This study aims to identify, systematize, and analyze existing scientific and practical approaches to crisis management, with a focus on the process approach as one of the key elements of contemporary crisis management. The author has defined key characteristics for conducting a comparative analysis of the most commonly used scientific-theoretical approaches to crisis management: riskoriented, systemic, synergetic, socio-constructivist, and process approaches. The article emphasizes that various theoretical and methodological approaches can illuminate different aspects of a crisis situation, providing diverse interpretations of its characteristics. The universal characteristics used for comparison are identified as: concept, objective, object, management structure, outcome, adaptability to crises, advantage factor, scalability of response, interdisciplinarity, integration of information flows, resource requirements, and resilience to crises. Comparing these approaches has revealed that each possesses unique strengths and features, making it effective in certain crisis management contexts. The article examines the current scientific national and international perspective on the characteristics of the process approach in crisis management. It is emphasized that crisis management as a process is a sequence of structured stages and actions aimed at effective detection, analysis, response, recovery, and adaptation in crisis situations. The author proposes an original model for structuring the main stages of crisis development (pre-crisis, signal, crisis, stabilization, post-crisis stages). These stages of crisis are correlated
ISSN (рrint) 2708-7530Наукові перспективи № 3(45) 2024 20 with the following stages of crisis management: readiness, response, management, adaptation and recovery, evaluation, and lesson learning. The article highlights that the process approach, as a methodology for organizing and improving activity, can contribute to more effective resource management, increased flexibility, and the ability to quickly adapt in response to crisis situations. It is highlighted that the process approach differs from more static approaches by focusing on the relationships, interactions, and evolution of various system elements.Keywords: crisis, scientific and practical approaches to crisis management, process approach, stages of the process approach to crisis management.