Models of quality of life management in the region: National Social Initiative (on the example of the Republic of Bashkortostan)

Svinukhova Yuliya Nikolaevna Scientific Associate Institute for Social and Economic Research of Ufa Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences 450000, Russia, Republic of Bashkortostan, Ufa, Prospekt Oktyabrya str., 71 s.ioulia@mail.ru Other publications by this author

This study was carried out within the framework of the state assignment of the UFIC RAS No. 075-01134-23-00 for 2023 and for the planning period of 2024 and 2025.

The quality of life, as a category of analysis, is widely represented in studies of socio-economic and political processes. In modern Russian studies, the quality of life is considered not only as the main indicator of the level of socio-economic development of the country and the differentiation of its regions, but primarily as a factor in ensuring its national security ^{[1; 2]}. In the most generalized form, the quality of life is the ability of a set of characteristics of a person's living conditions to meet his needs ^[3]. We can say that human-centricity is inherent in this concept a priori. However, it is precisely today that the trend is to consider the structured concept of quality of life in a certain way not just as a tool for analyzing the socio-economic development of territories, but in the context of conditions for expanding social opportunities, well-being, unlocking the potential of a person and his individual happiness. When such concepts as housing affordability, quality and accessibility of medical care and education, satisfaction with employment assistance, transport accessibility, income level, infrastructure development, satisfaction with services in the service sector, availability of conditions for opening and running their own business, etc. become not just criteria or indicators of the level of development of the territory, but, above all, conditions subjective well-being and happiness of a person. The key approach becomes one in which a high-quality living environment and the quality of satisfaction of needs are ranked among the leading conditions for the formation of subjective happiness. But not only that. The concept of quality of life not only characterizes the living conditions of a person, but also on a subjective level expresses his attitude, the degree of satisfaction /dissatisfaction with them. As K.K. Kolin notes, understanding this point is especially important ^[2]. Especially in relation to the theory and practice of managing the quality of life of the population, since this "relational" aspect is closely interrelated with manifestations of social tension and migration sentiments. The low level of quality of life, therefore, the growing dissatisfaction of the population with the conditions of their residence in the territory, may be the reason for an increase in the level of social tension ^[2]. On the contrary, the high quality of life of the population provides a high-quality environment for human life and expands the possibilities of meeting the necessary needs and self-development of a person. In this context, it can be called a factor of a high level of subjective human happiness, which creates prerequisites for a more sustainable development of society and the economy, contributes to political stability in society ^[4]. Therefore, the increase in the quality of life of the population is classified as one of the most important priorities for the development of the Russian Federation (RF). "This factor largely determines the goals of socio-economic policy, and the psychological atmosphere in society, and the level of its social stability, and the possibility of social cataclysms" ^{[2, 101]}. Based on this, the study of the issue of quality of life management in the region on the basis of a new model presented by the National Social Initiative (NSI), as most consistent with the principle of human centricity, seems relevant. The purpose of the study is to analyze the improvement of the quality of life of the population in the regions of Russia.

The current state of the problem is characterized by a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of the quality of life. Despite the extensive elaboration of the concept itself, terminological unity has not been achieved in modern domestic and foreign science, which is largely explained by differences in setting research goals. In this regard, there is a whole set of conceptual and structural models of quality of life, including in their combinations an average of 5 or more different areas of assessment ^{[1; 2; 3; 5; 6]}. However, despite the fact that an extensive number of studies belong to the issues of quality of life, most of them are devoted specifically to the issues of its structuring and the development of methods for measuring and evaluating it, including integral ones ^{[5; 6]}. It should be noted that most Russian models of quality of life management, including the model considered in this study, are based on integral assessments. Thus, it is possible to identify a model of quality of life management in the region, described by S.A. Ayvazyan and M.A. Isakin, representing an indicative management method in which monitoring of integral indicators of the quality of life of the population as criteria for achieving the goals of social management of the region, or factors of key areas of improvement, serves as a tool for determining problem areas and priorities of social development in a particular territory. This model is aimed at providing a mechanism for determining the list of priorities of the government of the region in the field of socio-economic policy based on a prioritized list of factors (indicators) of quality of life ^[6]. It is also necessary to note the study of the possibility of using the standardization method in managing the quality of life of the population, undertaken by S.K. Venediktova. This model of quality of life management involves the formation of a system of quality of life standards as an assessment criterion, monitoring their achievement and long-term planning to improve the quality of life ^[7]. However, in general, the issues of quality of life management are not reflected intensively enough, a unified methodology has not been developed. Therefore, the issues of analysis and research of quality of life management models remain open and relevant.

