Vol. 29 No. 4 (2019)

The article considers problems of applying the project approach to social project management at the municipal level. It emphasizes that project management of municipal bodies can achieve not only a quantitative, but also a qualitative effect. Project management today is the dominant paradigm of the socio-economic development of municipal territory in various regions of the Russian Federation. The projects’ unique character is to improve the standard of living of the municipal population. The research features the significant current problems of project management at municipal level: a weak organizational aspect, lack of motivation and incentive, low project competence, municipal employees’ “multiple authority”. Project implementation is also impossible due to the lack of financial support and responsibility for failure to achieve project goals, lax control. Based on the project approach the authors developed proposals for improving project management processes at municipal bodies. To research the introduction of project management at local level the authors used statistical and system analysis methods. The paper analyzed the municipal administration management structure and the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of municipal employees based on the Administration of the city of Nizhny Tagil, as an example. The article provides suggestions for improving the municipal projects and socio-economic development programs management in the medium term. It also gives recommendations on project management development using information systems at municipal level. The staff issues of project approach implementation into the local bodies’ activity are considered and the urgency of improving the municipal employees’ project competence is emphasized.

Problem statement: the key issue of public administration in the 21st century is the organization of the use of shared resources, overcoming the “tragedy of shared resources”, that is, the depletion of a common resource due to its overuse, which leads to the depletion of the entire economy, with this resource being its base. The introduction of effective mechanisms for transferring shared resources to the public good and the reproduction of shared resources in the consumption process based on the public good is of no less importance. Scientific task: to consider possible and desirable changes in the activities of local administrations, which would rationalize the available shared resources management and the public good distribution. Methodical base: works by Elinor Ostrom. Materials used: literary sources, the official website of the administration of the city of Ekaterinburg, Internet sources. Main research results: the paper proposes to take a different look at the mission of local authorities and introduce new management technologies focused on shared resources management, rather than “powers enforcement”. Conclusions: today it is crucially important to shift the municipal government focus from the “powers enforcement” and “budget funds spending” to creating conditions for the rational use of shared resources of the territory and providing households and the population with the necessary amount of public good and to transfer the design and coordination of actors from "budget-wallet" institution to the "budget-shared resource” principle.

The purpose of the article is to develop proposals and tools to address the most common problems in the field of the program-target method application in municipal administration. This is necessary to concentrate the municipal resources on solving the highest priority tasks by interconnecting the developed target programs and the municipality development strategy through coordinating the addressed problems, goals, tasks, measures and targets. This will contribute not only to improving the quality of the developed program documents and their budgetary effectiveness, but will also make it possible to assess the level of achievement of priority strategic objectives uniformly formulated in strategic planning documents. In this case, the efficiency of the program-targeted approach will be high. The research methods were logical and system analysis, as well as causal relationships method. The authors highlight the main provisions of the program-target method, consider its advantages and feature typical problems and factors shaping the implementation efficiency. Based on the analysis, the authors revealed that despite numerous research works in this field, no integrated tool has been designed to systematically solve such problems. Hence, the article provides the logical and structural sequence for developing strategic objectives, tasks and planned actions to achieve them, which makes it possible for connecting program documents with the municipality development strategy and assess their efficiency both at the development stage and in the implementation process. The tabular form makes this tool convenient and understandable in practical use, and allows avoiding common mistakes and problems even at planning stage.

The issues of sustainable and spatial development of municipalities are practically not considered in the scientific community, giving way to the study of regions of the Russian Federation and economic regions. However, the local level of government has significant specificity and great potential for study. The article discusses the issues of strategic development methodology in relation to municipalities in terms of determining the supporting framework for the settlement of the territory. The conceptual and theoretical foundations of the study were the work of Ural researchers in the field of sustainable socio-ecological-economic and spatial development of territories. In addition, the article uses materials generated during applied research to develop a “Spatial Development Strategy for the Troitsky Municipal District of the Chelyabinsk Region for the Period Until 2035”. As the main research methods, the ones employing information-adapted (geoinformation) approaches with a combination of visualization, heuristic approaches, classifications and formalized mathematical assessment tools for calculating the population covered and the boundaries of transport accessibility have been used. The research result is the methodological development of the scientific problem of identifying the settlement support framework at the municipal level. The similarity of agglomeration impact principles at settlement level, closest to population is revealed; the name and definition of a small social services center as a growth point for the settlement support framework are proposed; a method of revealing small social services centers is developed and the necessity of employing this tool is substantiated. In addition, the article proposes to identify a multi-level system of social services centers, considering the simultaneous influence of various agglomeration impacts on municipalities. Using the system of municipal services centers in strategic planning by the development of the municipality allows us to consider the territory relative to the existing real settlement system and in isolation from the archaic administrative-territorial structure. As a result, to form targeted events with the greatest coverage in terms of population and a more efficient use of the funds spent. In the future, it is planned to study inter-municipal, inter-regional and cross-border systems of social services centers.

