The development of SDG ideas is significant not only as the implementation of the intention to achieve
balanced development but also as a test of the readiness of state and regional systems to be adequate to modern
management requirements, including the openness of information. Purpose of the article: to assess the
readiness of the Russian regions for the transition to new management criteria, for which three tasks have
been set. The first is to show the general process of transition from sustainable development in Russia,
including its regions, to the SDGs. The second is to present a monitoring system for evaluating regional
processes related to sustainable development. The third is to compare the current system of indicators with
the one recommended by the UN. The theoretical basis is the research that is at the intersection of the theories
of information openness and social responsibility of the government as a reflection of patron-agency relations.
The authors chose the Results-oriented public administration approach (Eisenstadt and Runiger, 1980),
(Lindberg Steffan, 2013), (Ugur and Erdogan, 2007), (APJ, 2010), (Yigitcanlar et al., 2019), seen as a
manifestation of Good Governance. Three conclusions can be drawn from the study. First, the regions of the
Russian Federation (as a whole) are not yet ready for the implementation of the SDGs. Second, a system of
experts has developed and monitors trends related to the SDGs: quality of life, level of environmental safety,
etc. Third - the system of indicators used to assess the sustainability of regions (cities), reflects the lack of a
developed information base and indirectly fixes the lack of political will of the leaders to orient management
towards economic, social, and environmental results. So far, in Russia, loyalty to the higher management is
valued higher than the development of the economy and the growth of the quality of people's life.