Professionalization of Municipal Management: Key Trends and Issues

This article examines the development of the human resources potential of local government bodies. The authors justify the conclusion on the necessity of professionalizing municipal management as a key factor in the socio-economic development of Russian territories. The main research method is a survey of experts, who are leaders of local government bodies. The study identified limitations on the effectiveness of local government operations: insufficient staffing of municipal employees and their professional competencies. Additionally, experts noted the absence of an effective training system for city managers in modern conditions. The following directions for the professionalization of municipal management are proposed: first, optimizing the selection and training procedures for city managers as key subjects of local self-government; second, forming institutional conditions for the development of the personnel corps of municipal service. The article provides recommendations for enhancing the human resources potential of municipal service and increasing its attractiveness to young people.