Political and administrative mechanisms of digital transformation of social policy (based on the materials of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic)

The purpose of this study is to identify and analyze the political and administrative mechanisms of the digital transformation of social policy at the regional level, using the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic as a case study, in the context of the implementation of the federal digital agenda and the adaptation of digital solutions to regional institutional and socio-cultural specificities. The author employs a qualitative case study approach aimed at a comprehensive examination of institutional and governance-related features of digitalization in the social sphere within a constituent entity of the Russian Federation. Auxiliary research methods include institutional and political-administrative analysis, content analysis of strategic and programmatic documents at the federal and regional levels, elements of discourse analysis of public speeches by the republican leadership, as well as secondary analysis of statistical data and analytical reports of profile executive authorities for the period 2021–2024. The author advances the hypothesis that the success of the digital transformation of social policy in Russian regions is determined not so much by the formal implementation of federal digital platforms and the achievement of digital maturity indicators, but rather by the capacity of regional governance institutions for institutional adaptation of digital solutions, effective interagency coordination, and consideration of socio-cultural and infrastructural constraints. The study reveals the specific features of normative and institutional design of digital transformation in the social policy of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, the characteristics of interagency coordination, and the regional interpretation of federal platform-based solutions, as well as the role of human resources, organizational, and discursive mechanisms in ensuring the inclusivity of digital transformations. It is concluded that the digital transformation of social policy in a multiethnic and territorially heterogeneous region represents a nonlinear political and administrative process, the outcomes of which depend on the configuration of regional institutions and mechanisms of legitimizing digital governance practices. The practical significance of the study lies in the applicability of its findings to the development and adjustment of regional programs for the digital transformation of social policy, while its theoretical significance consists in advancing institutional and political-administrative approaches to the analysis of the digital state, taking into account regional diversity and the federal context.