Methodological Features of the Assessment of the Regional Budget’s Situation

Increasing the budgetary potential is an important factor for the socio-economic development of a region. The level of the regional budget capacity influences the budget services delivery to the population, which makes the research topic relevant. The methodology of the assessment of the budgetary situation in regions is the scope of the study. The subject-matter of the research is the socio-economic relations arising from the use of the budget capacity of a region. The hypothesis of the research is that the regional budget’s situation reflects the use of the budget capacity of a territory in the current conditions. We consider the various definitions of «budgetary potential» category. We propose our own interpretation of the budgetary potential as a set of financial resources of a territory, which, under the optimal conditions, can be used for the realization of budget functions to achieve strategic and tactical targets for the development of a region. Our methodology allows to estimate the regional budget’s situation on the basis of the indicative analysis. Further, we subsequently determine the degree to which the budgetary potential of a territory is used. We have classified the selected indicators into five groups. These groups of indicator estimate the certain area influencing the regional budget’s situation. For each indicator, we have set thresholds according to the standard values or average values for Russia. The calculations for each group of indicators have allowed to define the budgetary situation of regions. On the basis of these cluster evaluations, we propose to classify territories by the degree of using the budgetary potential. Under this method, we have analyzed of the state of the budgets of the Ural region. The received integrated estimates have allowed to rate all the territories and determine the degree of using the budgetary potential. We have concluded that in the Chelyabinsk and Sverdlovsk regions, there is an optimal budgetary situation and, as a result, a high degree of using the budgetary potential. The received results can be applied by the authorities when developing and implementing the programs for the socio-economic development of the territorial subjects of the Russian Federation. They can be also applied for both the assessment of budgetary situation and the diagnostics of the quality of the regional financial management. © 2018 Institute of Economics, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.Russian Science Foundation, RSF: 14–18–00574The research has been supported by the Grant of the Russian Science Foundation (Project № 14–18–00574 “The information and analytical system “Anti-Crisis”: diagnostics of regions, threat assessment and scenario forecasting for the purpose of preserving and strengthening the economic security and increasing the welfare of Russia”)