One of the concepts conceptually suitable for this study is the concept of quality of life presented in the work of G.V. Osipov. Quality of life is a concept that defines the relationship between human needs and subjective well–being, which is mediated by opportunities to meet these needs ^{[8, 81]}. The prerequisites for expanding opportunities to meet needs are hidden in social norms and implemented mechanisms of social policy. Consequently, the most important condition for improving the quality of life of the population is to increase the efficiency of state and municipal management and the development of state and municipal services. The National Social Initiative (NSI), implemented in the subjects of the Russian Federation since 2021, is responsible for solving these tasks ^[9]. Today, the NSI is one of the modern mechanisms for managing the quality of life, fully meeting the principle of human-centricity and allowing to influence the improvement of the quality of life through improving the quality of services and services in the social sphere. Each of the practical decisions or projects taken within its framework is focused on meeting a specific human need in the social sphere, as a rule related to such basic aspects of life as education, development, health, safety, leisure and recreation, interaction, employment, housing, etc. Accessibility, convenience and comfort, speed of receiving services to meet the need – the main criteria for effectiveness. Its main goal is to meet human needs in various life situations by identifying barriers and unreasonable procedures in social sectors and developing optimal replicated practices and solutions to eliminate them. An increase in the indicators of satisfaction of the population with living conditions and services received in the social sphere defined in the NSI (more than 60 survey indicators on the basic social needs of the population) is not only a sign of the effectiveness of the implementation of the principle of social initiatives in the region, but also one of the criteria determining the picture of the quality of the environment for living in it.

The difference between the NSI and other approaches and models, for example, based on standardization, its relevance lies not only in its own methodology for assessing the quality of life in the regions of the Russian Federation, but, above all, in the fact that it provides a practical basis for management decisions in the social sphere. Its main potential and main specificity is that it accumulates a database of ready-made relevant management solutions (practices, projects) with the possibility of accompanying and replicating them on the territory of any subject of the Russian Federation to eliminate similar problematic issues in the social sphere, and ultimately to improve the living conditions of the person himself on the territory of the subject.

The main constructs of the NSI. The main constructs are life situations (ZhS), which focus on the real, vital human needs realized in the sectors of the social sphere. Diagnostics is based on a detailed and schematic description of all the processes of a particular housing and communal services, as a result of which the barriers and main difficulties that people face in obtaining the social services they need are revealed. The quality of life is a multidimensional, complex and synthetic concept based on the assessment of various needs ^[6]. In general, the NSI is aimed at assessing and increasing user satisfaction with social services provided in at least 4 main areas: healthcare, labor market and employment support, education, and social protection. The methodology of the NSI allows for the diagnosis of the social sphere in the region in at least 7 basic life situations (Figure 1). For each block, the key points for which it is necessary to improve the housing are determined. Figure 1 shows a fragment of parameterization of the effectiveness of improving the process of providing public services in the housing and communal services "To get a job through the Employment Center": satisfaction and time spent on receiving a service that meets the need.

