ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF MUNICIPAL GOVERNANCE THROUGH PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT:  EVIDENCE FROM A 2025 EXPERT SURVEY

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Dmitry L. Kondratovich1, Anna A. Tokarenko2, Alina S. Kalugina3

1, 2, 3Luzin Institute for Economic Studies of the Kola Science Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Apatity, Russia  1k_dim@bk.ru, ORCID 0000-0002-4433-8383

2anya.tok.55@gmail.com

3lina-kaluginay@yandex.ru

Abstract. The development of anchor cities in the Arctic requires effective interaction among all stakeholders, with municipal authorities playing a key role in organizing this process. This article presents findings from the final stage of a sociological study, namely an expert survey of officials (heads of municipalities and their deputies) in the anchor Arctic cities of the Murmansk Region, conducted in October 2025. The aim of the study is to compare the assessments provided by the initiators of interaction (municipal officials) with previously collected data from a population survey. This comparison helps to identify overlapping viewpoints and systematic discrepancies in how the authorities and the local community perceive the problems and prospects for collaboration. The results show that municipal officials tend to rate formal efforts in communication  and stakeholder engagement more positively, while also recognizing challenges related to limited funding and administrative constraints. A substantial gap is observed in problem perception: residents are more likely to criticize authorities for formalism and insufficient consideration of public opinion, whereas municipal officials emphasize low levels of civic participation. The study contributes to the literature by moving beyond fragmented approaches to government–community interaction through an integrated analysis of sociological data, thereby revealing systemic contradictions and communication barriers. Its practical significance lies in the potential application of the findings to inform policy adjustments and communication strategies of municipal authorities aimed at increasing public engagement in the socio-economic development of Arctic anchor cities.

Keywords: expert survey, municipal governance, social interaction, social partnership, public engagement, strategic planning, anchor Arctic cities, Murmansk Region

Acknowledgments: This article is based on the research supported by the Russian Science Foundation (Project No. 24-28-20111,  “Mechanisms of Interaction Between the Population and Authorities in the Development of Municipalities in the Russian Arctic: Features, Challenges, and Prospects in a New Geopolitical Context”) and the Government of the Murmansk Region.

For citation: Kondratovich D. L., Tokarenko A. A., Kalugina A. S. Enhancing the quality of municipal governance through public engagement: Evidence from a 2025 expert survey. Sever i rynok: formirovanie ekonomicheskogo poryadka [The North and the Market: Forming the Economic Order], 2026, no. 2, pp. 128–140. doi:10.37614/2220-802X.2.2026.92.009.

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