Transactional configuration of national project implementation

Aim . The work aimed to test practically and evaluate the effectiveness of the proprietary technology of transactional configuration in a project management system using the example of national projects in the Sverdlovsk Region. Objectives . The work seeks to determine the institutional characteristics of national project implementation at the regional level; identify the sources and structure of transaction expenses; analyze the relationship between formal and informal institutions; and assess the impact of digital tools and management approaches of different generations on the effectiveness of project activities. Methods . The study was conducted based on interviews and an author’s questionnaire based on the principles of the transactional configuration methodology. The empirical base consisted of 26 questionnaires from specialists and heads of ministries and agencies of the Sverdlovsk Region involved in the implementation of national projects. Methods of institutional and comparative analysis, content analysis of questionnaire responses, and systematization of transaction expenses according to O. Williamson’s typology were applied. Results . The regional national project management system was established to represent a hierarchical network of formal institutions with pronounced centralization and dependence on informal communication practices. Information (84 %) and coordination (73 %) transaction expenses predominate, due to fragmented data exchange and duplication of functions. The institutional environment stability was assessed as partial (62 %), with regulatory stability and personnel vulnerability predominating. Digital tools were used at all stages of the project cycle (according to 88 % of respondents), with persisting competency deficit (36 %) and insufficient system integration. The analysis revealed differences between management strategies, namely pragmatic-procedural (58 %) and operational-digital (42 %) ones, which generate opposing effects on transaction expenses. The data obtained confirm the analytical relevance of the transactional configuration methodology as a tool for diagnosing institutional mechanisms and optimizing coordination processes. Conclusions . The transactional configuration methodology allows for structuring stakeholder interactions, identifying transaction barriers, and identifying areas for reducing institutional expenses. Its application contributes to improved consistency in management decisions, the adaptability of project systems, and the sustainable development of digital public administration tools.