GSDRC newsfeed on Public service management

The Future of Social Protection in the Developing World: Actors, Bottlenecks and Politics

Armando Barrientos and David Hulme — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

This section of a broader paper examines three important factors in the future of social protection: the role of external actors, the bottlenecks of sustainable finance and delivery capacity, and politics. It argues that the role of national governments in formulating and coordinating policies is important, and emphasises the need for political conditions that are conducive both to the initiation of social protection programmes and their sustainability. Donors should prioritise governments' capacity to fund social protection programmes and focus on creating a domestic political constituency to support social protection.

Equitable Access to Basic Utilities: Public versus Private Provision and Beyond

International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

How can developing countries increase the poor's access to utilities while maximising the spillover benefits? This issue of 'Poverty in Focus' argues that universal access to basic utilities is justified both on human rights grounds and because it is a public good with positive externalities. Where initial utility coverage is low, subsidy and cross-subsidy schemes are the best option. Where access is higher and privatisation can be considered, contracts must transfer risk to private providers. Instead of focusing on 'public versus private', policy debates should consider the constraints on public intervention, possible improvements, and the potential for alternative provision under a poverty reduction framework.

A User's Guide to Measuring Gender-Sensitive Basic Service Delivery

Lorraine Corner and Sarah Repucci — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

How can gender-sensitive indicators be used to improve the relevance and quality of basic services for women? This guide offers suggestions and tools to help in developing and using appropriate indicators for various contexts. Sex-disaggregated and gender-sensitive indicators are essential for delivering gender-sensitive services that recognise the different roles, needs and situations of women and men. Indicators can also be used to challenge and inspire others to change their thinking on gender issues.

Delivering Services in Multicultural Societies

Alexandre Marc — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

How can service delivery policies be designed and implemented so as to recognise and support cultural diversity? This book finds that long-term investment and strategies are needed. Basic principles include the importance of bottom-up and participatory approaches, deep institutional change, and ongoing policy adaptation. Poorly planned and under-resourced interventions can increase social exclusion. Governments should be prepared to meet the additional requirements of capacity building and institutional development.

Promoting Citizen-Centric Public Service Delivery in Post-Conflict Situations

UNDESA — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

What challenges and strategies are involved in rebuilding public service delivery after conflict? This chapter considers the benefits of a multi-stakeholder approach and the potential of information and communication technologies (ICTs). Effective delivery of public services contributes to peace and stability, which in turn facilitates economic development. Post-conflict situations offer opportunities as well as challenges in public administration. Any framework aimed at restoring public services must derive legitimacy from national ownership and local involvement.

Partnerships with the Private Sector in Health: What the International Community Can Do to Strengthen Health Systems in Developing Countries

April Harding — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Can and should the international community help developing-country governments engage with the private components of their health systems? This report presents the findings of a working group hosted by the Center for Global Development (2008-2009) to examine this question. The working group examined the need for support in this area, and conducted interviews with a broad range of stakeholders to ascertain the demand for assistance and type of support desired. It recommends the creation of a global advisory facility to provide technical and implementation support to strengthen governments' capacity to work with their private health sectors.

Attacking Inequality in the Health Sector: A Menu of Pro-Poor Policies

Abdo S. Yazbeck — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Several successful programmes addressing the problem of health care inequality have been documented in recent years. This chapter draws on 14 such case studies to suggest general lessons learned. It presents a menu of pro-poor policies, and identifies recurring themes and emerging 'rules of thumb'. Success in reducing inequality can be achieved through programmes that are: developed with an empirical and exploratory spirit; crafted with input from the poor; responsive to specific local realities; and continually evaluated and adjusted.

'The Grass of the Rich?' Integrity and Post-war Reconstruction in the Tonkolili District, Sierra Leone

E. Broadbent and A. Kamara — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

How can corruption and lack of transparency and accountability be addressed in reconstruction projects? These problems have severely constrained the rebuilding of Sierra Leone�s infrastructure, but neither the channels nor the incentives exist for community members to challenge such practices. This report reviews a Community Oversight Monitoring project (2008-2009), which identified delays in project completion, sub-standard work; and widespread theft of materials. Underlying contributing factors are patronage politics, institutional weakness and a lack of political will to investigate, redress and prevent such problems. Lack of civil society participation, oversight, awareness and consultation entrenches and is perpetuated by these political and institutional factors.

Community Participation in Public Schools: Impact of Information Campaigns in three Indian states

Priyanka Pandey, Sangeeta Goyal, Venkatesh Sundararaman — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

What impact can community-based information campaigns have on school performance? This article from Education Economics finds that providing information through a structured campaign has a positive impact on school outcomes. A cluster randomised control trial of 610 villages across three Indian states provided public meetings about community roles and responsibilities in school management. A survey between two and four months later identified positive impacts on process variables such as community participation, provision of student entitlements and teacher effort. Impacts on learning were modest, however, and there were differences between states. Impacts need to be measured over a longer time period.

Putting the Power of Transparency in Context: Information�s Role in Reducing Corruption in Uganda�s Education Sector

Paul Hubbard — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

An often-told story in development circles is how corruption was slashed in Uganda simply by publishing the amounts of monthly grants to schools. This paper from the Center for Global Development examines the case in the context of Uganda's changing education policy from 1991-2002. While information did play a critical role in achieving a percentage drop (not necessarily an actual drop) in diverted funds, its impact has been overstated. Many contextual factors were also important, and similar results cannot necessarily be expected elsewhere.