The methodology of the NSI within the framework of this housing policy, determined by the need for decent work and employment, provides a target model and an algorithm for continuous improvement of the provision of public services for the employment of the population. The basis is a detailed problem field in the field of employment promotion, based on the analysis of a person's path from applying to the Employment Center (TSN) to the moment of employment, i.e. removing it from the register, which is the basis for the development of systemic social initiatives. So, within the framework of the NSI, the map of systemic problems and barriers that a person may encounter when applying to the TSN for registration and employment, in general, presents 20 similar federal/regional problems with a description of possible solutions to eliminate them ^[10].

Figure 1. The main constructs and parameters of the NSI

In general, as a mechanism, the NSI:

– allows you to systematize problems in the social sphere and provides a ready-made map of systemic problems and barriers in the main areas;

– provides a ready-made set of system solutions for a specific housing;

– provides a monitoring system that allows you to assess interregional differences;

– allows you to evaluate regions by quality of life, taking into account the commitment index, which measures the level of life satisfaction in the region and the willingness to recommend it as a place to live, to associate your life with it for a long time;

– provides a database of the best social practices and a system for sharing them.

Analysis tools. The NSI is based on the integral method. An element of the NSI and a form of monitoring the quality of the living environment is a large–scale annual study - a rating of the quality of life in the regions of the Russian Federation. The rating of the quality of life in the regions of the Russian Federation (RCJ) is also a tool for assessing various aspects of living conditions and the situation in the social sphere, and also acts as a management tool for receiving feedback to understand the priorities of regional development. In 2022, it was formed on the basis of 67 indicators characterizing the actual state of living conditions in the region and the situation in the social sphere. The upward dynamics of these indicators affects the positive dynamics of the level of the sociological index of commitment to the territory. The quality of life is structured according to 11 elements of the human living environment. Consequently, the implementation of the NSI in the regions, in particular, the Republic of Bashkortostan (RB), is aimed at correlation with the RCF according to these 11 elements. These include: the level of income of the population; employment of the population and the labor market; housing conditions of the population; living security; demographic situation; environmental and climatic conditions; public health and education level; provision of social infrastructure facilities; level of economic development; level of small business development; development of the territory and development of transport infrastructure ^{[11; 12]}. Thus, the direction of employment and the labor market is diagnosed based on the following group of indicators: the unemployment rate; the average time of job search; the proportion of the population looking for work for more than 3 months.

The target indicators of the NSI in the Republic of Bashkortostan are defined as "achieving the national average in the quality of life rating by 2022" and "entering the top 20 regions in terms of satisfaction of residents in the NSI areas by 2024" ^[12]. Despite the fact that the Republic of Bashkortostan was one of the first to enter the number of pilot regions for the launch of the NSI, the effect of its implementation is generally noticeable, but ambiguous. The positions of some subjects of the Russian Federation in the final RCJ for 2022 based on an integral rating score based on the results of aggregation for all 11 elements of the living environment are shown in Figure 2 ^[11].

Figure 2. Leaders and outsiders of the RCJ among the regions of the Russian Federation, 2022, summary score

Figure 2 shows the upper and lower poles of the RCJ among the regions of the Russian Federation in 2022. The factors of leadership of the regions of the top ten of the rating are a high level of socio-economic development, since their high positions in the RCJ coincide with leadership in the Rating of the socio-economic situation of the regions ^[11]. Outsider regions are characterized by lagging incomes and high unemployment.

As for the Republic of Bashkortostan, its consolidated rating score in 2022 is higher than the average for the Volga Federal District (PFD) of 54.3 points, but significantly lags behind the indicators of the leading regions, including its federal district (Republic Tatarstan, Samara region). Nevertheless, the Republic of Bashkortostan is characterized by positive dynamics. Although insignificant, the increase in the indicator is obvious. So, in 2021, its rating score was 53.654, and in 2022 – 58.242. By 2022, the Republic of Bashkortostan improved its position and entered the top twenty, closing the top 20 regions according to the RCJ, which, in principle, corresponds to the region's targets for the NSI. The dynamics of the region for the year amounted to 6 positions and allowed it to rise from 26th place in the 2021 rating to 20 in the 2022 rating. RB became one of the top 6 regions in terms of changing positions in the RCJ and took 6th place here among the 6 leading regions. However, the dynamics of the growth of the highest rating score is less noticeable. In general, the movement of the indicator along an upward trend indicates the presence of positive trends in this area.

