Особливості формування системи управління змінами в закладах вищої освіти України

Ukraine, like the rest of the world, is in the process of transitioning to a digital economy and society. This transition has been underway for almost half a century, but the pace of change has accelerated due to the continued deployment of digital infrastructure, the proliferation of smartphones that create conditions for universal computerization, and the generation of huge amounts of information of all kinds. These changes have turned data into a strategically important asset. We are talking about a change in the global socio-technological order, which results in a complete reformatting of the systems we are used to, formation of new social and economic strategies for business entities at various levels. At the same time, the technological paradigm is changing, governance models and social norms are changing, and large-scale demographic shifts are taking place. All these processes are dominant influences that require changes in the processes of educational activities and, in particular, the management system of higher education institutions (HEI). However, the problem is not that the transition to a new model of economic development is taking place in principle. The problem is that this transition is happening at a very fast pace – not over millennia, like the agrarian way, not over centuries, like the industrial way, but in just a few decades. In the context of these changes, it turned out that Ukraine’s higher education institutions were rather inert, and unable to implement changes effectively. The emergence of a postindustrial, information society brings about fundamental changes in the economic systems of higher education institutions, transforming economic relations at all levels. In a rapidly changing environment, HEIs must have an appropriate readiness for change and a well-established change management system. The complexity and multidirectionality of the impact of external factors necessitate the formation of a management system that would be ready not only to anticipate new trends but also to respond to them accordingly, modernizing approaches to regulating all internal processes of the HEI. In the current situation, it is objectively necessary to recognize changes as an impetus for continuous development (both in times of crisis and in favorable circumstances), which becomes the most important prerequisite for achieving future strategic priorities. Therefore, the study analyzes the main components of the change management system in higher education institutions and reveals that the key object of change is the strategic change potential of higher education institutions. Diagnosing the potential for change requires the development of methodological tools that would allow the rational implementation of the managerial function of analysis and achieve the target results of the HEI.