INSTITUTIONAL ROLE OF THE MINISTRY OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN SHAPING THE DIGITAL STATE ARCHITECTURE

Abstract

The article provides a comprehensive political analysis of the transformation of Ukraine’s state architecture through the lens of the Ministry of Digital Transformation’s (MinTsifra) activities between 2019 and 2025. The author moves away from the traditional description of the technological advantages of the “Diia” service, focusing instead on the study of institutional design as a decisive factor in the success of reforms. The study is based on a synthesis of the neo-institutional approach, J. Kingdon’s “multiple streams” theory, and the principal-agent model. The paper reveals in detail the functioning of the “horizontal vertical” through the introduction of the CDTO (Chief Digital Transformation Officer) institute, which is viewed as a tool for overcoming departmental fragmentation and bureaucratic resistance. Special attention is paid to the analysis of a hybrid institutional culture that combines IT industry startup approaches (product management, agility, user-centricity) with formal civil service regulations. Furthermore, the article explores the conceptualization of “digital state architecture” as a multi-layered system where the Ministry of Digital Transformation acts as a chief architect-strategist rather than just a technical executor. The author analyzes the dynamics of Ukraine’s international positioning: from a recipient of Estonian experience (the “Trembita” system) to a global exporter of GovTech solutions (the mRiik application for Estonia). The political risks of high institutional personalization and the 2025 strategic transition to an AI-based “agentic state” model–marking a new stage of digitalization beyond the personal leadership of individual political figures–are examined separately