A New Approach to Post Conflict Reconstruction

Fredrik Galtung and Martin Tisné — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

How can post-war reconstruction support democratisation and prevent the early entrenchment of corruption? This study published in the Journal of Democracy examines democracy assistance in eight countries recovering from war: Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Lebanon, Mozambique, the Palestinian Authority, Sierra Leone and Timor-Leste. It argues that citizens need to be involved in the allocation of the public resources that affect their lives. Community-driven accountability can stem corruption and re-engage people in the democratic process. Such measures can begin in the earliest post-war stages, building on local skills and resources.

Can Information Campaigns Overcome Political Obstacles to Serving the Poor?

Stuti Khemani — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

What type of information campaigns can change political incentives to serve the poor? This book chapter from the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs reviews the literature on information campaigns and the role of mass media in influencing public policy. There is a role for information campaigns to shift political platforms away from inefficiently targeted programmes towards broader public policies that promote development.

The Uncertain Relationship between Transparency and Accountability

Jonathan Fox — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

What kinds of transparency lead to what kinds of accountability, and under what conditions? This article from Development in Practice suggests that transparency can be �opaque� (the dissemination of information that does not reveal how institutions actually behave) or �clear� (access to reliable information about institutional behaviour). Accountability can be �soft� (�answerability� - demanding answers from duty-bearers) or �hard� (answers plus consequences). Information dissemination does not automatically lead to answerability, nor answerability to the possibility of sanctions. If access to information is to guarantee the sanctions that hard accountability requires, public sector as well as civil society actors must intervene.

Legitimacy and Context: Implications for Public Sector Reform in Developing Countries

Christine Andrews — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

How can successful public sector reform be achieved in developing countries? This article from Public Administration and Development argues that understanding the interplay between public institutions and the surrounding social context is fundamental to developing a reform strategy. Poorer and socio-economically stratified countries face greater reform challenges owing to public institutions' lack of legitimacy. Reforms should focus on areas of governance that impact on poverty and inequality.

Public Sector Capacity Reform in Ethiopia: A Tale of Success in two Ministries?

Getachew Hailemariam Mengesha, Richard Common — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

How successful has Public Sector Capacity reform been in Ethiopia? This article from Public Administration and Development assesses the outcomes of the Public Sector Capacity reform in the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MOTI) and the Ministry of Education (MoE). It finds a remarkable transformation of service delivery in both organisations. The introduction of business process reengineering (BPR) brought high levels of user satisfaction and spectacular improvements in performance. However, the government will need to maintain the momentum of reform and extend it. Incentive schemes and a monitoring system could prevent regression.

How to Bring About Change in the Bangladesh Civil Service? Attempts to Change Mindsets, Behaviours and Practice

Colin Jacobs — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

What is the way forward for civil service reform in Bangladesh? This article from Public Administration and Development looks at the role that the Bangladesh civil service might play in enabling pro-poor reform and growth. It explores how a senior leadership programme, such as Managing at the Top (MATT2), can create a critical mass of reform minded civil servants. Developing leaders, reforming their attitudes and providing practical skills are all critical aspects of enabling change. However, a single programme is unlikely to be successful. Furthermore, while an incremental approach to reform may be realistic it should not fall into an acceptance of the current status-quo.

Examining Conditional Cash Transfer Programmes: A Role for Increased Social Inclusion?

Benedicte de la Briere, Laura B. Rawlings — Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Conditional Cash Transfer programmes (CCTs) provide money to poor families, contingent on specific verifiable actions such as children's school attendance or preventative health care. How successful are CCTs in addressing social inclusion and inter-generational poverty? What is their impact on social accountability relationships between beneficiaries, service providers and governments? This summary focuses on the Social Inclusion section in a World Bank paper. While CCTs hold promise, they are not a panacea against social exclusion. They should form part of comprehensive social and economic policy strategies and be applied carefully in different policy contexts.

Social Exclusion, Social Isolation and the Distribution of Income

Brian Barry — Thu, 01 Jan 1998 00:00:00 GMT

While social exclusion is unquestionably closely associated with poverty, is it inextricably linked? Can a community marked by significant inequalities of power and status still be socially integrated? This paper from the Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion discusses the relationships between social exclusion, justice and solidarity, with a particular focus on class systems within the USA and Britain. Despite varying income distribution, government policies targeting inequality and favouring social solidarity can promote an integrated society.

Following the Money: Do Public Expenditure Tracking Surveys Matter?

Geir Sundet — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Expenditure tracking, or �follow the money�, has become a byword in development circles for interventions that look into whether the money gets to where it is supposed to be going. The best known �follow the money� initiative is the Public Expenditure Tracking Survey (PETS) methodology that was developed in Uganda in the 1990s. The Uganda PETS found that 80% of the funds intended for primary schools were diverted on the way. This large �leakage� was subsequently cut to only 20%, an improvement that was attributed to a public information campaign that was initiated after the publication of the first PETS. This U4 Issues Paper reviews the evidence concerning the efficacy of expenditure tracking, recommending closer attention to the political context.

Decentralisation and Gender: Coordination and Cooperation on Maternal Health Issues in Selected District Councils in Tanzania

Liss Schanke, Siri Lange (eds) — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

How do Local Government Administrations (LGAs) in Tanzania coordinate and cooperate to reach gender-related goals? This study, published by the Chr. Michelsen Institute, identifies good practices in examining how five district councils cooperate with local communities, civil society organisations and the private sector to improve maternal health, and how well different departments within district councils coordinate their work. Structural problems, partly linked to financial issues, impede sustainable cooperation between local government and civil society. Cooperation with the Department for Community Development is central to enhancing participation and including lower local government levels.