Psychological features of the professional activity of representatives of local self-government bodies in today's crisis conditions

The article explores the psychological features of the activities of representatives of local self-government bodies (LSB) in today's crisis conditions, when the problem of protecting and preserving the lives of residents of territorial communities is becoming more urgent due to the war in Ukraine, along with the need for innovative transformations in the context of reforms related to the development of the Ukrainian state. The relevance of the study is shown, the results of which make it possible to identify the psychological resources inherent in the personality of LGB representatives and the functions they perform, in order to optimize their activities and, at the same time, achieve professional well-being. The essence of local self-government as a branch of public power is revealed, which has both common (focus on solving all problems of public importance for certain territories, performing socially significant tasks and functions, etc.) and distinctive features compared to state administration bodies, which actualize a kind of intellectual and volitional feeling of unity with the community, its values and interests, which correspond to both the interests of the community and the interests of each resident of the community. The specifics and problems of the activities of local government representatives are highlighted: 1) a certain independence in relations with the central state administration and its direct representatives on the ground, a decisive role in formulating the needs and requests of citizens and developing on this basis projects for the functioning and restoration of communities, which, in the context of contradictory powers of local government bodies and the civil service, enhances the importance of motivating the activities of local government representatives in the context of dedication to the social mission; 2) the clearly expressed subjective nature of the activities of local government representatives, which is constantly becoming more complicated; it involves a variety of complex types of specific activities in conditions of uncertainty, or even chaos, inherent in the present with a simultaneous increase in responsibility for the consequences of decisions made; 3) the creative nature of the activities of local government representatives due to the dominance of non-standard situations; the pronounced predictive nature of the tasks being solved; the need to make responsible decisions in complex, information-rich situations, which necessitate the processing of a large amount of information, the generation of new information and its relay to other people – residents of the community – in the form of an appropriate decision; 4) the personal participation of the local government representative in the implementation of the professional decision and tasks formed by him, which involves a double process of incitement to action, that is, inciting himself and others to achieve the goals of public administration; 5) high mental tension, other negative mental states, high psychological cost due to personal responsibility for the results of activities, the results of which are visible and emotionally charged due to proximity to community residents and the presence of the status of such a resident, along with a chronic shortage of time, constant risk, which can cause professional stress, fatigue, and deterioration of the health of subjects – representatives of local government agencies, especially in war conditions; 6) the possibility of achieving the goals of local government agencies is possible only under the condition of partnership with state administration bodies. The feasibility of developing and testing a model of professional well-being of local government representatives as an important condition for their effectiveness in today's difficult conditions has been established.