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The article was published in Polish in "Studia Regionalne i Lokalne", 2/2009

The reforms driven by New Public Management (NPM) led to the introduction of management principles in local governments, marketisation and outsourcing. They made the greatest impact in the United Kingdom, but were also put in place in other European countries such as Ireland, Sweden, Germany, and – to the least degree – in France (compared to other countries discussed in this paper). There is a risk that NPM-inspired reforms may come to lose sight of the underlying social purpose of public services. NPM has not however become a new, universal model for public sector management. Issues tackled in the debate concerning the reform of public services have moved (mostly in the UK) beyond the concerns of NPM towards the emerging concept of networked community governance.

Artykuł poświęcony jest idei koprodukcji rozumianej jako świadomy i celowy współudział obywateli w organizacji i świadczeniu usług publicznych. Zagadnienie to przedstawiono w kontekście procesu globalnego starzenia się jako zjawiska, które skutkuje koniecznością podejmowania działań służących zabezpieczeniu potrzeb rosnącej populacji osób starszych. Podstawę empirycznej części rozważań stanowiło badanie zrealizowane pod egidą jednej z agend Światowej Organizacji Zdrowia (WHO) – Centrum Rozwoju Zdrowia w Kobe. Obejmowało ono analizę studiów przypadków inicjatyw kierowanych do seniorów w lokalnych środowiskach dziesięciu wybranych krajów rozwijających się (Chile, Chiny, Iran, Liban, Rosja, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Tajlandia, Ukraina, Wietnam). Kluczowe kryterium wyboru analizowanych projektów stanowiło bezpośrednie zaangażowanie w ich realizację instytucjonalnych i pozainstytucjonalnych przedstawicieli społeczności lokalnych. Autor jako uczestnik (badacz) tego międzynarodowego przedsięwzięcia podjął próbę analizy możliwych do zaobserwowania przejawów senioralnej koprodukcji charakteryzujących poszczególne inicjatywy.

The article was published in Polish in "Studia Regionalne i Lokalne", 2/2006

The title of the article may suggest that it presents issues important to the global economy, and not to a district, city, region or university. This is not the case, however, because the process of globalisation of production, services, investments, finance, the labour market and knowledge will continue over the coming years, irrespective of the scale of national protectionism. Therefore, the effects of globalisation will be experienced by everybody: countries, regions, local communities and individuals. If we want to achieve success, both as a country and as individuals, we have to be well prepared for globalisation.

Inter-municipal cooperation is a specific phenomenon in local public administration across the world. It is a concept that has been applied globally, particularly in countries with more fragmented local government. Often its implementation helps to solve problems or challenges associated with the existence of fragmented public administration in the delivery of public services. From the existing investigations dedicated to this specific issue carried out in the Czech Republic, it appears that this model of local public administration is very often mentioned in this country; however, its real use in the territory by public administration even after a long period of its existence in this country still has a great potential for development and use even in comparison with how it is abroad. The aim of this article is to identify and characterise the motivation and willingness of municipalities in the country to cooperate in order to meet the current conditions.

The article was published in Polish in "Studia Regionalne i Lokalne", 3/2009

The article provides a comparison of the dynamic increase in the number of enterprises relative to the working-age population in the private sector in the years 2001–2004 (the immediate pre-accession period) and 2004–2007 (the immediate post-accession period). The study was conducted with regard to the main sectors of economic activity (agriculture, industry, lower-order services and higher-order services), as well as the functional diversity of municipalities, or gminas (urban and suburban categories, transportation corridors, tourism, etc., for a total of 16 categories). The study indicates a decline, inertia, spatial polarisation and tessellated spatial structure of the development dynamic of private enterprises.

The military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, which started in 2014 and came to another active phase in February 2022, may change Ukraine’s foreign trade in terms of both its geography and product structure. The regions of Ukraine will not only have to recover from the consequences of destruction, but also to seek new directions of foreign economic activity and build connections with reliable partners such as the European Union and the United States. The paper presents an analysis of changes in the foreign trade of Ukraine and its regions since 2014 and examines shifts in trade flows in the direction of Western leaders of global trade. The case of Georgia, another target of Russian military intervention, in the reorientation of its trade flows, is also considered.

