Non-state Actors of Policy Process in the Field of Mass Sports in Russia and Germany

Attracting the population to physical culture and sports is one of the important tasks of the State. Its implementation can be facilitated by the involvement of the non-profit sector in the provision of services in this area. For the successful functioning of NGOs, interaction with public authorities plays an important role. The study raises the following research question: What are the forms and practices of the participation of non-state actors in the process of creating and implementing mass sports policy in the Russian Federation? The goal of the study is to study the basics of state policy aimed at ensuring the access of NGOs to the provision of services to the population, the regulatory and methodological foundations of interaction between authorities and local government with NGOs in the field of physical culture and sports. To achieve this goal following tasks have been solved: the mechanisms of development of mass sports in the Russian Federation considered, identified the need to involve NGOs, the mechanisms of state support of NGOs in Russia and abroad, identified problems and developed recommendations for improving policies. An expert interview was conducted to determine the problems that hinder the development of state support for NGOs in the field of physical culture and sports. The analysis showed a weak development of state (municipal) support for NGOs in the field of physical culture and mass sports in the Russian Federation. One of the main problems hindering this development is a lack of understanding and a weak methodological basis for public policy. In this regard, the practical result of the research was the developed base of best practices in the field under consideration.