Issue № 90. February 2022

Community-Minded Activity as Project Management Aspect: Analysis of Federal Project “Community-Minded Activity”

Raisa N. Shpakova
PhD, Associate Professor, Moscow State Institute of International Relations at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MGIMO), Moscow, Russian Federation.
E-mail: aglaonema2012@gmail.com
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-9916-0113

Ilya S. Demakov
Director of the Gorchakov Lyceum MGIMO, Moscow, Russian Federation.
E-mail: i.demakov@odin.mgimo.ru
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-5456-3963

This article investigates the goals, objectives and key activities of the Federal Project “Community-Minded Activity” (part of the National Project “Education”). Since federal projects in Russia are likely to be revised and updated, it’s important to explore and gather understanding of the federal project’s weaknesses and points to improve. In this work, possible key pathways to improvement are suggested so that the project could become more workable and effective. The article is based on education and youth development strategic and operating planning documents, peer research, expert opinions, and information agency publications. We explored whether the “Community-Minded Activity” project activities and efforts meet the goals and objectives pursued, and whether there is an overlap with and how the project activities differ from other Russian federal projects in similar fields. It was also examined whether the project is in line with the current strategic frameworks and concepts. As a result, the study proved that a range of the project’s tools used to promote volunteering and to bring about an efficient system for talent identification, sponsorship and development for children and youth fails to incorporate any new concepts. What it offers is only an expanded impact activity framework that was earlier developed and successfully implemented as part of other programs and schemes. In some cases, the activities suggested fail to be consistent with the project objectives. Overall, the “Community-Minded Activity” project offers a rather limited action framework that cannot be considered as a complete system appropriately covering all important aspects. As an avenue to make the project more efficient, a greater range of appropriate tools could be used. We suggest that this could be done in a way contemplated by the Russian National Volunteering Development Concept and the Russian National Young Talent Identification and Development Concept. Compared to the federal project’s current enablement tools and resources, these concepts offer a wider range of tools to address challenges in the field of youth development and community-minded practices as an area managed and overseen by the government. Also, they lay down a more consistent and larger-scale action framework and drive people’s engagement and community awareness so they can become more community-minded and take part in the action to drive community welfare.

Keywords

Community-minded activity, national project, federal project, youth policy, volunteering, volunteer activities.

DOI: 10.24412/2070-1381-2022-90-216-230