Requirements for Goals Consistency in State Governance

• Published in: AlterEconomics
• Main Author: Svetlana A. Bratchenko
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Institute of Economics UB RAS 2025-09-01
• Subjects: consistency of goals; strategic goals; operational goals; quantitative goals; qualitative goals; desirable conditions; necessary conditions
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.31063/AlterEconomics/2025.22-3.2
• ISSN: 2782-6201; 2782-6198

The consistency of goals is a pressing issue in state governance, yet its theoretical foundations remain underdeveloped and there are no clear criteria for identifying consistent goals. This study explores the consistency of goals formulated to address a single task or problem, focusing on government programs and regulatory documents in the field of strategic planning. The aim was to clarify the characteristics of goal consistency in management, particularly in state governance. Two research objectives were set: (a) to identify, from empirical materials in government programs, the characteristics of mutual consistency of goals; and (b) to determine, from regulatory documents on program development and implementation, whether requirements for such consistency are specified and in what form. The methodology relied primarily on analysis of program data and regulatory texts, supplemented by synthesis in formulating characteristics of consistency. The research identified several characteristics: (a) quantitative operational goals differ in function from qualitative long-term strategic goals; (b) causally related goals should be structured so that lower-level goals support higher-level ones; (c) a lower-level goal must constitute a necessary condition for achieving a higher-level goal; (d) sufficiency functions differently for qualitative and quantitative goals; and (e) many documents include desirable but unnecessary goals, which do not contribute to problem-solving. Analysis of strategic planning documents revealed that the issue of goal consistency remains unresolved. The findings of the study point to directions for enhancing public administration programs.