Frolova G. Public management of municipal infrastructure development at the regional level

The dissertation is a completed research work that presents a solution to an urgent scientific task, involving the substantiation of a set of scientific provisions, approaches, tools and models of public administration of the development of municipal infrastructure (in water supply and sewerage) and the development of methodological and technological support for its sustainable functioning at the regional level. The research investigates the theoretical, regulatory and organisational foundations of p ublic administration of communal infrastructure development as part of housing and communal services. It is shown that in addition to the problems existing in the housing and communal sector before the war, a significant number of new problems have arisen, the emergence of which is directly related to the beginning of the full scale armed aggression of the russian federation (such problems primarily include the destruction of critical infrastructure and other major infrastructure facilities as a result of h ostilities, massive rocket and artillery attacks). These problems have a negative impact on the organisation of production, supply and consumption of electricity, drinking water, gas and heat, which in turn requires the reconstruction and stable operation of utility infrastructure facilities and relevant utilities as vital infrastructure, including the provision of public services throughout the country. The author analyses the conceptual and categorical apparatus of the research area, substantiates and differentiates the essence of the concepts of “urban infrastructure” and “communal infrastructure”. The paper provides the author's definition of the concept of “regional communal infrastructure” (a system-forming integrated component of the housing and communal services of a region, represented by a set of sectoral communal facilities and services located on its territory. They ensure the implementation of organisational and managerial functions and engineering and technical solutions to create conditions for maintaining a proper level of life support for the population and implementation of social, production and other processes in the region through the stable providing of quality communal services). The author generalises the principles of public administration of the communal infrastructure development at the regional level, which include, in particular, the cross-cutting and, at the same time, multisectoral nature of regional management of communal infrastructure; ensuring controllability and joint responsibility of public authorities in the territory for sustainable (resilient) development of the industry; introduction of innovative solutions and the latest technologies, taking into account their environmental safety and economic feasibility, etc. Approaches to improving public administration of the municipal infrastructure development at the regional level are studied on the example of the water supply and sewerage sector, which, according to the Law of Ukraine “On Critical Infrastructure”, is its critical component. The author analyses the current state and peculiarities of the State regulation in this sector, and thus identifies the principles of formation and implementation of the State policy in this area. They are the following: ensuring the stability of regional water supply and sewerage systems to external threats and challenges; promoting constructive interaction with the innovation-oriented technology business on the digitalisation of utilities' activities in controlling and preventing emergencies, etc.