Tatarstan: in the top of management with effective bureaucracy and failures in budgetary policy

Does Tatarstan have the most effective management among the regions of Russia?

Agency of Political and Economic Communications together with the Laboratory of Regional Political Investigations of the National Research University Higher School of Economics published an analysis, where Tatarstan was the leader in the rating for management efficiency among the regions of Russia in 2015. This rating has being published every year since 2012. It is based on the opinions given by 213 experts and statistical and analytical data. The analysis includes three areas like political and managerial block, social block, financial and economic one.

Tatarstan became a leader of the rating one more time. In 2014, our region was the runner-up. As it is noted in the explanatory note, 'successful presidential elections of Minnikhanov probably played a major role in the improvement of the indicators, though earlier they were high as well'.

Successful presidential elections of Minnikhanov probably played a major role in the improvement ofthe indicators. Photo: Maksim Platonov

In the final rating, Tatarstan scored 0,754 points and reached the first place. The region is leading in the social, political and managerial blocks, while in the financial and economic one it took the third place. Tyumen Oblast took the second position – 0,744 points, Belgorod Oblast was in the third place – 0,717 points. It should be noted that the capital of Russia took the seventh place and St. Petersburg came thirteenth. Yaroslavl Oblast fell behind, according to the investigation.

We will look into each block of the estimates.

Bureaucracy is more efficient in Tatarstan, and elite is consolidated in Chechnya

The efficiency of the political and managerial block of Tatarstan was estimated at 0,843 points, which placed the region in the first place. The republic took the first place in three areas at once: public support, efficiency of the relationships with the centre and bureaucratic efficiency. But in the efficiency of elite consolidation enabled Tatarstan to be in the sixth-seventh place – 0,871 points. The Chechnya Republic headed the rating in this area scoring 0,950 points.

As it is noted in the investigation, 'regional elections, anti-crisis measures and realization of the requirements of the federal centre in social politics influenced the level and dynamics of the efficiency of the executives in the regions of Russia.' Overall, the political and managerial block of Tatarstan, Kemerovo Oblast, Tyumen Oblast and the Chechnya Republic was highly estimated.

The Republic of Karelia's political and managerial block was the most ineffective one. This region's political life in 2015 was marked by a conflict between the local head Aleksander Khudelaynen and people's mayor of the capital Galina Shirshina. The conflict became well-known all over the country.

A conflict between Shirshina (left) and Khudilaynen (right) did the trick in the estimation of the political and managerial block of the Republic of Karelia. Photo: kommersant.ru

Tatarstan is leader in education but failed in health and interfaith relationships

In the social block Tatarstan also was the leader – 0,753 points. However, the experts did not put A to nobody. The second place belongs to Moscow, and the Republic of Ingushetia rounds out the list.

In the separate areas of the block, the republic succeeded in education only. In Urban Engineering and Transport, Tatarstan was in the second position (Moscow is the leader). In Health Tatarstan had only the ninth position (St. Petersburg is the leader). Meanwhile, admitted by the community to be the most tolerant republic in interfaith relationships, Tatarstan takes the 8-11^th place (Belgorod Oblast is the leader). No explanations were given for the placing.

Tatarstan authority effectively spent money for its own needs while its budgetary policy was in doldrums

The experts say that the financial and economic block is the most problematic block. Tatarstan gave way to two large regions rich in raw material – Tyumen Oblast and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. Moreover, only Tyumen got over 7 points. By the way, Kurgan Oblast is the last.

In economic management and investment climate, Tatarstan takes the third place (Tyumen Oblast is the leader in both areas). But the budgetary policy of the republic deserved only the 20-21^st place (Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug is the leader).

The analysts of APEC calculated the efficiency of bureaucracy, that is to say, the efficiency of the investment of the budgetary fund in state management of the regions. The goal was to understand whether the spending of the regional budget for federal issues was highly effective. Despite a low position in budgetary policy, the administration of Tatarstan spends enough on its own needs and gets the highest point – 1. Specific Chukotka Autonomous Okrug also had such a good result. The Okrug's bureaucracy is very small.

Sergey Sobyanin was in the first place in the rating for the influence of the regional executives of Russia. Photo: rbc.ru

Three leaders: Sobyanin, Kadyrov, Minnikhanov

It is interesting that recently APEC published a rating for the influence of the regional executives of Russia in December 2015. Tatarstan also was among the leaders. Rustam Minnikhanov was one of the three powerful regional heads. As it is noted in the investigation, the main trend while composing the list is strengthening the positions of those who was approved by the federal centre, in particular, personally by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. The regional heads lost their influence owing to the fact that they don't follow the federal agenda concerning finance, home economy or anti-corruption. Twenty-five experts estimated the work of the regional heads.

Sergey Sobyanin took the first place in the rating in December, the second place went to the head of Chechnya Republic Ramzan Kadyrov, and Rustam Minnikhanov took the third position and scored 7,00 points, which is 0,01 points more compared to the points of the head of St. Petersburg Georgiy Poltavchenko. The lowest line of the rating belongs to the head of the Republic of Adygea Aslacheriy Tkhakushinov.

Final efficiency rating