Strategic guidelines and priority directions for sustainable development of rural communities and territories in Ukraine in the context of power decentralization

The purpose of the article is is to determine strategic guidelines and priority directions of sustainable socio-economic development of rural communities and territories in the conditions of power decentralization and self-government reform in Ukraine. Research methods. The techniques of the abstract-logical method, analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, analogy and comparison were used to generalise the study's theoretical and methodological aspects. In analytical studies, some economic and statistical methods were used to diagnose the trends in the development of rural communities and territories in the context of decentralization of power (comparative analysis, averages and relative values, statistical groupings, trend analysis, graphical method, index analysis, etc.)— some forms of abstract-logical tools allowed to formulate intermediate and final conclusions and proposals. Research results. It is proved that the sustainable development of rural communities and territories presupposes the unity and balance of its four components: economic, social, ecological and institutional. The economic component should be based on obtaining the maximum aggregate income while maintaining and increasing the working aggregate capital and production volumes of competitive products; social - on creating the optimal social conditions and improving the quality of human life as the primary value of the society; ecological - on the balance of biological and natural systems, the integrity of the biosphere and ecosystem and their ability to self-reproduction; institutional - on strengthening the institution's role in ensuring sustainable socio-economic development of rural communities and territories. Together, they constitute strategic guidelines for sustainable socio-economic development of rural communities and territories and provide specific priority directions. Scientific novelty. In the article, the complex of strategic guidelines and priority directions of sustainable socio-economic development of rural communities and territories in power decentralization and self-government reform at the primary level on Економіка АПК, 2021, № 8 101 four components have been improved (economic, social, ecological and institutional). This will substantiate the methods and mechanisms of implementation of state policy to ensure its. Practical significance. The defined and substantiated strategic guidelines and priority directions set out in the article can be taken into account in developing effective targeted government policy aimed at sustainable socio-economic development of rural communities and territories in Ukraine. Tabl.: 3. Figs.: 4. Refs.: 22.