It has been substantiated that the increase in the concentration of heavy metals in the environment has especially aggravated in the conditions of military operations on the territory of Ukraine. The use of woody plants for the purposes of phytoremediation is one of the most effective options for optimising the state of the environment in urban ecosystems, regardless of the nature and source of contamination by metallic elements, which is of significant relevance in the conditions of post-war environmental restoration of Ukraine. The purpose of the study is to explore the peculiarities of some heavy metals accumulation by the assimilation apparatuses of the black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) plants growing in the recreational areas of the city of Dnipro in order to further optimise tree plantings with the aim of improving the environment. The content of heavy metal elements (Cu, Zn, Pb, and Cd) in the biomass of the Robinia pseudoacacia L. leaves and in the soils of Dnipro recreation areas has been determined. The intensity of the accumulation of heavy metals in the phytomass of the Robinia pseudoacacia L. represents the following sequence Zn > Cu > Pb > Cd, which demonstrates a more intense absorption and accumulation in the phytomass of the leafy fraction of Zn and Cu in the phytomass of the deciduous fraction, and less significant of Pb and Cd. With the help of geo-information systems, cartographic material has been developed. It demonstrates the concentration gradient of Pb, Cu, Cd, and Zn in the assimilation organs of the black locust plants in the city of Dnipro recreational areas. Based on the cartographic analysis, it has been proved that the general condition of the soils in the recreation areas of Dnipro is characterised by significant disproportions in the level of pollution. The maps show the existing potential of the accumulative capacity of Robinia pseudoacacia L. to deposit Pb, Cu, Cd, and Zn, which allows for additional city functional zoning by considering phytoremediation functions of the existing and planned green spaces.

Human resource management (HRM) studies have been continuously developed to serve as a reference for enhancing the quality of public services. This includes the case in local government where it is important to have highly competent resources, because civil service personnel are the door that deals directly with local communities. Using bibliometrics and analysing previous research coherently, this study focuses on identifying the development of HRM discussions on local governance at the global level, both in developed and developing countries. As a result, although in general, the topics raised included managerial and personnel issues. There are certain issues raised by developed countries, such as innovation to contemporary social issues. Meanwhile, in developing countries discussed challenges faced by local governments in managing their resources. This study contributes to the development of HRM concern-mapping in local government globally and can be used as a reference for increasing the capacity of human resource management in local government.

The research analyses a range of analytical materials of Ukrainian and international experts in business, economy, finance, etc., and the data of sociological surveys of the representatives of Ukrainian businesses regarding the entrepreneurship development trends in Ukraine in conditions of martial law. The analysis of these resources has revealed a substantial negative impact of the war on the export of goods and services from Ukraine, the falling sales volumes, the reducing staff of enterprises, problems with labour remuneration, and the preservation of panic in the business environment. However, there is a substantial risk that the hostilities do not end in the short run. Therefore, the authors analyse the opportunities for the creation of a specific business environment in Ukraine under martial law with the view to develop a policy directed at securing economic resilience as well as the maintenance of the country’s economic capacity. The risks and threats of doing business in Ukraine in the context of adopted amendments to legislation in conditions of war are examined. The priority steps for the elimination of possible threats of falling business activity are outlined.

The main tasks of the study were to analyse and assess the state of infrastructure near tourist facilities based on the results of a survey, as well as identify problems and prospects of infrastructure development. Information was collected regarding the time spent in the settlements of the Ivano-Frankivsk and Transcarpathian regions when visiting tourist facilities, how to get there, which food and accommodation establishments to choose, how much one is willing to spend, additional services, leisure facilities, etc. Most of the tourists rated the recreational infrastructure as “excellent” and “good”. The respondents expressed several wishes: the improvement of the infrastructure, the beautification of the territory, information support, increase in the number and quality of public restrooms, and the revitalisation of cultural and entertainment events.

This paper examines the role of educational support in social entrepreneurship development in Poland and Ukraine based on comparative case studies and a computer-assisted web interviewing method. The research investigates cross-country and cross-institutional differences in education concerning social entrepreneurship. The paper considers the different levels of social entrepreneurship education in primary and secondary school, university, and non-formal education. It is established that students at all levels of education should have an entrepreneurial mindset, which is a prerequisite for sustainable development. The key directions for developing education regarding social entrepreneurship in Ukraine are identified.

