Methodological foundations of the science of state administration as an essential element of educational programmes in public management and administration

The practical necessity to effectively solve the complex problems of post-war recovery in Ukraine, including the reconstruction of industrial and social infrastructure, requires improving the quality of professional training of managerial personnel for state authorities, local governments and other public sector organisations. The solution of the relevant complex anti-crisis tasks at the national and local levels requires the development and implementation of innovations and foresight decisions, which is impossible without understanding the methodological tools of the field of the science of state administration. In this context, a current study was conducted to investigate the availability of methodological foundations of the science of state administration in the educational programmes of Ukrainian higher education institutions in the speciality ‘Public Management and Administration’ (on the example of thirteen master’s and bachelor’s educational programmes). The article uses the following research methods: hypothetical and deductive method, methods of source and document analysis, as well as methods of hermeneutical interpretation, comparison, generalisation and synthesis. Specific educational programmes in this speciality at certain Ukrainian higher education institutions were selected by random sampling. It is established that a significant number of scientific and educational works on the methodological foundations of the science of state administration have been prepared and published in Ukraine, which are fundamental for professional training of personnel for state authorities, local self-government bodies and other public sector organisations under the educational programmes of the specialty ‘Public Management and Administration’ in terms of the scientific and methodological component. The article proves the thesis that the methodological foundations of the field of the science of state administration, in particular, the special methodology of scientific research of state administration, are crucial for the formation integral and some special (professional) competences of bachelor’s and master’s degree students. It is proved that the methodological foundations of the field of the science of state administration should be a necessary element of educational programmes in this speciality.