Training Of Civil Servants In The Conditions Of Development Of Digital Economy

Modern realities of training civil servants in digital economy

The revolutionary dissemination and implementation of information technology in all areas of the life of society and the state challenged the prevailing stereotypes of everyday life in society. The digital economy is rapidly transforming all sectors of the national economy, without exception. Public administration, today, is influenced by many factors, but it is the emerging information society as a new type of post-industrial knowledge society that becomes dominant.

We believe Talapina ( 2015), he completely notes that the information society offers new ways of organizing public administration, taking into account the increasing multiplicity of its subjects. State development requires the use of technologies and procedures that contribute to the adoption of informed political, economic and social decisions and the achievement of the intended end results.

Modern information technologies are a kind of key to using the potential of public administration in the interests of sustainable socio-economic development of our country and the prevention of crisis situations. This implies the need to bring the staffing component of public municipal services in line with the requirements of a developing digital economy. Today in the world there is no single understanding of such a phenomenon as the «Digital Economy», but in the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated May 9, 2017 №. 203 «On the Strategy for the Development of the Information Society in the Russian Federation for 2017-2030» contains the official state definition of this phenomenon: Digital economy - an economic activity in which the key factor in production is digital data, the processing of large volumes and the use of analysis results which are compared with traditional forms of business I can significantly increase the effectiveness of different types of production, technology, equipment, storage, sale, delivery of goods and services. In our opinion, the definition is quite correct and is the starting point of further research.

At the same time, Keshelava et al. ( 2017) complements the definition with the following: it is an economy whose characteristic feature is the maximum satisfaction of the needs of all its participants through the use of information, including personal information.

The peculiarity of the digital economy is that for full interaction all subjects and objects of the economy must acquire a significant digital component. Thus, in the near future, the effectiveness of public administration will be determined by the level of its digitalization. Understanding this, the state authorities of our country are actively beginning to introduce the newborn digital economy in various sectors of the national economy, the state, municipal service and its personnel policy is no exception.

The Strategy for the Development of the Information Society in the Russian Federation for 2017–2030 (Decree of the President of the Russian Federation On the Strategy for the development of the information society in the Russian Federation for 2017-2030 from 09.05.2017 № 203), adopted in the Russian Federation, is designed to help ensure the following national interests ( Eurasian Economic Commission, 2017):

• Human development;

• Ensuring the safety of citizens and the state;

• Increasing the role of Russia in the global humanitarian and cultural space;

• The development of free, sustainable and safe interaction of citizens and organizations, state authorities of the Russian Federation, local authorities;

• Improving the efficiency of public administration, the development of the economy and social sphere;

• The formation of a digital economy.

In order to develop digitalization, the state creates conditions for the formation of a knowledge space and providing access to it, improvement of the mechanisms for the dissemination of knowledge, their application in practice in the interests of the individual, society and the state ( Klyuchischev, 2005).

Analyzing the provisions of the above Strategy related to the development of the intellectual potential of personnel for the future, we can determine the following criteria by which all further relevant areas of training for civil servants are built:

• Providing conditions for scientific and technical creativity, including the creation of platforms for self-realization of representatives of educational and scientific organizations;

• Providing and improving additional education in order to engage in scientific research and creativity, developing the ability to solve non-standard problems;

• The use and development of various educational technologies, including distance learning, such as e-learning, in the implementation of educational programs;

Implementation and implementation of partnership programs of educational institutions of higher education and Russian high-tech organizations, including on the issue of improving educational programs;

• The use of new technologies in government bodies of the Russian Federation, which ensure the improvement of the quality of public administration;

• Ensuring a phased transition of state bodies and local governments to the use of e-government infrastructure, which is part of the information infrastructure of the Russian Federation;

• Training of qualified personnel in the field of information and communication technologies;

Introducing amendments to the legislation of the Russian Federation aimed at ensuring compliance of legal regulation with the pace of development of the digital economy and the removal of administrative barriers.

Based on the mentioned criteria, it can be concluded that the training of personnel for public service in the context of the digital economy is developing, in addition to primary education, the acquisition of experience in the course of professional activity, and the development of education - digital, based on a flexible, but complex and individually -oriented approach in the application of ICT skills, as well as various types and forms of general education (professional, postgraduate, short-term, distance, etc.). We believe that such an approach to the development of personnel potential will make it possible to improve the quality of services provided by authorities to the population and organizations; reducing the manifestations of the corruption component, reducing red tape, strengthening the prestige of public service. In our opinion, this will make it possible to formulate such a model for the development of personnel policy in the public service, which, on the one hand, will protect this industry from non-professionals, and on the other hand, will attract new specialists with an appropriate level of so-called digital literacy.

The Government of the Russian Federation approved the Digital Economy of the Russian Federation program (July 28, 2017), which provides for measures aimed at stimulating the development of human resources for public service in the context of the digital economy ( Chikhanchin, Ovchinnikov, & Ivanova, 2018).

