Abstract

Transparency of public power is one of the main aspects of civil society. The actions of public administration bodies must be transparent, open, and ensure citizens’ legitimate rights and interests. Large-scale digitalization of society also affects public authorities, opening up new opportunities for improving the transparency of public administration and creating risks at various levels of public administration. The study is devoted to the issue of transparency of public authorities under the influence of digitalization. The normative legal acts of Ukraine, the Strategy of digital development, scientific achievements of domestic and foreign scientists are analyzed. The main elements of transparency of public authorities are identified: transparency, openness, and publicity. The level of digitalization penetration into the bodies of legislative, executive and judicial branches of power is characterized. The main functions that digitalization can perform in relation to public authorities are identified. The main achievements of Ukraine in terms of the public power digitalization, which has increased its transparency level, are described. They include a network of web portals of legislative, executive and judicial authorities, which provide public information in the form of messages, files, open data sets, photo and video information. Another important achievement is the service of providing services online and the introduction in Ukraine of full-fledged digital documents, which are analogs of physical. The main indicators of digitalization and characteristics of public authorities are identified: Digital Development Level, IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking, ICT goods exports, ICT goods imports, ICT service exports, Voice and Accountability, Political Stability and Absence of Violence/Terrorism, Government Effectiveness, Regulatory Quality, Rule of Law, Control of Corruption. A canonical analysis of digitalization impact on the transparency of public authorities quantitatively shows that public authorities are closely linked to digitalization and influenced by it.

Keywords: Transparency of Public Authorities, Digitalization, Canonical Analysis, Digital Economy, E-Government.

JEL Classification: H83.

Cite as: Mynenko, S., Lyulyov, O. (2022). The Impact of Digitalization on the Transparency of Public Authorities. Business Ethics and Leadership, 6(2), 103-115. https://doi.org/10.21272/bel.6(2).103-115.2022

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

References

1. Agostino, D., Saliterer, I., & Steccolini, I. (2022). Digitalization, accounting and accountability: A literature review and reflections on future research in public services. Financial Accountability & Management, 38, 152-176. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
2. Berezhna, A.Yu. (2019). Digitalization as an instrument of transparency of public administration. Academic and University Science: Results and Prospects: Coll. Science. XII International Ave. scientific-practical Conf., Dec. 6. 2019 − Poltava: Nat. Yuri Kondratyuk University, 2019. − P. 3-8. Available at: [Link]
3. Bessa-Vilela, N., Caramelo-Gomes, J., & Morais, P. (2017). Government Transparency: Reality or Mirage? Lex Localis: Journal of Local Self-Government, 15(3), 725-736. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]  
4. Constitution of Ukraine – Section I. Available at: [Link]
5. da Silva Craveiro, G. and Albano, C. (2017). Open data intermediaries: coproduction in budget transparency. Transforming Government: People, Process and Policy, 11(1), 119-131. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
6. Digital transformation projects. Available at: [Link]
7. E-Governance Academy Foundation. Available at: [Link]
8. IMD World Digital Competitivenes Ranking 2019. Available at: [Link]
9. Irene Bernhard, Livia Norström, Ulrika Lundh Snis, Urban Gråsjö, Martin Gellerstedt (2018). Degree of Digitalization and Citizen Satisfaction: A Study of the Role of Local e‑Government in Sweden. The Electronic Journal of e-Government, 16(1). [Google Scholar]
10. Jamaluddin Ahmad, Hardianti, Andi Nilwana, Muliani and Hariyanti Hamid (2020). IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, Volume 717, International Conference on Public Organization (ICONPO) “The innovation of Big Data and Artificial Intelligent Technology for Public Sector: A Call for Actions” 13-14 October 2020. Available at: [Link]
11. Karpenko, O., Osmak, A. (2018). The use of blockchain systems by public authorities: Ukrainian and foreign experience. Actual problems of public administration, 1, 57-62. Available at: [Link]
12. Komarova, K. & Kovalchuk, N. (2021). Key principles of providing transparency in the activities of local government bodies. Public Administration Aspects, 9(2), 28-34. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
13. Liucija Birskyte (2019). Determinants of Budget Transparency in Lithuanian Municipalities, Public Performance & Management Review, 42(3), 707-731. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
14. Molotok, I.F. (2020). Bibliometric and Trend Analysis of Budget Transparency. Business Ethics and Leadership, 4(2), 116-122. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
15. Nalyvaiko, L.R. & Chepik-Tregubenko, O.S. (2015). Transparency of public power: domestic and foreign experience. Law Journal Law of Ukraine, 6, 158-156. Available at: [Link]
16. Order Of The Cabinet Of Ministers Of Ukraine from November 17, 2021 № 1467-r Kyiv On approval of the Strategy for digital development, digital transformations and digitalization of the public financial management system for the period up to 2025 and approval of the action plan for its implementation. Available at: [Link]
17. Ott, K., Mačkić, V. i Bronić, M. (2018). Budget Transparency of Local Governments: The Political Economy of City and Municipality Budgets in Croatia. Društvena istraživanja [Social research], 27(4), 629-647. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
18. Shkolʹnyk, I.O., Savchenko, T.H. (2018). Transparentnist’ publichnykh finansiv – protydiya koruptsiyi: monohrafiya [Transparency of public finances – anti-corruption: monograph]. Sumy: Yaroslavna 186 p. Available at: [Link]
19. Tereza Cahlikova & Vincent Mabillard (2020). Open Data and Transparency: Opportunities and Challenges in the Swiss Context. Public Performance & Management Review, 43(3), 662-686. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
20. Vilone, L. (2020). Good governance and transparency. Giuristi: Revista De Derecho Corporativo [Giuristi: Corporate Law Magazine], 1(2), 343-353. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef].
21. World bank [Link]
22. Yarema O.G. Transparency Of Public Authority As A Factor In The Development Of Legal Culture. Conference in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Science, Research, Development. State and Law. #3. Available at: [Link]