Implementation of national projects in the Arctic region: Systemic barriers at the municipal level (based on the results of expert surveys in 2023-2025 in the Murmansk region)

Background. The implementation of national projects in the Arctic regions of Russia is one of the key tools for socio-economic development, but it faces a number of challenges that need to be addressed. The paper presents a sociological analysis of the key barriers preventing the effective implementation of national projects in the municipalities of the Arctic region using the example of a number of municipalities in the Murmansk region. The authors provide information on the results of expert surveys of representatives of local governments conducted in the period from 2023 to 2025. The research is based on the method of formalized interviewing of heads of local governments of key cities of the Murmansk region (Murmansk, Monchegorsk, Apatity, Kirovsk, Polyarnye Zori, Severomorsk, Alexandrovsk). The identified barriers are classified into groups: economic and demographic, administrative and regulatory, and problems in the municipal government system. Also, based on the analysis of the formalized interview data, conclusions and recommendations were formulated aimed at adapting the mechanisms for implementing national projects to Arctic conditions. Purpose. The purpose of the study is to identify and analyze the key barriers preventing the effective implementation of national projects in the municipalities of the Murmansk region. Methodology: method of system analysis, method of formalized interviewing. Results: Key economic, administrative and managerial barriers to the implementation of national projects at the municipal level in the Arctic have been identified and classified. Practical implications. The obtained results are intended for practical use by state and municipal authorities to enhance the efficiency of national project implementation in the Arctic. Specifically, the findings can be applied to: 1) adjust planning and funding mechanisms, taking into account the high cost and seasonality of construction in the Arctic; 2) simplify administrative procedures and reporting systems for northern municipalities; 3) develop targeted support measures to counteract depopulation and staff shortages; 4) serve as a basis for substantiating proposals to amend the regulatory framework governing national projects at the federal level, aiming to incorporate regional Arctic specifics.