Model of an Active Policy of Combatants’ Social Protection in Ukraine

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INTRODUCTION.
The issue of social protection of veterans in Ukraine has acquired particular relevance since 2014, when an extremely difficult political and economic situation deteriorated due to the large-scale armed conflict in the East of the country and the annexation of Crimea.Fighting has been going on in Ukraine for more than 9 years, during which many Ukrainian soldiers were seriously injured and deteriorated in health, became disabled, partially, or completely lost their ability to work.As of September 2022, more than 500,000 people received the status of combatants which entitles them to social protection by creating appropriate living conditions by the state, implementing targeted programs, providing benefits, privileges, and social guarantees.The legislation of Ukraine has established 22 categories of veterans entitled to this status [1].Monetary, material, and social security, issues of psychological rehabilitation, social and professional adaptation, problems of housing and pension provision for combatants are constantly in the center of attention of public authorities.
Provisions for the analysis of social protection policy, social and economic activation of the population are set out in the works of the following scientists: E. Libanova, O. Makarova, V. Sarioglo [2], D. Karamishev [3] and others.Medico-psychological aspects of security and adaptation of military men to extreme conditions, issues of psychological adaptation and the impact of combat experience on the mental health of veterans were studied by S. Bielai, I. Prykhodko, A. Hrynzovskyi, A. Zhelaho, S. Hodlevskyi, S. Kalashchenko, Y. Matsehora [4,5].
Some scientific works of researchers concerned the field of psychological rehabilitation and social adaptation of combatants, development of labor and human capital.Thus, D. Tereshchenko and V. Kruhlov [6] study the use of public-private partnership as a tool for developing the labor potential of the region.Jeremy C. Shorta, Miles A. Zacharyb, David J. Ketchen Jr.b consider the possibility of entrepreneurial activities and franchising systems among veterans for successful social adaptation [6].
The previous research shows that the effectiveness of the implementation of social protection policy for veterans significantly increased through the active use of human potential, social partnership, and readaptation measures.

METHODOLOGY.
To study the subject and object of research general and special methods of scientific knowledge have been used, including: analysis and synthesis -in forming the theoretical basis of research, identifying features, contradictions, the main problems of the development of combatants' social protection; statistical and graphical -during the assessment of the implementation of the state policy of combatants' social protection while processing the results of the expert survey; modeling and forecastingduring the development of the model of active combatants' social protection policy.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION.
Assessing the current state and effectiveness of social protection policy for veterans in Ukraine, we have analyzed information on the final, intermediate and related results of the use of public funds for budget programs of combatants' social protection during 2018-2020 (Fig. 1), namely: A -" Support for the activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, training of personnel and troops, medical support of personnel, military service veterans and members of their families, veterans of war "; B -"Annual one-time financial assistance to war veterans and victims of Nazi persecution and social assistance to persons who have special and special labor services for the Motherland "; C -"Sanatorium and resort treatment for war veterans, persons subject to the laws of Ukraine" On the status of war veterans, guarantees of their social protection "," On victims of Nazi persecution "and the disabled"; D -"Measures for psychological rehabilitation, social and professional adaptation of participants in the anti-terrorist operation and the provision of sanatoriumresort treatment to the injured participants in the anti-terrorist operation"; E -"Financial support of public organizations of the disabled and veterans, activities to visit military graves and military monuments and to perpetuate the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945."Analyzing the data, it should be said that there are a number of problematic issues in the course of the implementation of the above programs.First, the implementation of programs directly depends on funding from the state budget, but it is annually reviewed.Second, there is a lack of an effective mechanism for informing combatants about existing government programs and social services.Third, sanatorium and resort provision and psychological rehabilitation of combatants are at a low level.Fourth, there is no registration of combatants who need social assistance.
For a more objective assessment of the effectiveness of the implementation of combatants' social protection policy, we have supplemented quantitative approach on the "cost-benefit" principle with qualitative indicators of policy evaluation, namely its social dimensions through the analysis of the following indicators: cash security level, social security level, education and retraining level, gender, place in the power structure, etc.In the course of public policy evaluation social measures of efficiency allow to focus on individual management decisions and actions regarding veterans, to reveal their urgency, rationality, and effectiveness.In order to assess the implementation of the social protection policy for veterans, an expert survey was conducted during September-December 2020 with the assistance and participation of personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Union of Veterans of the Anti-Terrorist Operation.The survey involved 197 respondents who participated in combat operations, namely the anti-terrorist operations and international peacekeeping and security operations [9].
Assessing the current state of the combatants' social protection system in Ukraine, the majority of respondents found it positive and stable but not for all elements of the social protection system and without significant positive dynamics (39% and 27% of all respondents, respectively).This indicates that the state in general, pays considerable attention to the issues of social protection of veterans, but there are a number of pressing socio-economic problems that require in-depth attention and research.To clarify, detail and deepen the knowledge about the attitude of veterans to the existing system of social protection, the respondents were asked to determine the performance of their functions by public authorities (Fig. 2).