Among the regions of the Volga Federal District, the Republic of Bashkortostan is in 4th place, behind the Republic of Tatarstan, Samara and Nizhny Novgorod regions, which are the leading regions of the Russian Federation among all subjects of the Russian Federation and are ranked in 4th, 10th and 12th places, respectively. The representation of the Republic of Belarus in the ratings of the regions of the Russian Federation in the main directions is given in the summary table below (see Table. 1) ^[11].

Table 1

Bashkortostan's place in the ratings according to the parameters of the RCJ among the regions of the Russian Federation

As can be seen from the data shown in Table 1, the region has both upward and downward trends. This means that the Republic of Bashkortostan, like most regions of the Russian Federation, has both its problem points and positive factors. For example, in the field of housing affordability. So, by the beginning of the start of the NSI (in 2020), the region was in one of the lowest positions in terms of the availability of housing for families with a mortgage. Quite often, the limiting factor was the lack of funds for families to make a down payment on a mortgage, combined with the relatively high cost of housing itself. This determined the development of a project in the region aimed at increasing the possibility of improving housing conditions through the formation of a mortgage-funded mechanism – the mortgage-funded Housing Savings system. The experience gained in the Republic of Bashkortostan in implementing this mechanism has shown that the mortgage-funded system of "Housing Savings" is an effective way to provide housing for citizens with low incomes, while not belonging to preferential categories ^[13]. The effectiveness of this practice has contributed to the positive dynamics of the region in the ranking on the affordability of mortgage purchase by families (see Table 1) and has shown great potential for replication at the federal level.

Unfortunately, according to the RKJ data for 2022, the Republic of Bashkortostan did not enter the top three among the subjects of the Volga Federal District in terms of the territory commitment index. The Republic of Tatarstan, Samara and Nizhny Novgorod regions are recognized as such ^[14]. All these three regions have higher positions in the Russian Federation compared to the Republic of Bashkortostan. That is, just here there is a clear correlation between the leadership of these districts in the general housing stock and the indicator of commitment to their territory, characterizing a higher overall level of satisfaction with life in the region, and therefore indicating a general level of living conditions that helps to curb manifestations of migration sentiments. So, if you look at the indicators of migration growth and the direction of migration flows, you can see that, unlike the Republic of Tatarstan, the Republic of Belarus is a region with a high indicator of migration sentiment, and Tatarstan is among the attractive migration destinations from the Republic of Belarus ^[15].

An analysis of the indicators of the RCJ, assessing the main aspects of living conditions for the above 11 elements of the environment, showed a significant difference in their values between regions. Thus, the value of the combined rating score of the leader of the RCJ in Moscow is 82.999 points, while the Republic of Tyva is 23.758 points in 2022. Even if we take for analysis the values of the regions located within the top 20 of the RKJ, then here we will also see a significant spread in the final indicators. For example, the Republic of Bashkortostan, being in the 20th place of the rating in 2022, shows an indicator of 58.242 points, and the Republic of Tatarstan (4th place in the rating) already has an indicator of 72.113 points. And RB is already 24.757 points away from the leader of the RCJ – Moscow ^[11]. As a rule, as the main factor of such differentiation of regions, therefore, differences in the quality of life in them, experts primarily see "... greatly differing efficiency of the same services and satisfaction with their work in different regions" ^[14]. Let's consider the positions of Bashkortostan among the regions of the Russian Federation in terms of indicators taken into account when assessing the direction – employment and the labor market in 2022, which are shown in comparison with the leading regions of the Russian Federation in the Volga Federal District in Table 2 ^[11].

