This paper evaluated the governance of the social sphere of the Pavlodar region. Based on the analysis of the main social indicators, identified the strengths and weaknesses of the region in this area, as well as identify opportunities and threats that affect the development of the region as a whole. In a changing social and economic relations, the issues related management and development of a regional social complex. Their decision depends not only on the success of social reform, but also the normalization of the socio-political situation in Kazakhstan.

The article describes the results of a study of the effectiveness of the standards being implemented in railway transport. A general view of efficiency and standardization was analyzed. It was studied which document regulates the application of standardization in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Further, the international railway standard IRIS «International Railway Industry Standard» was taken as a basis, which, in turn, is based on the international standard ISO 9001. A study of the methods and types of effectiveness of standards was carried out, as well as an analysis of the applied international standard in the field of railway transport IRIS. The purpose of this standard is to create a business management system that allows for continual improvement, with an emphasis on preventing and reducing delivery defects. It is important to note that the effectiveness of standardization is evidenced by examples showing that ignoring standards turns out to be huge losses for a company for a number of reasons, for example, because its products have not been certified for compliance with a specific standard; due to the additional costs of the company for reworking products that are not manufactured in accordance with the requirements of the standards in the country of export. An analysis of the effectiveness of standardization work in the railway industry can be expressed in relative terms of the effects obtained as a result of the application of the standard: for example, in an increase in the level of safety or in economic growth. The basis for determining the actual effect is the actual level of production that existed at the given enterprise before the introduction of the standard. The measures that can be applied in order to increase the efficiency of solving the problems of developing standardization in the field of railway transport have been studied. Such standardization as one of the elements of technical regulation can provide a contribution to economic growth in excess of the corresponding indicators from the introduction of patents and licenses.

The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has brought about a new economic reality, to which every economic entity must adapt, regardless of the scale: within a region, a country, or the whole world. The article examines the regional economic mechanism in the context of the pandemic in the context of the interaction of the market mechanism of self-development and the control influence of the regional authorities. The destabilization of the economic situation in the regions as a result of the pandemic and related restrictions poses the problem of revising the main directions of regional policy To achieve the set goals and objectives, the general methods of empirical and theoretical research were used: analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, generalization, description. Three spheres play a key role in the economy of Pavlodar region: industry, trade and transport. Just how to remain positive dynamics in terms of industrial production and maintained the services will depend on the development of the region, the main indicators which are discussed in this article through the prism of the events in the context of the pandemic. The necessary health measures taken in response to the pandemic have led to a severe reduction in mobility and are accompanied by high economic costs. The quarantine measures have had a direct impact on businesses, especially microbusinesses. To support this sector, tax incentives were provided, lending was expanded, and measures were taken to further facilitate the business environment. The article reflects only a small list of issues that required changes in the economic mechanism in the context of the pandemic and the introduction of restrictive measures, as well as the strengthening of the influence of external control on the economy. At the same time, the state as whole and individual regions, taking into account their potential and the actual situation in the economy, need to find an optimal balance between the prohibitions and restrictions imposed to ensure the safety of human health and the preservation of the economy in a functional mode, work and income of employees. This problem of finding a balance between prohibitive and permissive measures requires further analysis. At the same time, the state needs to develop and apply tools of a systematic nature, focused on the long term.