” as an integrated set of professional, personal, communicative, ethical, and strategic characteristics that ensure the manager’s ability to effectively perform managerial functions, make responsible decisions, ensure interaction with stakeholders, and initiate institutional changes. The study justifies the use of a qualitative approach to assessing leadership potential, which emphasizes qualitative parameters of professional activity and behavioral indicators of managerial effectiveness. Within the scope of the study, a structure of a qualitative assessment model has been developed, comprising the following interrelated components: value-motivational, professional-competency, communicative-interactive, innovative-adaptive, and strategic-managerial. It has been demonstrated that effective assessment of leadership potential in the context of societal transformations requires a combination of expert, behavioral, and reflective diagnostic methods. It has been determined that the proposed model can be used in the processes of recruitment, performance evaluation, professional development, and the formation of a talent pool within the public administration system.

Discussion. Future research should focus on the practical testing of a qualitative model for assessing the leadership potential of public administration managers within state and local government bodies, as well as on the development of methodological tools for its implementation in public service human resources processes. Another promising direction is the development of digital mechanisms for monitoring and assessing leadership competencies, adapted to the conditions of digitalization and societal transformations. This will provide an opportunity to improve the system for assessing managerial personnel, increase the effectiveness of human resources policy, and contribute to the development of a leadership-oriented model of public administration.