Table 2

The place of the regions of the Volga Federal District according to the indicators of the RCJ "Employment and the labor market" in 2022

It should be noted that for the Republic of Bashkortostan, the assessment of such a direction as "Employment of the population and the labor market" is ambiguous. In a fragmentary analysis, if we take the designated direction of employment and the labor market from the entire system of indicators of the RCJ (see Table. 2), it can be seen that the Republic of Bashkortostan is saved in this direction by relatively low, with consistently positive dynamics, values of the unemployment rate. However, the other two indicators shown in table 2 clearly indicate the existence of problems in the republic in the field of finding a decent job. Indeed, official data from the Employment Information Portal of the Republic of Bashkortostan show a positive trend in the overall unemployment rate (4.3% in January-August 2021, 3.3% for the same period in 2022 and 2.4% in 2023). Trends in the level of registered unemployment are also marked by a downward trend. But at the same time, at the end of 2022 – the beginning of 2023, 49.4% of citizens registered in Employment Centers had an unemployment period of 1 to 4 months, and another 22.7% had an unemployment period of 4 to 8 months. The structure of registered unemployed citizens by age and education is shown in Figure 3 ^[16].

Figure 3. Structure of registered unemployed citizens in the Republic of Belarus, end of 2022 – beginning of 2023, %

The duration of the job search period is determined by many factors, including both subjective factors related to the passive job search by the applicant himself, and objective ones related to the weakness and passive policy of the TSN, which in Russian reality still reproduce the status assigned to them as intermediaries for servicing a limited segment of the labor market. Many experts point out that CNS are a formal mechanism for servicing the secondary segment of the labor market, and informal mechanisms based primarily on the potential of applicants' social capital (the system of their social ties of kinship, acquaintance, professional communities, etc.) serve the primary segment. The data provided by the TSN on the structure of vacancies available to them show that it is dominated by vacancies in working specialties and relatively low-paying jobs. Vacancies often turn out to be irrelevant. These circumstances, as a rule, are not attractive to young people who have graduated from universities and have high career and salary claims. Therefore, TSN as a source of job search in youth employment strategies has traditionally been the least popular. If we look at the data shown in Figure 3, we will see that the main clients of the TSN are older age groups and applicants with secondary vocational education. Despite the fact that the share of job seekers with higher education in the structure of citizens registered in the TSN reaches more than 30%, today vacancies for workers prevail in the republican bank of vacancies in percentage terms – 71.1% ^[16]. In addition, the TSN in the Republic of Bashkortostan are not ready to provide specialists of the highest qualification level with sufficient volume and quality of jobs offered corresponding to their level and profile, which is clearly shown in table 3 by the data on the structure of available vacant jobs.

Table 3

The structure of vacancies in the Republican bank of vacancies as of January 1, 2023, % ^[16]

The effectiveness of the NHS today is actually achieved only in the implementation of its social functions – social protection of unemployed citizens through receiving unemployment benefits and organizing public works. The competitive segment – private, non-governmental intermediary agencies and companies, as a rule, have a bank of more promising vacancies and resumes of applicants. However, professional recruitment services are expensive. An analysis of the situation in the field of employment and the labor market in the Republic of Bashkortostan indicated a shortage of decent jobs (an increase in the number of offers and employed in one-time and temporary jobs for individuals – 18.2% of the employed population; an increase in the number of employed in the informal sector - up to 24.2% of the employed population, which exceeds the values of the indicator on average in the Russian Federation; high rates of labor migration – up to 20% of the surveyed households have shift workers, 15% are ready for internal labor migration). In addition, a high percentage – 80% of respondents who noted that any job can be found in the regional labor market, but decent work with a good salary and safe working conditions is difficult to find indicates a decrease in satisfaction with the quality of employment and the presence of barriers to its improvement ^[17]. Many, often due to the image attributed to TSN, do not believe in the effectiveness of finding jobs with their help. All this leads to increased use by job seekers of such an informal employment resource as social capital. Therefore, in the regional labor market, effective employment strategies are often formed on the basis of convergence of formal and informal intermediaries in the search for decent jobs, which becomes an adaptation mechanism in the context of the characteristic features of the regional labor market. Therefore, mechanisms and tools are important to improve the image of the TSN and increase its status as a leading intermediary in the employment of citizens.

