National projects and improvement of monitoring of their implementation in the sphere of lifelong vocational training

This is a concept article proposing trends and methods to improve monitoring of national projects in terms of training personnel for professional development programs at all levels. The paper is based on analysing Russian and international methodologies and practices of education development monitoring. The problem of precise defining personnel development quantitative indicators within national projects implementation is significant both for universities as a part of management decision planning and for government structures, with an information database (correctly representing the process and results of implementing national projects) to be relied upon by the latter. The analysis of Russian federal statistic monitoring forms of personnel development has revealed a number of weaknesses which complicate regular monitoring of national projects implementation. The research has also shown examples of incorrect key indicators setting. The article mainly aims at proposing directions for personnel development methods in ongoing professional development education system according to national project purposes in this part. The article compares EU’s, OECD’s, USA’s, and Russian methodologies and basic monitoring techniques for personnel development. There are revealed their significant differences, advantages and disadvantages, including those used within cross-country comparisons. The analysis shows that foreign models of projects framework cannot be applied to operational monitoring of national projects implementation. The Russian system of federal statistical monitoring requires a certain modification, which can be implemented quite easily and can provide monitoring of national projects implementation in terms of professional development. The article proposes suggestions on improving the monitoring system of national projects implementation according to monitoring purposes. Besides, it can be a basis for future harmonization research for Russian and foreign methodologies of education monitoring. Universities may use the suggestions expressed in the paper for improving national projects implementation monitoring as a part of their management practice. It will allow them to estimate a status and efficiency of their contribution to national projects implementation. The newly proposed methods of national projects realization monitoring can be used by educational bodies and universities within personnel training and improving the system of lifelong vocational training. These methods may be of help when developing control national projects implementation monitoring and vocational training system monitoring in general or in its parts.