In the dissertation new scientific provisions have been developed, which together enable to solve the current scientific problem in the field of science 281 - public administration and management on the theoretical and practical justification of the directions to improve the mechanisms of state policy of combatants’ social protection in Ukraine.
The model of active policy of combatants’ social protection has been substantiated and its components have been defined (the goal, subjects of regulation, resources, directions of the major changes, principles, mechanisms, tools and forms of implementation, innovations and novelties in the system of social protection) ensuring the transition from paternalistic nature to creating conditions for readaptation and use of the potential of social person’s self-protection in order to increase the effectiveness of such a policy.
The paper improves the system of principles on which the combatants’ social protection policy should be based (publicity, equality, comprehensiveness, accessibility, targeting, legislative definition of conditions and procedure for implementing social protection, efficiency), which have been proposed to be supplemented with specific principles, taking into account the peculiarities of the studied area (balance of powers and social responsibility, publicity and openness, ensuring the continuity of government obligations in the event of personalities’ change, standardization and unification of management procedures, integrated use of society resource potential.
In the course of the study the mechanisms for implementing the state policy of combatants’ social protection in Ukraine have been improved: 1) institutional and legal - by developing the recommendations regarding legal standardization of powers and functions of the authorities who implement measures of combatants’ social protection; identification of the main institutions to implement social protection and their systematization in accordance with the levels providing state policy (local, regional, state); improvement of the state bodies coordination and ensuring the functioning of a strong administration vertical in the social protection system; development of a state strategy for social protection of war veterans, making appropriate changes to current legislation and regulating the issues of combatants’ life and health insurance, ensuring the implementation of the right to housing, the status of prisoners and hostages, the status of chaplains, charitable activities, venture funds, eliminating gender discrimination, etc. ; 2) social and economic - through the substantiation of measures to improve monitoring of the implementation of state programs and the use and allocation of budget funds to priority areas of combatants’ social protection; development of economic incentives, provision of tax benefits, lending from budgets and social funds to implement combatants’ social protection; development of social partnership; creation of a real financial base of the combatants’social protection system and expansion of the base of funding sources; 3) information and communication - by developing practical recommendations, the content of which concerns the deepening of cooperation between public authorities, local governments and civil society institutions on the principles of dialogue interaction; improving feedback with veteran organizations; improving the forms of involving citizens in the development and implementation of state policy of combatants’ social protection both at the level of the territorial community and at the state level; 4) adaptive and psychological - by substantiating the feasibility of introducing a three-tier system of psychological, medical and social assistance; activating trade union and volunteer movements, self-help groups, veteran communities, military chaplaincy; developing methods of overcoming social tensions and increasing the level of trust in government.
In the dissertation the following aspects have been further developed: the conceptual and categorical apparatus of science "public administration and management" through the introduction into scientific circulation of the concepts: "state policy of combatants’ social protection ", "system of combatants’ social protection "; systematization of current normative and legal acts.
Methodical recommendations on the use of social partnership instruments (social responsibility, social entrepreneurship, social dialogue) to solve social problems in the combatants’ social protection system have been proposed.
Theoretical generalizations on the introducing the best world practices of combatants’ social protection and anti-terrorist operations, namely: development of franchising activity among veterans, creation of venture funds, concessional lending in order to improve the national social protection system for war veterans and bring it closer to international standards have also received further development.