So, the RCJ acts as a tool for analyzing the quality of life in the region. The analysis of the region's ratings helps to understand the strengths and weaknesses, to identify relevant areas of development. In general, those for the Republic of Bashkortostan, based on the analysis of the data provided in summary tables 1 and 2, are: improvement of the financial situation of the population, increase in the share of employees in small and medium-sized businesses, improvement of the quality of public services in the field of employment promotion and employment.

Thus, the results of the rating form priorities for study and indicate relevant directions for choosing best practices to improve indicators that are problematic for the region. Social practices developed and replicated by the Housing and Communal Services "To get a job through the Employment Center" should work to improve and form its positive image.

The analysis showed that the NSI, based on the similarity of the measurement methodology, has the same potential for assessing the quality of life and highlighting priority areas of social policy in the region as the models of quality of life management mentioned above. At the same time, the main task, difference and dignity of the NSI is to accumulate and broadcast ready-made managerial solutions to social problems aimed at increasing the satisfaction of the population of the region with living conditions in it. Taking into account the identified problematic issues in the territory of the Republic of Belarus, we will present below the social practices relevant for their resolution, as well as some projects in which the Republic of Belarus acts as the author region, evaluated as the most successful and have already been replicated in other regions.

Implementation of the NSI. Each region has its own regional specifics and uniqueness. Therefore, social policy measures taken in one region will not always be effective for another region. However, the potential of the NSI is that it works out systemic problems in the social sphere, providing replicated social solutions and practices that can be distributed to any territory of the Russian Federation. It is they, social initiatives, projects aimed at improving the main sectors of the social sphere within the framework of developed and diagnosed housing and communal services that are the main tools for the implementation of NSI. As S. Chupsheva notes, the strong interregional differences in the level of social development and quality of life identified by the RCW are not always determined by budgetary provision. In her opinion, the great potential for improvement lies in new management models ^[18]. The NSI, in fact, represents such a new model of management in the social sphere, based on the exchange of best practices and feedback in identifying specific, effective ways to solve problems in the social sphere. The NSI assumes that the exchange of best management practices will be a mechanism for significantly improving the quality of life in the regions and reducing interregional gaps.

The Smarteca digital platform is a tool for the implementation of NSI, accumulating knowledge about effective practices in the main areas of NSI, the base of management decisions in the social sphere. It is an open data bank with the best ready-documented and replicable development projects. Moreover, the focus of practices and projects affects not only the development of regions, but is also interrelated with the achievement of National Goals. The conducted content analysis showed that out of 1501 (as of 10/22/2023) ready-made practical social solutions presented on Smartec, 61 practices belong to the "Employment" category. The systematization of their topics showed that they represent a base of solutions to such problems as: increasing transparency and security of labor relations, spreading new trends in career guidance, reducing unemployment, comprehensively solving the personnel shortage in the region, developing entrepreneurial skills and popularization of self-employment, employment of graduates and vulnerable segments of the population, formation of human resources for the industrial sector, improving the quality of TSN services.

In general, RB is marked on the Smarteca platform by 89 practices. Of these, as the author region, the Republic of Bashkortostan is represented by 54 practices. Of these, 15 practices have been replicated and are being implemented in other regions of the Russian Federation. The analysis of the presented projects shows that practices aimed at improving services in the fields of social support (15 practices) and healthcare (9 practices) are being developed with the greatest intensity within the framework of the NSI in the region. The least relevant areas are culture, tourism (2 practices each) and ecology (0 practices). Next, we will present the most successful social practices assigned to the Republic of Belarus as an author region and having great replication potentials in the subjects of the Russian Federation as tools for improvement in the social sphere.

