Modern prospects for the development of intersectoral social partnership in single-industry towns

Mkhitaryan David Arturovich Graduate student, Department of Modern State and Municipal Management, Russian State Social University 129226, Russia, Moscow region, Moscow, Wilhelm Peak str., 4, building 1 david.mhit@gmail.com

Ryabova Tatiana Mikhailovna PhD in Sociology Assistant professor, Department of Modern State and Municipal Management, Russian State Social University 129226, Russia, Moscow region, Moscow, Wilhelm Peak str., 4, building 1 rjabovatm@rgsu.net

        In recent years, single-industry towns have faced a number of difficult challenges related to the restructuring of the economy and the decline in the role of traditional industries. These problems often lead to a deterioration of the socio-economic situation, an increase in unemployment and a lack of investment. In the light of these challenges, there is a need to develop effective strategies and mechanisms for cooperation between the state, business and public organizations within the framework of intersectoral social partnership.

A single–industry town is a locality that depends on one main industry or economic activity, which usually provides the bulk of employment ^{[6, p. 227]}.

A distinctive feature of such cities is that they are subject to special risks associated with changes in the economy and other external factors.

Let's also consider the distribution of single-industry towns by federal districts of the Russian Federation. Table 1 shows the official data as of the beginning of 2022.

Table 1 - Distribution of single-industry towns by federal districts of the Russian Federation by categories depending on the risks of deterioration of their socio-economic situation (compiled by the author based on materials ^[12])

Based on the data in Table 1, it can be noted that in the Russian Federation there are single-industry towns in all federal districts. They are mainly located in the Volga region and Siberia.

The population of single-industry towns by federal districts of the Russian Federation at the beginning of 2022 is shown in Table 2.

Table 2 – The population of single-industry towns in the federal districts of the Russian Federation by category, depending on the risks of deterioration of their socio-economic situation (compiled by the author based on materials ^[12])

The problem of single-industry towns in the Russian Federation today remains one of the most painful and complex. Analyzing the territorial location of single–industry towns on the territory of the Russian Federation, it is worth noting that the largest single–industry subject of the Russian Federation in terms of the number of single-industry towns is the Kemerovo region, on the territory of which there are 24 single-industry towns, in second place in terms of the number of single-industry towns is the Sverdlovsk region (17 single-industry towns), in third place is the Chelyabinsk region (16 single-industry towns). At the moment, there are about 319 single-industry organizations in the Russian Federation, on the territory of which more than 15 million people live ^{[14, p. 204]}.

Every fourth city in the country is considered a mono-profile, and the share of products of city-forming enterprises located in single-industry towns reaches 40% of domestic GDP. According to Rosstat, at the end of 2022, single-industry towns occupy a significant part of the economic space: almost 13 million people are concentrated in them, which is about 9% of all residents of the country ^[12]. Consequently, the influence of monoterritories on the economic development of the Russian Federation is quite obvious.

Today, the federal authorities allocate significant funds for the development of single-industry towns, and mechanisms for supporting and modernizing the economy of such territorial entities are being developed and borrowed from world practice. However, there is insufficient effectiveness of existing mechanisms for supporting single-industry entities. As the main drawbacks, it is worth noting that the program does not correspond to strategic national priorities — the creation of high-performance jobs, an increase in labor productivity growth ^{[3, p. 16]}.

The current Spatial Development Strategy of the Russian Federation contains a partial solution to the existing problems of single-industry towns. According to this document, 57.3 billion rubles will be allocated for the state program for the development of single-industry towns in the period 2019-2024. This program should establish the steady development of single-industry towns on the territory of the Russian Federation, stimulating their socio-economic aspects, in particular, among the tasks of the program are highlighted (Figure 1):

Figure 1 – Directions of development of single-industry towns in Russia (compiled by the author based on materials ^[12])

To date, one of the promising areas for the sustainable development of single-industry towns is intersectoral social partnership (intersectoral interaction).

Intersectoral social partnership is the cooperation of public, private and public organizations in order to solve socio–economic problems and improve the quality of life of the population ^{[6, p. 228]}.

Intersectoral interaction is a process of interaction between business, the state and non–profit organizations based on partnerships to achieve common goals, including those useful not only for each participant of such a form of interaction, but also having a socially significant effect ^{[9, p. 65]}.