Fig. 2. Index of complete performance of functions of combatants' social protection by state bodies
The index of function performance was calculated by the formula (index on a scale from +1 to -1, where +1fully performs; +0.5 -rather performs; 0 -average level of implementation; -0.5rather does not perform; -1 -does not perform at all): where X is the average value in the distribution of responses for this feature.
According to the respondents, their functions in social protection were rather performed by: the Ministry of Veterans' Affairs of Ukraine (Iperf= 0.28), the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine (Iperf = 0.16) and the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine (Iperf = 0.13).
According to the results of the expert survey among combatants, the following main shortcomings were revealed: imperfection of the current mechanisms for policy implementation; lack of clear functional interaction of public authorities; low level of efficiency of the system for providing state benefits to combatants, insufficient notification of veterans; weak feedback of the authorities from veterans' public organizations, the presence of social tensions among the combatants, and a low level of psychological rehabilitation.The main emphasis in the combatants' social protection is made on material assistance, benefits, and financial support, giving rise to a dependent mood in the combatants.Given the current challenges, the combatants' social protection system needs transforming, changing philosophy, approaches, principles, and mechanisms that will encourage people to take living activities and strive to care for their well-being.Thus, it is proposed to introduce a model of active combatants' social protection policy, based on real communication between subjects and objects of social protection, the development of social partnership and social capital, the priority of innovations, use of personal self-protection potential.The introduction of such a model requires a transition from paternalism to creating conditions for the readaptation, rehabilitation, and development of human potential of combatants.
The purpose of introducing the model of active combatants' social protection policy is to create conditions of both socio-economic and institutional-legal nature, and those aimed at ensuring the development of human and social capital by using the potential of self-protection, organizing effective joint activities of subjects and objects of social protection, strengthening measures of social adaptation and introduction of innovations.
The main challenges in introducing the model of active combatants' social protection policy remains the trend towards an increase in the number of combatants, uncertainty of strategic priorities of their social protection policy, the need to reform preferential and material security.To activate the combatants' social protection system, it is necessary to monitor available resources, structure the needs, forms, and tools of social protection, introduce innovations, and use the potential of the individuals for self-protection.
The entrance into the system is determined by the social policy of the country, formed under the influence of socio-economic status and available resources (financial, material, human, institutional, information, etc.).It should be noted that the resource potential of society has changed due to the economic crisis, the protracted nature of combat operations in the East of the country, the coronavirus pandemic.Also, the conditions for the development of public and private social protection funds, venture funds have not yet been created, and the material support of the combatants does not meet modern requirements.
The main needs of combatants remain: financial assistance, medical and psychological rehabilitation, social and labor adaptation, improvement of living conditions, provision of sanatorium treatment.
The directions of the main changes in the social protection system of combatants are: ▪ transition from elements of paternalism to subsidiarity, self-realization of the individuals and social partnership; ▪ strengthening the targeting of social assistance to combatants; ▪ intensification of social protection by means of social and labor adaptation of combatants; ▪ use of combatants' self-protection potential; ▪ introduction of innovations in the system of social protection of combatants.
It should be noted that the formation of a model of active social protection policy requires effective mechanisms and tools for its implementation (Fig. 3).A set of basic mechanisms for implementing public policy of combatants' social protection are institutional-legal, socio-economic, information-communicative, and adaptive-psychological mechanisms.
In the model of active combatants' social protection policy, combatants can be considered not only as an object, because, participating in public associations or unions, they turn from object to subject of this activity, i.e. there is a transition from the traditional principle of "subject -object", the importance of which is noted by many modern scientists [3,10].Thus, we are talking about the importance of self-actualization of the individual and the development of social capital, which is expressed in the creation of social groups to participate in the formation and implementation of adequate combatants' social protection policy [11].
Regarding the tools for implementing social protection policy, in our opinion, social partnership instruments should be added to the existing ones (social security, social insurance, social guarantees and compensations, social assistance).In many European countries, when providing social services to the population, social partnership organizations use public and non-state spheres.
Social partnership in the field of combatants' social protection can be defined as the interaction between state bodies, local governments, business structures and civil society institutions for the joint implementation of social assistance and support of combatants [12].
Social partnership is a certain communicative dimension, which involves constant dialogue, negotiations, and a contractual process of reconciling interests between the subjects of relations in a particular area.This communicative dimension is very important for those who have taken part in combat operations and lost their physical and mental health.It is the combatants that can identify the most pressing needs and problems that can be solved through social partnership.Thus, the role of such tools as social dialogue, social entrepreneurship, and social responsibility in the implementation of the combatants' social protection policy is significant.
The use of these tools in the social protection system will enable to provide combatants with the appropriate level of social support; to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of benefits, guarantees and compensations provided; to improve the mechanisms for implementing social protection policy; to create a modern system of social adaptation and psychological rehabilitation of combatants .The positive effect of social partnership is the development of social cohesion of the population, which directly affects the reduction of tensions among veterans, increases resilience and orientation and public well-being [6].
