Development of the Social System in Russian Regions: Issues of Digitization and Institutional Trust

The study examines the digitalization of the social service system and institutional trust in the primary providers of social services. The article showcases the findings of a survey conducted on 2031 Internet users across three regions of the country – St. Petersburg, Sverdlovsk Region, and Krasnodar Territory. These regions are actively embracing new approaches to social service provision, digitalization, and cross-sector collaboration. The survey results reveal a generally low level of trust in the social service system across all surveyed regions. There is a prevalent pessimism regarding the system's performance, combined with a relatively modest level of trust in non-governmental social assistance organizations, excluding volunteer movements. The latter are notably perceived with increased trust and garner widespread interest. Furthermore, the study indicates a significant potential for expanding online communication on social issues. However, the utilization of the online format is largely contingent on the age bracket of the respondents. The author suggests opportunities for enhancing communication between recipients of social services and service providers through online platforms. The study findings contribute to the understanding of transformation processes and inform strategies for improving social assistance delivery. The article highlights the importance of recognizing the region's population heterogeneity, particularly the age structure, when designing interventions such as informing about social assistance initiatives, facilitating online interactions between service recipients and providers, and engaging service beneficiaries in dialogues with social services.