Unlike the Russian Railways, in the National Rating of the investment Climate, which evaluates the efforts of regional authorities to create favorable business conditions, the Republic of Bashkortostan is not only a region with steadily upward and intensive dynamics, but also demonstrates indicators that allow it to be among the leaders (Figure 3) ^[19]. The dynamics of the region according to these indicators has allowed it to rise from the 40th place to the 4th place among other regions of Russia since the start of the National Investment Rating. And after the start of the NSI RB, it significantly improved its performance by 5 positions in 3 years, rising from 9th place in 2020 to 4th in 2023.

Figure 4. Dynamics of the Republic of Bashkortostan in the National Investment Rating for 2015-2023, place

The National Investment Rating identifies the best practices in this area. RB is represented on the Smartbook by 5 management decisions that affect performance in all 4 areas of this rating. An analysis of the content of the most successful of them showed their multidimensional nature. They are aimed at:

–assistance to entrepreneurs in transferring business online, which is one of the most effective ways to develop entrepreneurial activity;

– reducing the time of technological connection to engineering networks in the territory;

– simplification of the selection and offer of investment sites;

–creation of modern roadside service facilities with a high level of service.

Among them, 1 social practice aimed at creating comfortable conditions for road users has been approved by the Ministry of Transport of Russia (Development of roadside service: a systematic approach and breakthrough solutions). The project aimed at eliminating barriers to the demonstration of investment sites has the largest replication statistics: "Virtual tours of investment sites in the 3600 format), which has already been replicated in 3 regions – the Tula region, Krasnodar and Primorsky Territories.

One of the most successful among the social practices developed and implemented in the region, presented within the framework of the NSI on the open digital platform Smarteca, is considered to be the mortgage-funded system "Zhilstroysberezhenie", which has significant replication potential. The housing savings system is interconnected with the regional project "Mortgage of the Republic of Bashkortostan", adopted in order to implement the Decree of the President of Russia dated May 7, 2018 No. 204 "On national goals and strategic objectives of the development of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2024" and the national project "Housing and Urban Environment" in the territory of the Republic of Bashkortostan. By participating in the housing savings program, citizens permanently residing in the territory of the Republic of Bashkortostan were able to get a mortgage loan at low rates (at 4.95-7%, depending on the amount of deposits) with preliminary accumulation of funds in partner banks for the 1st installment on the terms of budget subsidization of their deposits (to the monthly contribution of the program participant from the budget of the Republic it is charged up to 30% when, for example, a monthly premium of 3 thousand rubles is charged to a participant for 10 thousand rubles of a contribution from the state) and, on the other hand, to purchase housing at prices significantly lower than market prices. It is important that the audience of this program can be all residents of the republic who need better housing conditions, and not only privileged categories of citizens. First of all, this program is designed to solve the issue of housing provision "... for citizens with average and below average incomes, those who find it difficult to purchase housing immediately and cannot afford the standard mortgage rate" ^[13]. With the successful implementation of this mechanism, it is planned to increase the number of project participants in the region to twenty thousand by 2024 and increase the share of loans under the housing savings program to 10% of the total volume of mortgages issued in the Republic of Belarus. The effectiveness and necessity of this project stimulate consideration of the possibility of extending Housing Savings in the Republic of Bashkortostan until 2025. As part of this, in order to maintain the effectiveness and attractiveness of the program, it is planned to increase the amount of the monthly premium from the regional budget for the contribution of program participants from 3 thousand to 5 thousand rubles due to the need to take into account inflationary processes and the dynamics of rising housing prices in the region ^{[13; 20; 21]}. This social practice from the Smarteck region is an example of a mechanism for increasing the satisfaction of the population with living conditions in the region.