The accident at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant was one of the largest in human history. It is often referred to as a global event because its effects were felt not only by Ukrainians but also by the populations of Belarus, Russia, Central Europe, the Balkans and the Scandinavian Peninsula. 2022 marked the 36th anniversary of this terrible occurrence, when the history of Ukraine in the late twentieth century was divided into two parts: before the tragedy of 26 April 1986, and after it.
Today, it is important for Ukrainian society not only to recognise the significance of the catastrophe and remember its victims but also to find ways to overcome its grave consequences. This requires comprehensive research useful for developing new approaches to minimising the environmental and socio-demographic problems caused by the Chornobyl tragedy. Thus, this research has practical scientific, humanitarian and socio-political significance. The novelty of the obtained results lies in the study’s critical rethinking of the achievements of predecessors and its analysis of historical sources concerning the environmental and socio-demographic consequences of the accident at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant as they manifested from 1986 to 2022.
The methodological basis of the work is empirical cognition. The use of logical-analytical methods of grouping and typology allows us to classify homogeneous events and coherently present the material of the article. The study additionally uses comparative judgment, historical-statistical and problem-chronological methods. The principles of objectivity and impartiality also play an important role in the work.
The purpose of the study is to investigate the consequences of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident on the environmental and socio-demographic aspects of the population of Ukraine from 1986 to 2022 based on the identified set of sources. From a historical perspective, the level of pollution in the territories of Ukraine is traced, the demographic situation is monitored, and parallels are drawn between the Chornobyl disaster and the increase in incurable diseases and mortality.
In conclusion, the authors note that although 36 years have passed, the echo of this catastrophe remains tangible for the population of Ukraine. Several issues still must be solved. The first is the return to life, namely, the safe living and management of areas that have been exposed to radiation contamination, as well as the continuation of work aimed at restoring agricultural soils. Second, purposeful work must be conducted by the state to minimise social and demographic problems resulting from the Chornobyl catastrophe. In our opinion, the government should increase expenditures aimed at providing quality medical services to the population of Ukraine, as well as conduct constant monitoring of the health of those people who are at high risk in order to better detect diseases in their early stages.
These groups of people include liquidators of the consequences of the accident and migrants. Such measures can stabilise the demographic situation by increasing birth rates and reducing mortality, as well as improve the health and living standards of the population of Ukraine.

Kwestia wykluczenia transportowego w Polsce jest coraz częściej podnoszona przez polityków, publicystów i organizacje pozarządowe. Problem nasilił się w okresie pandemii COVID-19 wobec zmniejszenia liczby tras i częstotliwości kursowania autobusów i kolei. Krajowy dorobek naukowy dotyczący wykluczenia transportowego jest niewystarczający. Niniejszy artykuł jest próbą poszerzenia wiedzy w tym zakresie. Celem jest ukazanie różnych aspektów wykluczenia transportowego z perspektywy mieszkańców. Uwzględniono trzy płaszczyzny tego zjawiska: ograniczony dostęp do publicznych środków transportu, ograniczenia przestrzenno-czasowe oraz trudności w uczestnictwie w ważnych instytucjach społecznych. Artykuł opiera się na studiach przypadku trzech miejscowości w województwie mazowieckim: Ostrowi Mazowieckiej, Żuromina i Tczowa. Badanie realizowano w 2021 r. za pomocą wywiadów pogłębionych oraz analizy danych zastanych. Na podstawie opinii i spostrzeżeń mieszkańców powyższych miejscowości przedstawiono społeczne konsekwencje ograniczonego dostępu do połączeń autobusowych i kolejowych.

Na terenie województwa łódzkiego działają trzy ośrodki wsparcia ekonomii społecznej (stosowany skrót: OWES). Podstawową rolą takich ośrodków ekonomii społecznej są usługi doradztwa dla istniejących podmiotów ekonomii społecznej i szkolenie osób zainteresowanych założeniem przedsiębiorstwa społecznego. Celem artykułu jest przedstawienie działań ośrodków wsparcia ekonomii społecznej ukierunkowanych na wspomaganie przedsiębiorstw społecznych i rozwój ekonomii społecznej w regionie łódzkim. Ewaluacja ich działań i wynikające z tej analizy wnioski mogą mieć znaczenie praktyczne dla rozwoju ekonomii społecznej. Materiał badawczy opiera się na badaniach desk research projektów: „OWES – wsparcie ekonomii społecznej”, „Łódzki Ośrodek Wsparcia Ekonomii Społecznej”, „Ośrodek Wsparcia Ekonomii Społecznej Centrum KLUCZ”, „OWES – rozwój ekonomii społecznej”, realizowanych w latach 2016–2017, badaniach Regionalnego Centrum Pomocy Społecznej w Łodzi oraz wywiadach CATI przeprowadzonych z koordynatorami ośrodków wsparcia ekonomii społecznej działającymi na terenie województwa łódzkiego.

