LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT BODIES AS SUBJECTS OF PUBLIC POLICY IMPLEMENTATION IN THE REINTEGRATION OF RELEASED DEFENDERS OF UKRAINE
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Abstract
Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine has caused a rapid increase in the number of repatriated prisoners of war and civilians returning from forced isolation and requiring long-term reintegration. The purpose of this publication is to determine the role of local self-government bodies as subjects in the implementation of public policy on the reintegration of released defenders of Ukraine and to outline the managerial implications of decentralisation for organising post-isolation support under martial law and during post-war recovery. The empirical basis includes statistical data from state authorities and local self-government bodies, the results of sociological surveys, and an analysis of current regulatory and legal acts in the field of reintegration of veterans and persons released from captivity. Systemic, institutional, structural-functional, and comparativelegal approaches, as well as methods of analysis, synthesis, and generalisation, were applied. It is shown that a multi-level reintegration model is being formed in Ukraine, in which local self-government bodies perform an operational role as providers of public services and coordinators of intersectoral interaction (social, medical, psychological, legal, educational, and economic), ensuring the adaptation of national decisions to the local needs of communities. The managerial significance of by-laws institutionalising algorithms for restorative measures and post-isolation support is emphasised, while risks of regulatory fragmentation, staff shortages, and the absence of unified performance indicators are highlighted. The expediency of an integrated reintegration model combining community-based reintegration with targeted specialised interventions is substantiated, ensuring personalised support without reinforcing social segregation. The practical significance of the findings lies in identifying managerial priorities for strengthening community capacity, clarifying the powers of policy actors, and developing local programmes for the reintegration of released defenders.
How to Cite
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public administration, state policy, decentralisation, strategic planning, repatriated prisoners of war, healthcare sector, veterans, legal regulation, territorial communities, post-isolation support
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