Assessing the potential effects of implementing territorial development mechanisms: a methodological approach

Representatives of the scientific community and experts in the field of territorial management have developed a significant number of tools and mechanisms designed to facilitate the development of territorial units at various levels. Their multiplicity and variability make it necessary to select those that are most effective in the current conditions. A wise choice of mechanisms enables the effective use of available resources (financial, human, and natural), avoiding waste and unnecessary investments, facilitating the resolution of existing territorial problems, and ensuring increased competitiveness. The subject of this study is an assessment of the effectiveness of territorial development mechanisms. The aim of the work is to propose a methodological approach defining the key characteristics of such an assessment. The authors devote special attention to substantiating the theoretical basis of this methodology. The theoretical and methodological foundation of the study is comprised of a set of scientific concepts in the field of regional economics and public administration, and its methodological framework incorporates methods of synthesis and scientific abstraction. As a result of the study, a methodology for assessing the potential effects of implementing territorial development mechanisms is proposed, based on a combination of incremental and project-based approaches. This allows us to view the assessment process as a step-by-step procedure, each element of which, on the one hand, is characterized by completeness (representing a full-fledged research project with its own goals, methods, and results), and on the other hand, has a continuous influence on the approach used (enabling the rapid transformation of its individual elements). A feature of the proposed methodological approach, which distinguishes it from the traditional “linear” method of assessment, is the need to implement several research iterations. A number of principles (systematicity, comprehensiveness, sufficiency, effectiveness, resource intensity, adaptability, and universality) and an algorithm (including target, methodological, experimental, and summary stages) for assessing the potential effects of implementing territorial development mechanisms are defined. Factors and limitations of the proposed methodological approach in practice are identified, the methodology was tested. The results obtained may be useful for government agencies responsible for implementing regional development policy.