In single-industry towns, intersectoral social partnership is of great importance for the development of the economy and the social sphere. One of the main advantages of intersectoral social partnership is the possibility of combining the resources of various parties to solve common problems. For example, the state can provide funding for social programs, business structures can provide jobs, and public organizations can assist in organizing volunteer programs and other social events. Intersectoral social partnership can manifest itself through various forms of cooperation, including information exchange, dialogue and consultations, general project planning, collective agreements, etc. ^{[7, p. 609]}.

The benefits of intersectoral social partnership include more balanced and effective solutions, taking into account the interests of all stakeholders, increasing the legitimacy of decisions made and reducing conflicts. At the same time, it is important to ensure equal participation and representation of all parties, transparency and openness of processes, as well as effective coordination between various participants ^{[10, p. 455]}.

The organization of intersectoral social partnership for the development of single-industry towns in Russia includes the following stages (Figure 2):

Figure 2 – Stages of the organization of intersectoral social partnership for the development of single-industry towns in Russia (compiled by the author based on materials ^[10])

When organizing intersectoral social partnership for the development of single-industry towns in Russia, it is necessary to understand that each single-industry town has its own unique features and challenges, therefore, the approach to organizing intersectoral social partnership may differ in each case. However, the basic principles of interaction and cooperation can be applied to effectively solve the problems of the development of single-industry towns in Russia ^[8].

Let's analyze the practice of implementing intersectoral social partnership in single-industry towns.

For example, a social center has been established in Novomoskovsk, Tula region, which provides services for leisure, employment, counseling and psychological assistance, as well as sports and cultural events. This center was created with the support of the local administration, business structures and public organizations ^{[6, p. 229]}.

In order to achieve the best results, it is necessary to continue the development and increase the effectiveness of intersectoral social partnership in single-industry towns. Various methods can be used for this.

One of the key means for the development of intersectoral social partnership is the creation of a platform for the exchange of information and coordination of actions between the partnership participants. In the modern world, such a platform can become a digital platform that allows you to organize online coordination of actions, exchange of information and resources between the participants of the partnership. For example, platforms such as "Monitoring the socio-economic situation in single-industry towns" and "Electronic City Manager" are successfully used in some single-industry towns in Russia to coordinate actions and solve socio-economic problems.

The use of digital platforms in intersectoral social partnership has led to a complete transformation of interaction between participants. These platforms provide a virtual space for the exchange of information, resources and experience, ensuring timely communication and decision-making. Thanks to digital platforms, partnership participants can better cooperate in solving social problems and use resources more efficiently.

In addition, innovative approaches play an important role in the development of intersectoral social partnership. Innovations are applied in various fields, including manufacturing, services and the social sphere. For example, in the city of Zelenogradsk, a public organization "Green City" was created, which focuses on the development of eco-technologies and improving the environmental situation in the city ^{[2, p. 8]}.

One of the examples of successful intersectoral social partnership in a single-industry town is the project "School of New Technologies" in the city of Krasnokamensk. Within the framework of the project, an innovative educational platform was created that allows children from a single-industry town to receive high-quality education in the field of information technology ^{[6, p. 230]}.

Another example of a successful intersectoral social partnership is the Ruzaevka Economic Cluster project. Within the framework of the project, a project team was created, including representatives of the city administration, the business community and educational institutions. The cluster is engaged in the development of the city's economy, the creation of new jobs and improving the quality of life of local residents ^{[13, p. 24]}.

Also an example of a successful intersectoral social partnership is the project "Territory of Success" in the city of Kirovo-Chepetsk. The project was created with the aim of improving the health and quality of life of local residents. Within the framework of the project, works were carried out on the improvement of the city, the creation of sports facilities, the development of educational programs and the organization of events for the local community.

It is worth noting that in 2022, on the initiative of the Single-Industry Towns Development Fund (VEB Group.Russia) launched a large-scale project "Mentoring", the purpose of which was mutual support and exchange of best practices between single-industry territories. To date, 9 mentoring agreements have been signed, each of which is aimed at improving specific areas: working with small businesses, developing the urban environment and human capital, attracting investment, and developing digital technologies ^[4].

Within the framework of this project, single-industry towns-leaders of the annual rating of the Fund TOP-10 take territories that also strive to be among the best. So, the monotown of Tutaev of the Yaroslavl region took patronage over Novomichurinsky of the Ryazan region, and Nevinnomyssk of the Stavropol Territory works with two monotowns of Karelia at once – Segezha and Nadvoitsy. Mentor cities themselves choose the territories with which they will work within the framework of the project and, based on the analysis of the most acute problems of their ward, select promising areas for interaction ^[5].

