Север и рынок. 2022, № 4.

СЕВЕР И РЫНОК: формирование экономического порядка. 2022. № 4. С. 112-120. Sever i rynok: formirovanie ekonomicheskogo poryadka [The North and the Market: Forming the Economic Order], 2022, no. 4, pp. 112-120. ПРОБЛЕМЫ ФИНАНСОВО-БЮДЖЕТНОЙ ПОЛИТИКИ НА СЕВЕРЕ И В АРКТИКЕ It stands to mention that the clients of consulting agencies pursue different goals. For one category of clients the quality of the services provided is of utmost importance (while the price is not crucial), and for the other — the best ratio between price and quality is the key factor. This plays a significant role in the process of choosing a consulting company. Today's consulting services market can be characterized by the following development trends (Table). Current trends of the consulting services market development Development trend Description Competition for personnel The strategy of consulting companies is directed at developing human capital by increasing the expenses of hiring the most talented employees Integration of modern technology The implementation of new technology aimed at combining technological analysis and human capital to improve the quality and volume of services provided Creation of new consulting models The development of online platforms to solve difficult strategic tasks promptly, along with the creation of crowdsourcing market that unites business consultants Extension of the consulting companies' geographical presence The expansion of large consulting companies in the regions, which may lead to them merging with small local firms Increased demand for consulting services The stiffening legislative norms and law-enforcement practices lead to an increased demand for consulting services aimed at reducing risks and protecting the interests of business [16] Note. ^mpMed by the authors. Conclusion Taking into account the increasing global importance of the Arctic, one can conclude that there is an obvious need to form a separate direction in consulting, dedicated to the problems of exploration and development of the Arctic region. At the moment, there is an increasing demand for consulting services in the field of development and implementation of strategic projects in the Arctic on behalf of commercial organizations and administrative-territorial units of the regions of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. In addition to the high geopolitical importance of the Arctic zone, this region has a high economic potential for the implementation of investment projects [17]. Moreover, the implementation of major investment projects in the Arctic zone is not only of economic, but also of strategic importance in terms of maintaining Russia's national interests in this region. However, the involvement of foreign consulting companies in the implementation of strategic investment projects in the Russian Arctic zone carries political risks [18], since the largest consulting companies are firmly embedded in the western system of business control, which entails a threat to the national security of the Russian Federation. In general, the system works as follows. As soon as a company (including a Russian one) tries to enter a large international market, it must acquire a rating from an international agency (otherwise it may fall under sanctions as part of an investigation under WTO procedures, not get a favorable loan, etc.). The cost of the loan is determined by the rating that is issued by rating agencies affiliated with the Federal Reserve and the US monetary authorities. The corresponding rating is granted based on the information that still needs to be obtained. Obviously, no one will trust the company based on its "word" alone, which means that it must hire an audit company affiliated with the same structures. The audit company arrives and gives such indicators, according to which the agencies grant a low rating. In order to increase it, the company needs to conduct a set of measures that should be determined by a consulting company affiliated with the above structures (previously they were a single entity with audit companies, but today an audit company and a consulting company acting under a single brand are different legal entities). Moreover, formally (on paper) the companies are owned by individuals and are not subsidiaries of foreign firms. However, the control of foreign management in these companies is obvious. Considering the obvious affiliation with foreign companies, the involvement of Russian divisions of such foreign consulting companies as Ernst & Young, KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte, BCG, McKinsey, Bain & Company is not possible. Back in February 2016, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin instructed the Minister for the Development of the Far East, Alexander Galushka, to investigate why the American company McKinsey had participated and become the winner of the Russian competition to create a concept for the development of the Northern Sea Route8. The involvement of leading foreign consulting companies affiliated with western players 8 Rogozin demands to explain the involvement of McKinsey to work on the Northern Sea Route. Available at: https://ria.ru/20160226/1380745002.html. © Спиридонов А. А., Гладкий Ю. Н., Эйдемиллер К. Ю., Биктимирова Р. Р., Фадеева М. Л., 2022 118