Methodological approaches to assessing the effectiveness of government support for small and medium businesses

Aim. The work aimed to develop a comprehensive methodology for assessing the effectiveness of government support measures for small and medium businesses in the Russian Federation. Objectives. The work seeks to substantiate the role of small and medium businesses in achieving priority goals of socio-economic development; to systematize and characterize approaches to assessing the effectiveness of government support measures for small and medium businesses; to identify their advantages and disadvantages; to propose a methodology for assessing the effectiveness of government support measures. Methods. The article author used the comparative-analytical method, as well as methods of analysis and synthesis, deduction and induction, and the grouping method. Results. A critical analysis of methodological approaches to assessing the effectiveness of government support measures for small and medium businesses was conducted. The work also determined advantages and disadvantages, completeness of the assessment and the possibility of using the results obtained in terms of optimizing the support measures. The article author proposed a methodology for assessing effectiveness based on indicators of government expenditures on supporting small and medium businesses, presenting the socio-economic results and performance indicators of small and medium-sized enterprises, their contribution to socio-economic development. The work presents an algorithm for calculating key performance indicators. Conclusions. Under conditions of increased uncertainty and sanctions pressure on the national economic system, the changing conditions of the small and medium-sized business sector operation necessitate the expansion of the methods used to assess the effectiveness of government support measures for the sector in order to implement the principle of comprehensiveness, obtain complete and reliable data that can be used to adapt government policy to the current needs of small and medium businesses, as well as to increase the level of resource availability, and reduce administrative and economic barriers. Comprehensive multi-criteria methods can be used to assess the effectiveness of stabilizing and (or) stimulating measures, the degree of effectiveness of authorized bodies, the degree of compliance with the principles of adaptability and targeting of government support measures.