The mechanism of responsibility distribution between the centers of rural agglomeration in the context of the development of social infrastructure

Agriculture, as a key sector of the country, is experiencing an acute shortage of qualified and highly qualified personnel. It is possible to replenish labor resources of the leading sector of the economy by creating comfortable living conditions in rural areas. One of the most important tools for the integrated development of rural areas is rural agglomeration, the spatial model of which is based on a polycentric model. The article proposes a mechanism for distributing the area of responsibility between the centers of rural agglomeration in the context of the allocation of budget subsidies and grants for the development of social infrastructure in rural areas within the framework of inter-municipal cooperation. The developed approach includes a methodology for assessing the possibilities of developing social infrastructure in each center of a rural agglomeration according to criteria formulated in the context of estimated resource costs. The criteria are based on an analysis of the availability of social infrastructure facilities, their condition, transport accessibility, provision of the relevant sphere with qualified personnel, and public satisfaction with the quality of services provided. To minimize the subjectivist approach to assessment, a three-point scale with low, medium and high levels of compliance has been introduced. The compiled economic and mathematical model makes it possible to use widely accepted mathematical methods in solving the problem. The proposed mechanism has been tested in the municipal districts of the south-east of the Nizhny Novgorod region. The results of the approbation are described in detail in the work. The results of the study can be used not only as a methodology for determining the areas of responsibility between the centers of rural agglomeration in terms of the development of social infrastructure, but also as a mechanism for state support of the most important projects in the rural areas.