The main objectives of this program, regarding personnel and education, are:

• Creating key conditions for training the digital economy;

• Improving the education system, which should provide the digital economy with competent personnel;

• The labor market, which should be based on the requirements of the digital economy;

• Creation of a motivation system for the development of the necessary competencies and the participation of personnel in the development of the digital economy of Russia.

Given the need for normative and legal regulation of most of the activities that are planned to be implemented in order to achieve the goals in the framework of the basic and applied areas of the digital economy, a subcommittee was created in 2017 under the Government Commission on the use of information technology to improve the quality of life and the conditions for doing business digital economy as a tool managing the implementation of the Digital Economy of the Russian Federation program. At the first meeting of this subcommission, guidelines were developed for developing action plans for the implementation of the program «Digital Economy of the Russian Federation»ю

According to the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of August 28, 2017 «On the system for managing the implementation of the program «Digital Economy of the Russian Federation» , the creation of a Project Office is regulated, which evaluates the action plan for compliance with the Program parameters and guidelines and generates an appropriate conclusion. The project office sends for consideration at a meeting of the subcommission a draft action plan and a prepared opinion. In addition to the above, the project office ( The Moscow Times. Jobs, 2016):

• Ensures the creation and functioning of the information system;

• Provides organizational and methodological support for the implementation of the Program, including the preparation of guidelines for the development of action plans and reports on their implementation, as well as the rules of information interaction in the information system;

• Provides information and analytical support for the activities of the subcommission;

• Monitors the implementation of action plans and prepares information and analytical materials on the progress of their implementation;

• Prepares a summary report on the progress of the implementation of action plans;

• Monitors publications in the media on the implementation of the Program;

• Ensures the submission to the subcommittee of draft action plans and proposals for amending action plans;

• Assesses draft action plans and proposals for amending action plans for compliance with the goals, key milestones and objectives of the Program, as well as methodological recommendations;

• Provides information and communication support and promotion of the implementation of the Program in the media;

• Ensures the holding of conferences, meetings, round tables and other forms of expert discussions within the framework of the Program.

The program «Digital Economy of the Russian Federation» of one of the fundamental tasks determines the formation of a personnel reserve, as well as the creation and establishment of the so-called «Competence Centers», due to which new specialists are trained and attracted. Thus, technological progress and globalization accelerate its regulatory regulation and lead to the emergence of new knowledge. Education is transforming into a mobile and open system, where the role of the formal education is declining, and the influence of informal and informal education - which goes beyond the standard educational environment - is increasing.

Features of the training of civil servants in the development of the digital economy

Given that the education system should focus on the current needs of the economy related to the introduction of digital technologies in the state apparatus, we will begin to consider personnel problems with the role of human resources in the digital economy. The effectiveness of the functioning of public service in a digital society directly depends on the quality of its staffing. According to Eregina ( 2013) in this regard, an important role is given to the additional professional education of public civil servants as a factor in their professional development.

Latyshev and Illarionova ( 2017) note that the professional training of state civil servants, as well as other social groups of «state employees», is non-local in nature: not only representatives of this social group are interested in it, but also the whole of Russian society. The need for a professional organization of public administration arose with the development of the information society. Professional retraining and advanced training of civil servants can be carried out with and without interruption (evening groups or weekend groups) from official activities. In addition, e-learning and the use of distance learning technologies are allowed. Distance learning is an innovative form of education that has recently begun to spread in Russia. The term «distance education», or more broadly – «distance education», is very ambiguous and has not yet been established in science. Distance education is currently largely associated with correspondence and postgraduate studies, which are widely practiced in different countries. Indeed, distance learning is to a certain extent a modern form of distance learning.

In addition, the informatization of education has led to the emergence of innovative forms of distance learning, significantly expanding its educational opportunities, in particular, through interactive learning through the use of computers, tele-video conferencing, etc.

However, the idea of distance learning is much deeper, because it goes beyond the scope of traditional training with its focus on obtaining the amount of knowledge and the formation of skills. The use of innovative tools and methods, in our opinion, will reduce the training time for public servants, as well as ensure their educational process on the job. In addition the development of e-government – «e-government», in the international terminology E-Government, E-Governance in Russia is considered as one of the strategic objectives of the ongoing administrative reform in the digital economy.

As a result of the implementation of the Digital Economy of the Russian Federation program, it is expected that the volume of public services provided in electronic form will increase by 70%. This is the basis for the development of new management technologies, the transformation of already known technologies and methods that may be applicable in Russia. The structures that will provide the staff for digital technologies of public administration will include: scientific organizations; government bodies with certain resources and capabilities; business structures and business schools; universities and public administration schools.

Significant scientific potential is concentrated in modern universities and competence centers: in terms of the number of doctors and candidates of sciences, the university system has long overtaken the system of scientific institutions. Universities and faculties of managerial profile have strong ties with the real practice of public administration, including through their graduates, which is a condition for creating innovative management technologies.