The article deals with the problems of socio-economic development typical for many regions of Russia in the conditions of spatial heterogeneity of the territory at municipal level. The solution to such problems largely relates to studying the “path dependence” or institutional inertia of the previous development, which limits necessary transformations. The administrative-territorial division, as the historical heritage of the previous development, in many cases determines the specifics of local institutions and enlarges the “path dependence”. The paper analyzes administrative-territorial development restrictions associated with the assessment of the basic spatial characteristics of municipalities. The methodology for conducting such an analysis involves the use of informationally adapted (geoinformation) approaches using a combination of visualization, heuristic approaches, classifications and formalized mathematical assessment tools. A similar analysis was carried out for a group of municipalities in the central part of the Chelyabinsk region. In this case, there is quite a representative indicator of spatial problems of the old industrial territories. According to the analysis and research results, the article presents a number of conceptual and methodological provisions on institutional transformations in spatial development management. They are targeted at developing effective inter-municipal interaction for a system of heterogeneous municipalities.

T the present stage of socio-economic development, the study of the laws and characteristics of the location of cities in the hierarchy of spatial economic entities is becoming urgent. The purpose of the study is to analyze the theoretical concepts of spatial development of territories in domestic and foreign literature. Research methods: logical, systemic and complex analysis, classification method. The results of studies of the founder of the spatial economy I. Thünen are presented. The factors of concentration of enterprises in cities and the preconditions of the agglomeration economy developed by A. Marshall are considered. A retrospective analysis of the concepts of the new economic geography is carried out: P. Krugman, M. Fujit, E. Venables, G. Hanson, G. Garretsen and M. Scrum. A block of works dedicated to the urban agglomeration economy is highlighted. Theories of the size of the city are studied in the works of T. Gulden and A. Hammond, K. Paulsen, E. Deliktas, R. Camagni, C. Francisco and F. Lanzhiouva and others. The works of Russian scientists who created the system of economic zoning of the USSR for rational distribution are examined productive forces in the territorial space. The study revealed the incompleteness of the process of forming a theoretical and methodological system that describes the patterns of urban development in the hierarchy of spatial economic entities in Russia. The spatial aspect of the functioning of cities cannot be objectively analyzed by existing methods. The results obtained can be used as a theoretical basis in researching the Russian cities systems and to develop the urban geography theory, a subsection of geographical science with an emphasis on urban aspect.

The given article considers organizational and legal consequences of GOST R56877-2016, valid since January 2, 2017 to provide legal assistance to consumers, its impact on the activities of practicing lawyers and other specialists engaged in merchandise, works and services turnover. The article provides the author’s subjective opinion on the algorithm of one of the most common forms of legal assistance in practice consultation, as well as the opinion on the ongoing discussion in the scientific literature on the admissibility of recognition of acts of the highest judicial authorities as sources of law. The article reveals the contents of the eight basic rules of norms interpretation. The paper highlights the progress of the implemented judicial reform and its interim results revealing in establishment of the new courts in the Federal Districts. These courts take on all cases to be assessed for legality and validity of acts of lower courts. With them, new opportunities for practicing lawyers open up and guarantees strengthen to protect the rights and legitimate interests of citizens and legal entities. The ongoing reform of judicial system is of direct and primary importance for the consumer field, where in the merchandise turnover with the provision of services and the performance of work, abuses and violations of consumer rights arise. In the author’s opinion, for law enforcement activities of lawyers practicing in the field of consumer relations in modern conditions, the formation of professional knowledge and skills to use them in a rapidly changing legislation, the emergence of new legal regulators (legal remedies), as well as changes in the judicial system state. The article also considers other issues of theory and legal practice that are of professional interest to law enforcement entities.

