Позитивные изменения. Том 2, №4 (2022). Positive changes. Volume 2, Issue 4 (2022)

A project in the sphere of education was completed in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). It started in 2019 and was the first social impact project in Russia. The goal of the project was to increase the quality of school education. The project was implemented by the Higher School of Economics, with VEB.DV as the organizer. A special index was developed to evaluate the project success, reflecting the students' test scores in mathematics and the Russian language (8 indicators), the growth in the number of runners-up and winners of the regional stage of the All-Russian School Olympics among 10th and 11th graders (2 indicators). The target is calculated as at least a 10 % increase in all indicators. The detailed index evaluation procedure is attached to the project passport (approved by Resolution of the Government of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) No. 150 of June 4, 2019).

The project was designed not only to improve the education level of schoolchildren at the end of the project, but also to consolidate the results to ensure long-term growth in the quality of education in the republic. The first stage was a detailed analysis of schools and students in the pilot area of the project — Khangalassky ulus (district) — so they can be clustered and detailed adapted actions be developed, including individual educational routes. Not only teachers and students, but also parents were involved in the project to ensure sustainability of the results.

One year into the project, restrictive measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic were introduced, which required educational organizations to restructure the educational process to the online format. It turned out, however, that the schools participating in the project were well-prepared for this change, having trialed the online interaction technologies beforehand.

According to the project results, the students' educational performance increased by more than 10 % (in fact — by 41 %), and the educational performance of the students participating in the project also increased by more than 10 % than that of students residing in the two control territories of Yakutia. The number of runners-up and winners of the regional stage of the All-Russian School Olympics from Khangalassky ulus increased significantly in comparison with the start of the project, and one girl won a prize in the final stage of the All-Russian School Olympics on art history for the first time. As a result of the project, seven successful practices were developed for scaling up the activity to all schools in Yakutia, including approaches to the development of school management teams, tutoring and mentoring practices, networking interaction practices between educational organizations, etc.

Two projects were completed in Primorsky Krai — in health care and in social protection, with the participation of Russian Post as the project organizer and implementing partner. Their primary goal was to improve the quality of life in remote areas of Primorsky Krai, where access to social services was restricted. The project passports were approved by Resolution No. 1048-pp and Resolution No. 1049-pp of the Government of Primorsky Krai dated December 18, 2020, scheduling them for implementation from February 1, 2021 to July 31, 2022 (the original deadline of January 31, 2022 had to be extended by six months due to the COVID-19 pandemic), and expansion of the pilot territory. The projects reached over 32 thousand citizens and achieved all their objectives, another proof of the flexibility of the project mechanism.

The healthcare project had two main goals: 1) involve residents in assessment of their health condition as part of the annual clinical examination, and 2) deliver medicines to the home of those residents eligible for additional medical coverage. The first task was complicated by the fact that it first required the engagement of residents who had not attended a checkup for more than two years, as well as due to COVID-19 related restrictions. Despite the challenges, more than 9,000 residents passed medical examinations, with the target figure of just over 5,000. The delivery of medicines required Russian Post to build individual routes for mail carriers and purchase special bags for medicines requiring special storage conditions. As a result, more than 1,300 residents received medications at home; nearly 19,000 deliveries were made, representatives of the authorized organization noted a significant increase in medication shipments, and members of the public left more than 100 positive comments about the project. As a consequence, the delivery of medicines was recorded as a socially significant project for further implementation in Primorsky Krai (Decree of the Primorsky Krai Government No.819-pp of December 2, 2022), which is an example of scaling the practices developed in the framework of the project after its completion.