For example, Kuvshinovo is a small single–industry town in the Tver region with a population of about 10 thousand people. Dependence on the city-forming enterprise and low investment activity did not allow the city to move from mono-dependence to sustainable development. The closure of several large enterprises of the forestry and food industry has led to a reduction in the number of able-bodied population. The city's team saw the solution to this problem in the creation of a territory of advanced socio-economic development (TOP). In fact, this is a platform with unique tax preferences for investors, where there is no tax on land, on profits, and insurance premiums are also reduced.  The practice of obtaining the status of TOP Kuvshinovo was transferred by the mentor city of Kotovsk, Tambov region.

One of these days Kotovsk will take another single–industry town - Pestovo of the Novgorod region to its wards. Together they will work on the development of the urban environment.

Tutaev Yaroslavl region in 2020 launched its own development – the system of electronic management of the municipality "Smart city". This is a platform that includes several areas: online work with citizens' appeals, city project management, control of dispatching organizations and utilities. Tutaev handed over the practice of introducing a "smart" municipality to Novomichurinsk of the Ryazan Region in order to increase the level of interaction of the administration with enterprises and institutions of the city in the monotown.

In addition to Novomichurinsk, Tutaev implemented a "smart" system in Krasnoarmeysk, Samara region, Siversky settlement of Leningrad region, Sosvinsky settlement of Sverdlovsk region, Zalesovsky district of Altai Territory and Rybinsk, Yaroslavl Region. That is, now the program is actively used not only in single-industry towns ^[5].

The Tutaev administration recorded its best development practices in the book "Municipality 2.0" and handed it over to Novomichurinsk. The book tells about motivation, lean technologies and the use of online services for the work of the administration.

Another area of work between single-industry towns was interaction with residents.

The exchange of best practices helps single-industry towns to implement projects together, improve the quality of life and even move away from monadependence ^{[1, p. 109]}. Mentoring Project it has become one of the mechanisms for the effective development of municipalities.

Effective project management is an integral part of a successful intersectoral social partnership. To achieve this goal, we use project management tools based on technologies that allow us to track the completion of tasks, monitor progress and analyze data. This approach increases the efficiency of work and allows you to get more detailed reports ^[11].

Table 3 shows the rating of Russian regions with a large number of large single-industry towns.

Table 3 - Ratings of Russian regions with a large number of single-industry towns and population (compiled by the author based on materials ^[12])

To date, single-industry towns in Russia are included in the program of integrated development of single-industry towns of territories of advanced socio-economic development (TOP). Figure 3 shows statistical data on the results of this program.  

Figure 3 – Statistics of the results of the program for the development of single-industry towns (compiled by the author based on materials ^[15])

The following recommendations are proposed to improve intersectoral social partnership in single-industry towns of Russia:

1. Creation of information platforms and digital resources for information exchange and coordination of actions between participants of intersectoral social partnership.

2. Support and development of networks and communities of intersectoral social partnership in single-industry towns of Russia for the exchange of experience and dissemination of best practices.

3. Organization of regular meetings, forums and seminars for participants of intersectoral social partnership in order to discuss problems, find solutions and form common strategic goals.

4. Conducting training and training programs for representatives of all sectors of the economy and social organizations in order to improve their knowledge and skills in the field of intersectoral partnership.

5. Establishment of mechanisms for assessing the effectiveness of intersectoral social partnership in single-industry towns by developing a set of indicators and monitoring their achievements.

6. Support and encouragement of innovative initiatives that contribute to the development of intersectoral social partnership in single-industry towns.

7. Development and implementation of joint development projects that will contribute to economic growth, improvement of the social sphere and infrastructure of single-industry towns.

8. Development and support of partnership models with the participation of local and regional authorities, private companies and non-governmental organizations to solve the socio-economic problems of single-industry towns.

9. Establishment of regulatory and legal frameworks for the recognition and support of intersectoral social partnership in single-industry towns.

10. Creation of mechanisms to ensure transparency, openness and responsibility in the activities of intersectoral social partnership in single-industry towns.

Thus, it can be concluded that intersectoral social partnership today plays an important role in improving the development of single-industry towns in Russia. This model of cooperation makes it possible to combine the efforts of the state, business and public organizations to solve problems related to the development of single-industry towns. With the help of intersectoral social partnership, it is possible to implement new technologies and modernize infrastructure, which will create new jobs and increase economic activity in single-industry towns.

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