Subject: views of scientists and legal norms on the organizational structure of the state civil service of the Russian Federation and municipal service in the Russian Federation. The aim of the work is to identify the types of legal relations in the sphere of state and municipal service and their content, to determine the organizational structure of the civil service and municipal service. Methods and methodology: general scientific methods (system analysis, General legal synthesis, system modeling), special scientific methods (comparative law, formal legal, method of law interpretation). Research result. The paper reveals that the organizational structure of the state and municipal service is associated with the classification of public service into types and levels, these types and levels are identified. Special attention is given to the system of civil and municipal service positiond, the class ranks system, the structure and staff of the state and municipal bodies, the state and municipal service management bodies. A comparative analysis of organizational structures of public service of some far and near abroad countries is carried out. Proposals to improve the Russian legislation on state and municipal service, to improve the structure of state and municipal bodies are justified. Scientific novelty. Scientific novelty consists in the analysis of normative legal acts and scientific literature on the organizational structure of the state civil service of the Russian Federation and municipal service in the Russian Federation. Previously, these issues have not been comprehensive studied.

Subject: investment portals of the RF regions demonstrating the highest growth in investment attractiveness indicators and high dynamics of rating value changes, according to the Agency for Strategic Initiatives. Purpose of research: to analyze the investment portals activity, as well as their traffic and usability for a potential investor to establish the relationship between the activity of the official investment site of the region and the growth of industrial production and investment attractiveness. Methods and methodology: general scientific methods (system analysis, general legal synthesis, system modeling), special scientific methods (logical, system, structural-functional and comparative analysis.). Research results. The article considers the essence of digital technologies and their impact on the investment attractiveness level of the region. The research analyzes the quality of information support of the state investment policy in the Sverdlovsk region and the regions with a high position in the Agency for Strategic Initiatives rating. The successful experience of the proactive Russian regions in promoting investment projects in the digital space is considered. By way of conclusion, recommendations for the authorities and industrial entities of the Sverdlovsk region are provided. Scientific novelty. The scientific novelty consists in analyzing the official investment portals of the Russian Federation through special marketing analysis and website analysis tools making it possible to reveal the portal visitors’ activity and relevant information obtaining methods. The result of work. As a result, methodological recommendations for the Sverdlovsk regional government, the Ministry of investment and development of the Sverdlovsk region, the Agency for attracting investments are given on promoting the investment attractiveness of the region and on the working procedure with the official Internet resource.

Ineffective strategic management leads to a number of problems impedes the efficient and successful operation of an enterprise. Problems of the proximate survival of an enterprise, search for partners, development of efficient production or sale of goods, formation of the creative nature of labor, (in present days, due to gradual competition intensification, various awards are becoming increasingly important), complete mission implementation problem, designing the effective development strategy of an enterprise are among these problems. The strategic priorities setting solves the problems of promising types of economic activity under uncertain, in terms of information, future market conditions and policies in relation to those types of business that are successful today. Because of the increasing character of these changes, many enterprises operate in conditions of strategic surprises, loss of control over changes in external environment, slowdown in growth and in conditions of limited financial resources. This problem is relevant both for wholesale and retail trade: the external environment turbulence and the macroeconomic indicators instability make the survival issue extremely urgent for the enterprises in this field. These problems are of particular importance in the context of developing large networks, which often force small enterprises out of the market, and this in its turn often negatively affects the quality of the products and services.

The purpose of the article is to consider the existing and feasible investment tools for the rural territories development (considering the Penza region as an example). Penza region demonstrated the positive dynamics of investments into of rural territories development. At the same time, the greater part of investment is directed to creation and development of production facilities. The rural social infrastructure objects are also invested in but though smaller rates. As for the structure of investment financing sources, these days they are primarily the agricultural producers’ own funds and also the private investors’ means. This indicates the high interest in the agro-industrial sector on the part of business considering the relatively high and sustainable investment efficiency neutralizing all possible risks associated with the agricultural production specifics. Negative trends include the almost complete lack of investment in education in rural areas, poor measures to improve the territories of rural settlements with regard to equipping them with communication facilities and the Internet, and low interest in investing in rural recreational areas. All this indicates the need for a detailed consideration of the investment mechanism of rural territories development and the identification of its functioning difficulties. The scientific novelty of the research is to create an analytical basis to confirm the hypothesis of the urgent need to use such methods and tools of investing in rural development that would satisfy the economic interests of all stakeholders: the state, private investors, rural entrepreneurship and the population.