President Vladimir Putin signed a decree Thursday establishing new key performance indicators (KPIs) to evaluate regional governors, with a focus on birth rates, support for Ukraine war veterans and public trust.
The updated rating system aligns with Putin’s long-term development goals outlined in his “May Decrees,” an executive order issued on his May 7 inauguration day.
The first metric listed is public trust, measured through opinion polls on confidence in both Putin and the governors. Other top KPIs include population growth, fertility rates, life expectancy and poverty reduction.
Governors will also be evaluated on the satisfaction of soldiers returning from the war in Ukraine, particularly regarding medical care and employment opportunities.
Additional metrics include the proportion of residents engaged in volunteer activities and efforts to foster “patriotic upbringing” in their regions. Economic indicators such as real monthly wage growth and per capita income rank lower on the list of priorities.
The decree, which specifies 21 performance indicators in total, does not clarify potential penalties for governors who fail to meet the goals.
It remains unclear how governors were previously assessed under a similar decree issued by Putin in 2019.
The government is expected to report back on the governors’ performance by next summer.
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