Current glocalisation processes require the identification of priority areas for Ukraine’s further integration into the international economy. The right choice of direction, tools and forms of implementation allows the government to determine, justify and implement a competitive strategy for the country. The study aimed to determine the relationship between international economic integration and Ukraine’s global competitive power. Identifying Ukraine’s sectoral comparative advantages in trade with the EU and evaluating the index of the regional orientation of Ukraine for specific groups of goods and services made it possible to define the effects of economic collaboration with the European region. The assessment of the complementarity index of Ukrainian–European trade relations revealed that Ukraine and the European Union are main trading partners. Furthermore, the analysis of the mechanism of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union proved that the agreement actively contributes to the growth of Ukraine’s global competitive power. Comparative analysis in historical retrospect revealed priority areas for  improving the integration processes which help to form the main competitive advantages of the country.

W artykule przeanalizowano percepcję obciążeń wynikających z kosztów transakcyjnych w procesie eksternalizacji trzech usług lokalnych w Polsce – transportu, usług opiekuńczych oraz usług wodno-kanalizacyjnych. Narzędziem interpretacji wyników badania empirycznego jest koncepcja kosztów transakcyjnych w odniesieniu do trudności monitorowania usług. W artykule postawiono pytania o to, które z analizowanych typów kosztów monitowania postrzegane są przez samorządowców jako bardziej dolegliwe oraz w jaki sposób to postrzeganie różni się między formami organizacyjnymi świadczenia usług publicznych. W badaniu ustalono, że umowy z agentem publicznym są postrzegane jako droższe niż umowy z agentem prywatnym. Porozumienia administracyjne i zakup od innego samorządu są ważnym narzędziem dostarczania usług w Polsce, służą dopasowywaniu struktury wykorzystywanej do świadczenia usługi do wielkości rynku oraz zasobów potrzebnych do świadczenia danej usługi. Skuteczność monitorowania tych kontraktów jest ważnym elementem budowania jakości rządzenia w Polsce.

W artykule podjęto tematykę współpracy międzysektorowej realizującej projekty zrównoważonego rozwoju. Jego celem jest wskazanie wartości społecznej kreowanej przez partnerów wspólnego przedsięwzięcia. Postawiono pytanie o to, jaka wartość społeczna jest tworzona we współpracy podmiotów różnych sektorów gospodarki w ramach projektów zrównoważonych oraz jaką rolę w procesie tworzenia wartości społecznej odgrywa sama współpraca międzysektorowa. W części badawczej pracy zaprezentowano studia przypadków wybranych projektów. Jak wynika z przeprowadzonych badań, wykorzystanie wzajemnych potencjałów pozwala na bardziej efektywne tworzenie i użytkowanie wartości przez szerszy krąg interesariuszy. Dokonana analiza wskazuje, iż osiągana jest dzięki temu wyższa jakość dostarczanych usług, co więcej, tworzone jest szersze spektrum wartości społecznej. Wartość społeczna w modelu lokalnej współpracy jest uniwersalna w kategoriach wdrażania, tworzenia i użytkowania dla różnych międzysektorowych projektów zrównoważonego rozwój.

Artykuł prezentuje czynniki wyboru modelu świadczenia lokalnego transportu zbiorowego w Polsce w 2017 roku. Jest to pierwsze przekrojowe badanie ilościowe, które zostało przeprowadzone na reprezentatywnej próbie 1089 gmin, spośród których 382 świadczą usługę w jednym z trzech modeli: kontraktowania, współpracy lub korporatyzacji. Większość samorządów nie angażuje w ten proces zasobów własnych, najczęściej gminy występują w roli regulatora rynkowej podaży, kontraktując usługę z prywatnym przedsiębiorcą. Gminy charakteryzują się pragmatycznym podejściem podczas świadczenia usługi – ograniczają angażowanie zasobów własnych oraz włączają się w powiązania funkcjonalne w obszarach metropolitalnych. Bogatsze i gęściej zaludnione miasta inwestujące swoje zasoby korzystają z pozwalającego na zachowanie większej kontroli politycznej modelu korporatyzacji. Przedstawione wyniki badania są użyteczne w procesie podejmowania decyzji o sposobie świadczenia usługi lokalnego transportu – wskazują cechy, jakimi charakteryzują się gminy, które w 2017 roku korzystały z jednego z trzech modeli.

Decentralisation in Ukraine is an important factor in the development of a democratic system of government. The reform of local self-government aims to create new relations between citizens, local authorities, and the state. The aim of the article is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the local government reform in Ukraine and other countries in order to identify its main advantages and disadvantages as well as indicate ways to overcome the existing shortcomings in this area. The study determined that decentralisation in the country leads to democratic transformations of society based on civic initiative and responsibility, as well as provides a decent standard of living and quality services at the local level. The introduction of decentralisation can be observed in almost all areas, including administrative, political, financial, and social. This significantly affects the potential of the population and increases the responsibility of public authorities to the population. There is an increase in the level of public services with regard to economic, legal, political, social, and ethnic issues. Finally, proposals were made to make changes in the field of local self-government in order to overcome the existing problems in this area.

