Empirical analysis of socio-economic determinants of development of rural territorial communities

Purpose. The purpose of the article is to study the influence of socio-economic factors on the assessment of existing problems in the development of rural territorial communities and the choice of directions for their solution from a community perspective. Methodology / approach. The study is based on a comparative analysis of the results of a survey of residents of the Yampil territorial community of the Sumy Region in March-April 2021 (carried out as part of the justification of strategy for the development of the Yampil territorial community for 2022–2027) and similar studies conducted in the Znob-Novgorod territorial community of the Sumy region in 2018. A sociological study was conducted to identify problematic issues in the life of communities and their vision of their further development. Questioning was determined as the method of collecting primary information, and a combined sample was used to select respondents, which took into account the socio-economic and demographic structure of the population. The total number of respondents was 649 people. Of these, 544 were interviewed by interviewers and 105 by google questionnaires over the internet. Results. The comparative empirical analysis of the influence of socio-economic and demographic factors in assessing the current situation, prioritizing development projects, faith in the possibility and willingness to take part in the implementation of socio-economic development projects of local communities showed the existence of certain trends – the most important for residents of rural areas are problems of an economic nature and the functioning of infrastructure This is what determines the choice of economic development projects as the highest priority. Among local residents, pessimistic expectations about the possibilities of implementing development tasks dominate, but at the same time, there is a high willingness to take an active part in their implementation. In both communities, residents consider natural resources and progressive government to be the main resource for development, and only a very small part of the population believes in the entrepreneurial spirit and activity of citizens. At the same time, there is a number of disagreements regarding the influence of individual factors (education, social status, income level) on the assessment of the current state and development opportunities, which requires additional research in this direction. Originality / scientific novelty. The study is based on a comparison of empirical data collected and processed by the authors personally, and the results of a similar study conducted in a neighboring community three years ago. The definition of key factors determining the socio-economic development of territorial communities was further developed. The study revealed a trend towards a decrease in the importance of economic projects for the development of communities and the growth of socio-cultural projects with an increase in the level of received income. It was also found that a higher level of education determines a higher level of optimism about the possibility of implementing the tasks of community development. Practical value / implications. The obtained results can be used by local governments in developing a strategy for the socio-economic development of territorial communities, as well as by government bodies in determining the directions for the implementation of regional policy.