Nikovskaya L.I., Yakimets V.N. Municipal public policy as a factor in the formation of participatory governance (using the Vologda region as an example). Local law. 2026. No. 1. Pp. 3-16.

Abstract

The article presents the results of a sociological study of the features of municipal public policy (hereinafter referred to as MPP) in the city district of Vologda, in comparison with its state in the Vologda municipal district, which implements an active format of participatory management based on intersectoral partnership technologies and increased public involvement through digital networking methods of interaction with the population. It is shown that in the situation of the ongoing reforms in the field of local self-government, which the Vologda Region has actively pursued, as well as in the situation of the change of the governor's office in the fall of 2023, the municipal authorities of Vologda have chosen a passive style of response, which fundamentally dissatisfied the active segments of the local community, represented by small and medium-sized businesses. This has led to the formation of a disruptive type of municipal public policy and the potential for social dissatisfaction. The prospect of celebrating the 880th anniversary of the regional capital in 2027 forced the new governor to propose a manager with a more activist style of public policy formation and a reliance on the New Public Governance model of state/municipal governance.The new mayor, S. Zhestyannikov, who has a successful track record of implementing intersectoral partnership technologies in the Vologda Municipal District and experience in conducting strategic sessions in the region in the context of developing the region's development strategy under the new governor, has proposed a program for the city's development that relies on the initiative of non-profit organizations and business representatives to cooperate resources, search for and develop technologies for joint activities in order to diagnose and successfully address the socio-economic and socio-cultural challenges of the city and establish priorities for the territory's development, which is crucial for the formation and implementation of the region's strategic development in the near future. This confirms the global trend of public administration transitioning towards strengthening societies.