In the conditions of transition to the market economy and transformation of public life, the issues related to the efficiency of public administration of social processes become relevant. Science has not yet developed an understanding of this category and the approach to its evaluation. The aim of the article is to summarize and systematize the domestic experience of assessing efficiency the of public administration. The analysis of two groups of techniques: contained in the legal acts and copyright. The evaluation of the effectiveness of public administration of socio-economic development of the Vologda region on the example of two techniques, identified their shortcomings, actualizing the development of the author's methodology.