Local self-government in the context of digital diplomacy: new approaches to political and managerial decision-making

Abstract

The article examines the role of digital diplomacy in the transformation of contemporary local self-government in Ukraine and its impact on the process of political and managerial decision-making. The relevance of the topic is determined by the fact that, under the conditions of full-scale war, the digitalisation of public governance, and European integration transformations, territorial communities are increasingly using digital platforms, social media, official web resources, international online networks, and tools of electronic participation to interact with international partners, donors, the diaspora, civil society, and community residents. The article substantiates that digital diplomacy at the local level can no longer be regarded merely as an auxiliary communication or image-building tool, since it is gradually being integrated into the processes of strategic planning, external resource mobilisation, justification of recovery priorities, and legitimation of managerial decisions. The study analyses the practices of using digital tools by Ukrainian territorial communities, in particular through the DREAM system, the “Diia. Digital Community” platform, the dashboard of international municipal partnerships, the U-LEAD with Europe programme, as well as the cases of Irpin, Bucha, Odesa, and other communities. It is demonstrated that digital diplomatic practices contribute to increasing the international visibility of communities, forming an evidence base for attracting financial and humanitarian assistance, developing municipal partnerships, strengthening the transparency of recovery projects, and integrating the local level into transnational cooperation networks. Particular attention is paid to the fact that digital diplomacy influences not only the external representation of a community, but also the substance of political and managerial decisions, particularly those concerning the reconstruction of critical infrastructure, social protection, human capital development, civil security, and the adaptation of development strategies to the requirements of international partners. The article proves that digital diplomacy in the activities of local self-government bodies performs representative, informational-analytical, coordination, and legitimising functions. It ensures a transition from a closed administrative model of decision-making to a more open, network-based, partnership-oriented, and evidence-based model of local governance. At the same time, the main risks of its implementation are identified: inequality in the digital capacities of communities, varying levels of human-resource and organisational capacity, the fragmentation of digital communication strategies, dependence on donor initiatives, weak coordination between local and central levels of government, as well as reputational and informational threats. The article concludes that the further development of digital diplomacy at the level of local self-government requires institutionalisation, strategic planning, the enhancement of digital competencies among public officials, and the integration of digital platforms into the system of political and managerial decision-making.