The professional development of public servants in the context of digitalization: the case of the Sverdlovsk region[Профессионализация Публичных Служащих В Условиях Цифровизации: Кейс Свердловской Области]

The global trend of digital technologies entering every sphere of life of society, state and individual has also affected professional activities. Researchers and practitioners have developed models of new professional competencies meeting the challenges of digitalization. However, under new conditions major inconsistencies have emerged in the process of public servants professional development, first of all, arising from the digital economy competence added to the employees’ professional requirements model. The research problem is in the lack of understanding of the the public servants’ professional development in the context of digitalization. Thus, the purpose of this article is to try to analyze and systematize the specific features of professional development of public and municipal employees in the context of public administration and public relations digitalization (based on research conducted in the Sverdlovsk region). The research is based on the information society theory, the digital economy theory, the theory of social identity and socialization and competence approach. As empirical methods the authors used the method of document analysis (analysis of foreign and domestic theoretical sources), the method of questionnaire survey of current public servants of the Sverdlovsk region (while conducting a sociological survey in April – May 2020). The results of the research are the identified features of the professional development of public servants in modern conditions: no digital economy competencies included in the regulatory documents, and, as a result, no system to develop these competencies and the unwillingness of public servants to efficiently exercise their professional activities in the context of digitalization. According to the survey results of public servants of the Sverdlovsk region, they can be said to have developed part of their digital competencies and digital economy competencies. However, these competencies were developed while exercising their professional activities, often beyond the duty (the employees’ own needs), randomly (the evidence is the range of assessments on the level of competencies development). In order to increase the efficiency of public service institution and to improve the professional development level of public servants, it is necessary to develop modern professional competencies in a systematic and targeted way. The problem can be possibly solved relying on the developed models of professional competencies of public servants, corresponding to their rank, government body branch, departmental and official specifics. Continuous professional development is a modern global trend which should be taken into account in the RF public service system functioning.