Since the very beginning of their establishment, municipalities, counties and regions (voivodeships) have been struggling with financial problems. Unfortunately, these problems affect the performance of the tasks assigned to these administrative units, including the standard of provided services and investment activities. Although extensive, the scale of the unsatisfied needs in LGUs varies between individual units, including municipalities. Thus, the positive financial results (the balance at the closure of the fiscal year) achieved by local government units in Poland in the recent years, as well as their future, offer an intriguing topic of research. The purpose of this paper is to identify the causes that: 1) underpin the re-evaluation of the LGU goals (from the implementation of the local government mission to achieving a budget surplus), and 2) allow the positive result of the LGU budget to finance goals other than investment-related ones. In order to achieve this, the study covers and illustrates, using the empirical data from the years 2007-2016, the types of possible LGU budget results, LGU activities that could contribute to the closure to LGU budgets with a positive result, directions of using budget surpluses and the so-called uncommitted funds, as well as local governments’ debt in terms of the intergenerational solidarity concept of its repayment and its perceived optimal structure.

This article presents the opinions of residents of the immediate surroundings of three Brownfield Site Urban Regeneration Projects completed in Łódź (Poland) in the years 2006–2016, i.e. Manufaktura (textile industry facilities transformed into a mall), “Lofts at Scheibler” (a former spinning plant transformed into residential buildings with accompanying services) and EC1 (adaptation of a former EC1 power plant for cultural and educational purposes), and their impact on their immediate environment. The article presents the results of questionnaire surveys conducted by the author in 2017 on 587 respondents residing within a walking distance, i.e. up to 500 m from the above-mentioned investment projects.

The following article presents the results of a study investigating employment of private and non-governmental organisations in Polish municipalities as providers of versatile public services and the resulting nature of the relationship among the latter. The passing of legislation that requires or allows delivering public services through non-public entities triggered the development of a contract culture in municipalities. The resultant relationship may be either of a competitive (mainly technical services market) or cooperative (social services) nature. The research findings support the hypothesis that larger municipalities have better developed processes of contracting public services.

The article is devoted to researching the Labour Market Digital Ecosystem (LMDES) in terms of its effect on the recruitment process during the remote work outspread. The research aims at analysing remote staff attraction through job portals using the Job board software and determining their impact on recruitment. The LMDES applies automation of the staff searching and selecting, scouring for employment opportunities, and the remote interaction with employers, recruiting agencies, applicants, and job seekers in the digital environment. The creation of a virtual space for such an effective interaction can be realised through a Job board software.

Aktualizacja z dn. 2.03.2021: Fragmenty niniejszego artykułu zostały wykorzystane w późniejszej publikacji: Swianiewicz, P., & Brzóska, A. (2020). Demand Elasticity for Local Public Transport in Polish Cities: Do Local Policies Matter?. Transylvanian Review of Administrative Sciences, 16(61), 125-142

Po 1990 roku liczba pasażerów lokalnego transportu zbiorowego systematycznie obniżała się przy jednoczesnym wzroście mieszkańców korzystających z transportu indywidualnego, co przyczyniało się do wzrostu zatłoczenia ulic i pogarszania jakości powietrza w miastach. Od co najmniej kilku lat w niektórych miastach obserwujemy odwrócenie tego trendu. Artykuł odwołuje się do wyników podobnych badań prowadzonych wcześniej w innych krajach. W części empirycznej, posługując ię danymi o liczbie i zmianach liczby pasażerów w blisko 100 miastach Polski, przedstawia modele regresji, które wyjaśniają czynniki wpływające na zróżnicowanie wielkości popytu na usługi transportu zbiorowego i jego dynamikę. Zmienne niezależne modelu odnoszą się zarówno do charakterystyki miast (ich środowiska społeczno-ekonomicznego), jak i organizacji usługi (np. formy organizacyjno-prawnej, polityki taryfowej itp.). Wyniki wskazują, że największe znaczenie dla wielkości popytu ma gęstość sieci połączeń transportu publicznego, natomiast niemal bez znaczenia jest wysokość opłat za bilety. Popyt wyraźnie wzrasta także w miastach największych, ale zależność między popytem i liczbą mieszkańców nie ma charakteru zależności liniowej.