Currently, cities compete with each other for resources, investment, human capital assets.

The future competitiveness of the city is included in the development strategy considering the economic characteristics, the rate of development, growth points. That’s why the greatest challenge for the policy of local authorities is a strategy of active development and ensurance of the successful development of the city in the long term time range.
Strategic planning becomes an essential part of the municipal government, when a problem of uncertain future appears increasingly. The current situation, characterized by rapidly changing economic trends, global and regional reorganization of industrial investment and increased competition among cities and regions for vital resources, requires the ability to organize activities for the formation of a municipal policy for effective development.

Working out of the Strategic plan of social and economic development of Murmansk to 2020 (hereinafter – the Strategic Plan) aimed at the determination of the future vision of the city in virtue of a one-time sampling of the economy and social sphere with the use of systemic and strategic analysis.

The Strategic Plan is designed in accordance with the President's address to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and other acts of the President of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Russian Federation, containing guidelines and state policy objectives in the field of socio-economic development of the Russian Federation, integrated territorial development, in virtue of the statutes of the national security strategy of the Russian Federation, as well as the Strategy for Socio-Economic Development of the North-West Federal District until 2020, approved by the Government of the Russian Federation of 18.11.2011 № 2074-r of socio-economic development of the Murmansk region up to 2020 and for the period up to 2025, approved by the Government of the Murmansk region from 26.08.2010 № 383-PP, industry and regional strategies and development concepts.

In accordance with the Federal Law of 06.10.2003 № 131-FZ "On General Principles of Local Self-Government in the Russian Federation" municipal authorities carry out their activities according to the authority to address local issues, questions, that are not related to local issues execution of certain state powers.

In the area of social protection, employment, development of fish industry, local governments do not have the authority or their range of powers is considerably limited. However, the functioning of these areas determines the overall socio-economic situation of the city, which necessitates the reflection of the objectives of their development in this Strategic Plan.
Local authorities are entitled with a high level of responsibility to Murmansk citizens for the development of the city. At the same time, the existing powers and the limited possibilities for maneuver in taxation policy at the municipal level create certain difficulties in cooperation with businesses, the results of the activity of which depends on the dynamics of economic development of the city.

The Strategic Plan defines the strategic goals, objectives, and priorities, meet the interests of the entire population of the city, a science-based plan of socio-economic development, ways and mechanisms to achieve the objectives intended to improve the level and the quality of life of the population, and also the sustainable development of the economy of Murmansk.

Therefore, for purposes of sustainable development of the city these priorities should be guided in their activities by both public authorities and local self-government, and all the participants of economic relations, operating in Murmansk.

Strategic Plan:

  • analysis of current state, problems and suppositions of economic and social development of Murmansk,
  • formulization of the mission, strategic goals and objectives of the development in virtue of the priorities of the Russian Federation, the North-West Federal District and the Murmansk region, as well as the current status and the development potential of Murmansk;
  • formation of basic development plans and macroeconomic forecast to 2020;
  • definition of the development priorities, target indicators;
  • mechanisms and necessary resources provision of the main branches of economy and social sphere.

Preparing of the document was carried out in multistakeholder and constructive dialogue between business, civil society, public authorities and local governments, thus reducing the uncertainty of the future by defining and harmonizing the actions of stakeholders in urban development.