The improvement of strategic planning mechanisms for municipalities in the Russian Federation

The purpose of the study is to substantiate the main directions and tasks of the municipal reform in the Russian Federation from the position of active inclusion of local self-government bodies in the practice of strategic planning. The research methods are based on the analysis of modern municipal management practices, current and prospective regulatory documents at federal and regional levels, regional and municipal statistics, as well as the generalization of provisions contained in the scientific literature on the problems of municipal development and management. The results of the study are concentrated in the conclusions regarding the need to designate the active participation of local governments in the practice of strategic planning in the country as the main task of further steps of municipal reform. These results can be reflected in the new Foundations of State Policy for Local Self-government.