Analysis of methodological approaches to the assessment of human potential in the region

The subject of this study is the existing methodological approaches to assessing the human potential of a region. The analysis of scientific work related to this problem allowed us to conditionally divide them into two large groups. Representatives of the first approach utilize the UN's conceptual framework, according to which an integral indicator, the Human Development Index (HDI), is calculated. The second group of researchers employs an approach based on the identification and analysis of individual components (sub-potentials) of regional human potential, such as demographic, labor, educational, social and physical health, innovation, ecological, and others. A system of indicators is formed to assess each of these components. The advantages and disadvantages of each methodological approach have been identified. To assess the human potential of a region, it is proposed to combine the strengths of both approaches. The research used comparative analysis, retrospective analysis, and formal logic methods. The research methodology is based on studying, summarizing, and highlighting the differences in approaches to assessing the human potential of regions in the works of domestic and foreign authors. The main conclusions of the conducted research are as follows: each approach has its merits and drawbacks. The advantage of the first approach is its universality and the possibility of ranking regions and countries based on the HDI; however, the indicator has certain limitations, as it does not reflect the full diversity of aspects of regional human potential and does not account for the specifics of its formation and development in each region. The second approach is more labor-intensive, utilizes a broad range of indicators in its analysis, making it more adaptable to solving various problems faced by researchers. However, it does not evaluate the quality of life, which is essential for providing an accurate assessment of human potential. Indeed, it is in the quality of life indicators that one can trace the conditions created in each region for the development of human potential and the transformation of potential capabilities into reality. The result of the study is a proposal for assessing the human potential of a region that integrates the strengths of both approaches discussed.