Management of development of territories: problems and methodological support

The transformation of Russia’s economic and political system in the 1990s was accompanied by growing problems in the development of the country as a whole and in its regions and municipalities. There emerged a necessity to develop theoretical and methodological foundations and practical recommendations on managing the development of territories, the need for a deeper analysis of trends and issues of socio-economic development under new market conditions. This research area has become a priority in the activities of the Institute of Socio- Economic Development of Territories of the Russian Academy of Sciences founded in Vologda in 1990. During the 25-year history of the Institute, its staff carried out a large number of research works in the field of analysis and management of socio-economic development of municipalities; several of these works were commissioned by the municipal authorities. Various techniques and methodological approaches were developed and tested, they include the assessment of the level and differentiation of socio-economic development of municipalities, the point-rating method for assessing the development potential of municipalities, the methodology for assessing the level of city competitiveness, for calculating gross city product, the effectiveness of socio- economic development of municipalities, the effectiveness of regional development policies of municipalities, the calculation of the index of comfort of living in the city. Besides, comprehensive monitoring studies are carried out, they include the monitoring of living conditions in the city of Vologda (based on the sociological survey of its residents) and the monitoring of reforming local government in the Vologda Oblast (on the basis of the poll of municipal entities heads). The recommendations and proposals of the Institute are reflected in the strategic and normative acts of the regional authorities and bodies of local government of the Vologda Oblast. This article summarizes the findings of the research carried out at the Institute of Socio-Economic Development of Territories of the Russian Academy of Sciences and aimed to solve the issues of socio-economic development of municipalities. Main research findings are usually published in monographs and articles of the Institute staff, references to the most important of these works are presented in the list of references at the end of the paper.