FORMATION OF A SYSTEM FOR EVALUATING THE INVESTMENT IMAGE OF TERRITORIES: METHODOLOGICAL ASPECT

Abstract

The article examines the theoretical and methodological principles for developing a system to assess the investment image of territories as an important tool for the strategic management of their socio-economic development and for increasing competitiveness under conditions of decentralisation, increased inter-territorial competition for investment resources, and post-war reconstruction of Ukraine. A substantive analysis of scientific approaches to interpreting the essence of the concept of "investment image of a territory" was conducted, which made it possible to substantiate the author's vision of the investment image as a complex multidimensional characteristic formed under the influence of objective socio-economic parameters of the development of the territory and its subjective perception by potential investors. It is established that the assessment of the investment image cannot be based solely on economic indicators but requires integrating economic, infrastructure, institutional, and communication-reputational components, which together determine the level of the territory's investment attractiveness. The specificity of the scientific tasks set necessitated the use of a complex of general scientific and special research methods, in particular, system analysis, integral modeling, methods of normalization of indicators, additive convolution, expert assessment, Kendall's concordance coefficient and elements of spatial analysis. The use of these methods ensured the formation of a comprehensive system of criteria, indicators and sub-indicators for assessing the investment image of territories and the development of a methodological algorithm for calculating the integral index, which allows minimizing the subjectivity of expert assessments and increasing the reliability of the assessment results. As a result of the study, a four-component structure of the investment image of the territory was formed, a system of quantitative and qualitative indicators was developed for each of its components and a five-stage algorithm for calculating the integral index of the investment image was proposed, which includes normalization of indicators, determination of group sub-indices, statistical verification of the consistency of expert assessments, integral convolution of indicators and spatial typification of territories by the level of investment image. The proposed approach provides a comprehensive diagnosis of the strengths and weaknesses in territorial development, identifies key factors hindering the formation of a positive investment image, and establishes an information and analytical basis for informed management decisions. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the development of a comprehensive methodological approach to assessing the investment image of territories, which combines statistical, expert, and spatial methods of analysis, integrates objective and subjective characteristics of territorial development, and provides a universal toolkit for assessing their investment competitiveness. The practical significance of the proposed methodology lies in its potential for use by local governments, regional authorities, and regional development agencies to monitor the investment image, identify priority areas for improvement, enhance the effectiveness of strategic planning, and foster a favourable investment environment in territorial communities.