The thesis is devoted to the development of theoretical foundations, the justification of conceptual provisions and priority directions for the formation of moral and ethical foundations of public service in Ukraine. To achieve the goal of the study, theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of the moral and ethical foundations of public service were analyzed and a conceptual and categorial apparatus of research was also formed. The role of the ethical infrastructure in the process of forming the moral and ethical foundations of public service was defined and its main elements were described. The current state of interiorization of the moral and ethical foundations of public service at the level of a public official personality, on the basis of author's sociological research, in particular, has been investigated. The structure of moral and ethical competencies of a public official has been determined and methodological tools for assessing the level of their formation have been accomplished. The algorithm for the formation of moral and ethical foundations of public service through the stages of management cycle was substantiated. A conceptual model for the formation of the moral and ethical foundations of public service has been developed and priority directions for its implementation in Ukraine have been determined.
The structure of moral and ethical competencies of a public employee which consists of knowledge, abilities, skills, qualities, values of a public employee has been defined. It has been suggested to distinguish the basic moral and ethical competencies that a public official must have when entering public service and the moral and ethical competencies enshrined in professional activities of a public person.
A methodological tool for assessing the level of the formation of moral and ethical competencies has been developed, which allows us to build a successful plan for self-development of a public official. Structurally, evaluation tools include three groups of tests: psychological tests (determine the content side of the orientation of a public person, his or her value orientations, dominant behavior features, intellectual abilities, etc.); sociological ones (diagnose the level of moral and psychological climate in the team, establish the structure of interpersonal relations and intergroup relations in the body of power, determine the moral and psychological state of each public employee) and professional tests (evaluate the level of professionally important knowledge necessary to ensure the mission, values, principles, norms and standards of public service).
The algorithm for the formation of moral and ethical foundations of public service through the stages of management cycle was substantiated, namely through the implementation of such management functions as: planning (the development of the Concept for the formation of moral and ethical foundations of public service and a set of events for its realization); organization and coordination (creation of "strong" organizational culture; streamlining of activities according to official instructions, agreements, legislation; establishing and functioning of coordinating bodies; organization of continuing vocational and ethical education and self-education); motivation (application of moral and psychological methods of motivation; providing public employees with a decent level of payment, which will depend on the results of their work; increasing the participation of subordinates in management, encouraging creative initiatives); monitoring and evaluating (internal and external monitoring of ethical principles, norms, standards of conduct; using tools to assess the level of formation of moral and ethical competencies of a public personality).
A conceptual model for the formation of the moral and ethical foundations of public service of Ukraine has been developed, its applied content is realized on the basis of complex interaction of the basic ethic foundations of public service, namely, on the basis of mission, values, principles, norms and standards of conduct of a public official, which are ensured through their support mechanisms (ethical infrastructure) and are decisive in the process of implementing the algorithm for the formation of moral and ethical foundations of public service throughout the management cycle.