In order to implement the model of active social protection policy, it is important not only to have effective tools, but also to use additional organized and unorganized forms of combatants' social protection.We suggest including charity and confessional social protection among the additional organized forms of combatants' social protection.In the context of modern challenges, attitude of society to charity has changed, which has become an important factor of unity to overcome the crisis phenomena in the military and social spheres.The events of 2014 mobilized the citizens of Ukraine to help the military in the combat zone, the injured, as well as the civilians affected by the military conflict.This has significantly changed Ukraine's place in the World Giving Index, an annual survey of philanthropy in the world conducted by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF).In total, since 2014, the country has risen in the ranking by 69 positions [13].
Volunteer and charity organizations play an important role in providing assistance to military men of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, combatants, and war veterans.The direction of organizations' charity activities, such as assistance to combatants (Joint Forces Operation) and their families, is 7.7% and 8.1%, respectively, of the total funding of charity organizations [14].
Despite the positive development of charity in Ukraine, there are a number of unresolved issues, namely: low level of public involvement in charity or volunteer activities; distrust of charity intermediaries; lack of effective mechanisms to protect against fraud and other abuses; slow implementation of modern international practices of state support for charity; tax burden on donors and recipients of charity assistance.
Taking into account the existing problems, it is proposed to amend the Law of Ukraine on Charitable Organizations to introduce effective mechanisms of protection against fraud and other abuses in the field of charity, the beneficiary's responsibility (at the request of the philanthropist, provide access to information on the use of charitable assistance or return to the philanthropist monetary donations that have not been used for their intended purpose).It also requires the legislative consolidation of administrative and criminal liability for violating the procedure for public collection of charitable donations and failure to disclose information about the income and expenses of the charitable organization or malversation of collected charitable donations.
Additional forms of combatants' social protection include confessional social protection.The experience of most of the world's armies, namely Canada, Germany, Poland, Great Britain, the United States, and other armies, shows that the military chaplaincy has a great influence on the support of the army [15].State-confessional cooperation in the social work of our country is more focused on social protection of the disabled and low-income families, but since the beginning of 2014 a significant development of the chaplaincy and church support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has begun.Since 2017, positions of military chaplains have been introduced in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.Thus, in 2020, about 130 positions were introduced, of which more than 90 were staffed [8].The proposed model of active social protection policy emphasizes the use of personal selfprotection potential and individually selected methods and measures to support combatants, taking into account their health status, age, social status, working capacity, etc.To realize the potential of personal self-protection, it is necessary to categorize all combatants according to the level of demand for social protection.Regarding the potential of social self-protection of the individual, in our case combatants, we can distinguish the following components: • social capabilities (i.e., prerequisites for social protection, factors that allow to realize professional and entrepreneurial capabilities, age, no criminal record, availability of passport, housing availability, etc.); • employment capabilities (working capacity, psychological state, ability to bear physical and emotional stress, absence of health restrictions); • professional opportunities (level of education, knowledge, skills and practical skills, work experience in the specialty, demand for the profession, the desire to retrain); • entrepreneurial capabilities (ability to do business, experience in business, level of knowledge of entrepreneurial activity).
Based on the existing requirements, we can conclude that for the activation and use of the potential of combatants' self-protection one of the most important prerequisites is social and psychological condition, and therefore, the primary task is effective psychological rehabilitation and social adaptation of veterans.In accordance with the available components and requirements, we have made a pattern of assessing the potential of combatants' social self-protection (Table 1).To assess any component, we use the maximum value of the combatants' self-protection potential (hereinafter -SP) SP = 1, the minimum value of SP = 0, the average value of SP = 0.5.The assessment of SP components is calculated by the formula: where Nc is the sum of the constituent elements of the component that coincide with the corresponding reference requirements; N is the number of constituent parameters characterizing the component.
Depending on the indicators of potential and availability (capabilities) of resources for social self-protection, combatants can be differentiated into groups with maximum, high, medium, and minimum self-protection potential (Fig. 4).

Fig. 4. Model for assessing the potential of combatants' self-protection
An important condition for assessing potential is reliable and complete information about combatants, therefore the introduction of a register of veterans and filling it with relevant information is the key to success in this process.The relationship between government bodies also plays a significant role in collection of relevant information, since the information relates to many areas of combatants' life.It is also acute to constantly monitor the needs and conduct surveys among combatants, namely on the ability to retrain, do business, psychological state and more.
An active policy of combatants' social protection should be based on strengthening and intensifying social self-protection of the person, and the proposed approach to assessing the potential of combatants' social self-protection provides an opportunity for individual and reasoned choice of forms and tools of social protection.Social and labor adaptation and psychological rehabilitation are at the heart of the activation of the potential of combatants' social self-protection.

CONCLUSIONS.
Introduction of an active social protection policy model will enable to:

Fig. 1 .
Fig.1.Analysis of the use of funds for budget programs of veterans'-combatants' social protection for 2018-2020 in Ukraine from the general fund of the state budget, UAH million[8]

Fig. 3 .
Fig. 3. Model for assessing the potential of combatants' self-protection

Table 1 .
Assessment of the potential combatants' social self-protection,