Simplifying the figure – Newspaper Kommersant No. 154 (7355) of 08/24/2022

The Ministry of Digital Development proposes to reduce administrative barriers for departments currently undergoing digital transformation procedures. According to the draft resolution, government agencies will be able to use drafts of their “digital” programs to approve budgets for the fulfillment of obligations under government contracts. Now it is possible to purchase everything necessary for transformation only after the approval of these documents. Departments will also receive more financial freedom – they will be able to independently redistribute amounts of up to 1 billion rubles between the events of their digital program.

The Ministry of Digital Development has prepared a draft government decree on amending the regulation on departmental digital transformation programs (VPST). De facto, we are talking about the development of a trend to abandon unnecessary formalities in the digitalization of the state apparatus, in February of this year, similar changes in meaning were already made to the regulation on the HPCT (see Kommersant of February 24). The document developed now provides for the possibility of using draft departmental programs to approve budgets for the fulfillment of obligations under previously concluded state contracts. Now the basis for approving the amount of funds for procurement for the informatization of departments is only an already approved program.

In the explanatory note to the draft, the need for changes is explained by the requirements of “dynamic redistribution” of resources by government agencies. In the context of rising prices, departments will be able to purchase the necessary goods, works, services in the field of ICT at earlier stages. Recall that the sanctions are now forcing the accelerated purchase of the remains of imported radio-electronic and other information and communication equipment (see Kommersant of May 13). The press service of the Ministry of Digital Development explained to Kommersant that using the draft program to approve the budget for the fulfillment of obligations under previously concluded government contracts will eliminate the “cash gap” – when the program of the previous budget cycle is no longer valid, and the project for the next cycle has not yet passed the approval procedure .

The document also provides for the right of departments to redistribute amounts of up to 1 billion rubles between program activities. without agreement with the Ministry of Digital Development and consideration at the presidium of the government commission on digital development – if the target values ​​​​of the indicators do not change. The February amendments provided for the “transfer” of no more than 100 million rubles, in the case of a consolidated program (digitization of ministries and their subordinate services, agencies and extra-budgetary funds) – no more than 500 million rubles.

Another innovation is the reduction of the administrative burden on government agencies by the Ministry of Digital Development in the process of monitoring the implementation of the HPP. Agencies will not have to provide duplicate information for reporting on projects, the necessary data will be obtained through information exchange. At the same time, a transition will be made to the formation of an annual report by the Ministry of Digital Development on the results of the implementation of the HPP by state bodies. “Currently, quarterly monitoring and a summary report on the implementation of programs is formed with a delay of a calendar month and does not fully allow making operational management decisions based on its information. The draft resolution assumes a transition to a notification and risk-based approach,” the Ministry of Digital Development explained.

Alexander Malakhov, head of the “Digital Development” direction at the Center for Strategic Research, notes that large blocks of formulations are being specified in relation to monitoring, otherwise the changes are not fundamental. “The picture of regulation as a whole, in my opinion, they do not change,” the expert says.

Venera Petrova