Strategic Directions of Financing Social Services in the Conditions of Decentralization

The article considers the strategic directions of financing the social sphere. It is determined that the effectiveness of the provision and financing of social services depends on the effectiveness of regional and local authorities and their ability to fulfill certain powers and responsibilities in a decentralized environment. At the same time, the processes of social policy reform are carried out in parallel with the process of strategic choice of the most effective model of development of the social protection system, which leads to losses and reduced efficiency of the system. The research of directions of budgetary financing of social sphere at the state level is carried out. The financial me- chanism of realization of social protection which provides formation of the sources of the financial resources directed on performance of the corresponding programs and actions, and also the substantiated choice of methods, forms and levers of their use is investigated. The development of social services in the united territorial communities of Ukraine as of October 10, 2019 is analyzed. Expenditures on social protection and social security in the expenditures of the consolidated budget and GDP in Ukraine in the analyzed period are studied. Analysis of the state of filling local budgets in the context of decentralization in recent years has shown an increase in local budget revenues, which has created additional conditions for increasing funding for the social sphere from local budgets. It is determined that the main strategic directions of improving the mechanism of financial support of the social sphere in the conditions of decentralization should be: strengthening the responsibility for misuse of funds; optimal delimitation of spending powers between authorities at all levels; involvement of non-governmental organizations in the provision of social services in order to improve their quality, etc.