GOAL SETTING AS THE CORE OF STRATEGIC PLANNING

Contrary to various arguments such as “plan or market”, it should be recognized that any activity – economic, managerial, etc. – necessarily involves the presence of some meaningful target principles. Another thing is that these principles can be implemented in forms that differ both in the breadth and depth of coverage of the planned changes and the intended methods of their implementation. The sphere of state and municipal administration (in general – public authority), where objective goal setting is traditionally considered as one of the main conditions for achieving the desired result, also fully falls under this general principle. And in modern conditions, the sphere of activity of public authority remains a necessary “field” for the use of targeted management principles. Moreover, the consistent transition to the strategic nature of such management gives the presence of such principles, their objectivity, of particular importance. The article mentions some approaches to long-term goal setting that have developed in the domestic economy during the planned period of its functioning, and also examines modern interpretations of the advancement of target settings in the sphere of economic and social development.