Of the 61 practices in the "Employment" category as a whole on Smartec, 3 belong to RB as a developer. These practices are aimed at solving the following issues: attracting young people to the issues of conscious choice of a future profession; assistance to citizens of socially vulnerable categories with employment (this practice, developed in the Republic of Belarus, is being implemented in the Kirov region); professional self-determination and the creation of an author's project with running their own business (their own practice has been introduced in the territory of the Republic of Bashkortostan). All 3 projects have a correlation with the indicators of the RCJ – opportunities for work and their business, as well as inclusivity and equality. In addition, 3 more practices are replicated in the Republic of Bashkortostan. They are aimed at the employment of young mothers, citizens with disabilities, members of low-income families, as well as the integration of people with different types of disabilities into the open labor market on the Everland Platform.

It should be noted that in general, the work on the provision of state intermediary employment services is organized according to the principle of "life situation" in modernized employment centers and, applying citizens and employers on the basis of the Personnel Center "Work of Russia" have the opportunity to receive a comprehensive set of services within 8 life situations and 8 business situations ^[22]. It is also impossible not to note some positive aspects in the activities of the modernized TSN in the republic, leading to an improvement in the quality of public employment services and services provided in the context of individual cities and districts. For example, in Sterlitamak, the time spent searching for work with the help of TSN decreased from 4.8 to 2.6 months by 2023. There was also an increase in the level of employed citizens – from 55.8% in 2019 to 75.2% in 2023 ^[23]. However, in the whole region, the problem of improving the quality of public services for the employment of the population remains at a fairly relevant level, as evidenced by the above indicators for employment and employment in the Republic of Belarus.

In addition, it should be noted the need to activate and popularize the created TSN. Ufa to find a job for a Telegram channel and a VK group (Jobs in Ufa and Bashkortostan – vacancies). The study showed their low popularity (and, possibly, awareness among the population), as evidenced by the small number of their subscribers – 461 on the Telegram channel and only 195 in VK on 03.11.2023 ^[23].

Based on the above-mentioned problematic points, the main task in the field of employment and employment can be described as the search for mechanisms and practices aimed at improving the image of the TSN as the main intermediary in employment in the regional labor market.

Taking into account the indicators shown in Table 2 and the analysis of the content of practices already replicated in the Republic of Bashkortostan in the field of "Employment", it should be noted that the following federal social practices should be deployed in the Republic of Bashkortostan aimed at improving the quality of services provided by TSN to assist in employment. Smarteca projects that attract young people and promote the development of entrepreneurship can serve as such in the first place:

– "Self-employment in hand";

– "Creating a digital career environment at the university";

– activation of the chatbot to ensure the speed, simplicity and convenience of job search and communication with employment agencies ^[20].

Taking into account the fact that the Republic of Bashkortostan continues to be a region with a migration decline in the population, as well as the fact that among young people there is a high orientation towards higher education with subsequent employment outside the territory of the Republic, social practices aimed at returning young people to their territory will be relevant. In this regard, the practice may be of particular interest: "Creating a digital career environment at the university", aimed at creating a system to support and monitor graduate employment.

So, as a model for improving the quality of life, the NSI is based on 3 basic elements:

1. Problem study of typical life situations (according to the type of the problem tree);

2. Integrative assessment of the quality of the living environment in the regions and feedback for management decision-making;

3. Replication or borrowing, application of ready-made practices and projects to solve similar social problems.

Smarteca practices act as a ready-made tool, show a possible solution to the problem, what and how can be done to improve in those areas where the region shows low values of indicators. The opportunity offered in the NSI to exchange the best regional practices in solving social problems is the main essence and specificity, and the main advantage of the NSI, a factor in improving the quality of life. The database of practical solutions ready for replication defines the NSI, unlike other models of quality of life management, as a model based on the exchange of experience in solving problems in the social sphere. Ready-made social solutions, taking into account the potential for their replication to any territory of the Russian Federation, practically represent a management tool for improving the provision of social services, therefore, to increase the satisfaction of the population with living conditions in the region. In conditions of significant differentiation in the levels of budgetary provision of regions, the formation of a certain set of them into a single social standard of living ^[24] acts as a factor in equalizing conditions and quality of life in the regions.