Independent assessment of the work quality of social organizations: evolution of the legislative and methodological frameworks

The article is focused on one of the public participation technologies within the scope of the state processes’ management – an independent assessment of the work quality regarding institutions providing services in the social sphere. The author examines the process of changing the legislative norms governing the process of conducting an independent assessment. The main purpose of the analysis is to demonstrate how the understanding of the object, subject, methodology and methods are changing. The informational background for writing the article is domestic researchers’ data, as well as the author’s own experience as the chairman of the public council for carrying out the independent assessment concerning the terms of service quality of the organizations referring to the social service (Ministry of Socio-Demographic and Social Policy of Samara Region), as well as the status of a representative of the organization-operator. Analyzing the key components of an independent assessment, the author describes the risks of reducing the data quality, expanding the practices of conducting work in a cost-cutting format by operating organizations, emasculating the contents from an independent assessment, and, as a result, the loss of significance related to public control technology.