TRAVIN DENIS GEORGIEVICH

The article examines the project activity system at the regional level within the framework of publicadministration.The authors highlight the methodological,organizational,and terminological aspects of implementing projects at various levels and stress the value of the project approach as an instrument for boosting public administration efficiency and raising the quality of public services. It is noted that despite the introduction of a number of procedures aimed at improving the effectiveness of the project approach, such as,for example,the “project guillotine”,general imperfections remain,and the approach itself requires further development.The article examines the State Unitary Enterprise «Fuel and Energy Complex of Saint Petersburg» as an example of a successful heat supplysystem modernization project and explores how this project has benefited the region's social and economic development. Additionally, the study provides the summary of the legal and regulatory framework that the Russian Federation's public authorities use to oversee project activities. The article points out that the regulatory and legal framework of the Russian Federation provides for four types of projects,while no unified terminological system has developed at the regional level. The authors emphasize the need to eliminate the terminological inconsistency of the regional and federal regulatory and legal framework, which will contribute to improving the efficiency of project activities.

The article analyzes the criteria used to assess the level of socio-economic development in regions for their compliance with the objectives of regional policy. It is concluded that it is necessary to specify the objectives of this policy in the legislation. The author says that the existing systems for evaluating the performance of high officials and executive bodies of the constituent entities are not adapted as development goals for the region. The paper notes that for the policy of the regions, the issue of the demarcation of powers between the center and its territories is of fundamental importance. From this point of view, current trends in regional politics of the European Union and Russia are analyzed. The author makes a forecast on prospective changes in the policy of regional development and the conclusion about the need to stimulate regional competition, expand regional powers and resource base. The article proposes to make large urban agglomerations the basis for promoting a new regional policy. Also, the author touches on the question of allocating the problems of regional development into a separate block of competencies with priority powers within the Government of the Russian Federation.