APPLICATION OF DESIGN THINKING METHODOLOGY IN THE MANAGEMENT OF TERRITORIAL COMMUNITIES

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the application of design thinking methodology in the management of territorial communities of Ukraine in the conditions of decentralization, martial law and limited resources. It is substantiated that the reform of the local government system and the strengthening of the responsibility of communities for strategic development, the provision of public services and change management require the use of methodologies that can combine orientation to the needs of the population, flexibility of management decisions and legal certainty. The evolution of design thinking from design and innovation practice to the management methodology of the public sector is revealed, the connection with the concepts of good governance, public value, participatory management and change management is shown. The theoretical and methodological principles of design thinking, the structure of the stages (needs research, problem formulation, generation of alternatives, prototyping, verification and adjustment of solutions) and the principles of human-centeredness, iterativity, interdisciplinarity and experimentalism are outlined. The features of the implementation of the specified methodology in the management of territorial communities are analyzed, taking into account the Ukrainian regulatory field, institutional support programs, strategic planning practices and the development of public services. It is shown that the use of design thinking contributes to the transformation of management models in the direction of project-oriented governance, increasing the involvement of residents, expanding the use of pilot solutions and feedback mechanisms. At the same time, problems of fragmented implementation, insufficient integration into everyday management procedures, limited human resources potential and the lack of direct regulatory consolidation of the methodology are identified. A conclusion is formulated on the feasibility of developing design thinking as a tool for innovative local development, and prospects for further research are outlined, related to the analysis of institutional mechanisms for integrating design thinking into the public administration system, empirical assessment of the practices of individual communities and substantiation of the possibilities of regulatory and organizational consolidation of the relevant methodology in Ukraine.