Development and testing of methods for evaluating the effectiveness of state support tools for small and medium-sized enterprises at the regional level

The article discusses the results of the development and testing of the methodology for assessing the effectiveness of instruments of state support for small and medium-sized enterprises (hereinafter referred to as SMEs) at the level of the subjects of the Russian Federation. As a methodological approach to assessing performance, the authors proposed to use methods of economic and mathematical modeling, correlation and regression analysis, as well as systematic approach. The authors of the article developed and presented an original methodology for assessing the effectiveness of state support instruments, which provides for the selection of criteria for assessing the effectiveness of SMEs, their regulation, subsequent ranking and graphic interpretation of the results. The authors proposed and substantiated the main groups of criteria for assessing the effectiveness of state support programs for small and medium-sized businesses, described their composition, presented the distribution of ranks for each indicator, and also gave a graphical interpretation of the results obtained in the course of researching the problem, using the materials on the Ural Federal District over the past 7 years. The results of approbation showed consistently low indicators in most of the studied regions of the Russian Federation, as well as insufficient influence of the existing level of state support for small and medium-sized enterprises on the general economic indicators of the regions. Thus, the study proved the need to develop new approaches and improve on their basis the mechanisms of interaction between government and business structures.