The academic literature provides excellent methodologies to identify best practices and to calculate inefficiencies by stochastic frontier analysis. However, these methodologies are regarded as a black box by policy makers and managers and therefore results are hard to accept. This paper...

This paper provides evidence that ownership and organization matters for the efficiency of provision of public services. In particular, we find that pure private ownership is more efficient than pure public ownership, and public ownership is more efficient than mixed ownership. The delegation of...

The aim of this paper is to determine whether it is necessary to increase available resources to local governments or if better use of these funds is sufficient. The paper contributes to the literature by looking both at the supply and demand for public health services. If the demand is...

This report provides an overview of capacity-building activities undertaken after 18 months of implementation of the PforR and draws the lessons learned that can be replicated by other similar programs in the region and beyond. All activities in this report have been planned and implemented by...

Zimbabwe is at a critical juncture. After dollarization and favorable economic factors fueled arecovery during 2009-12, Zimbabwe today faces slowing growth, a financial crisis, increasingly erratic weather patterns and rising poverty and inequality. To help respond to these issues, the...

This policy note discusses strengthening institutions for urban and metropolitan management and service delivery and is part of a broader Philippines urbanization study. Strong institutions are critical to the effective management of cities, the delivery of efficient urban services and...

Local governments : a global presence / Richard Kerley, Joyce Liddle, Pam Dunning -- Local electoral systems / Michael Cole -- Local political leadership : the voters or councillors : who chooses who governs? / Colin Copus -- Traditional leaders and local government in Pacific Island countries /...

We analyze the impact of trade-induced income shocks on the size of local government, and the provision of public services. Areas in the US with declining labor demand and incomes due to increasing import competition from China experience relative declines in housing prices and business...

Mit dem Aktionsprogramm regionale Daseinsvorsorge unterstützte das Bundesministerium für Verkehr und digitale Infrastruktur (BMVI) von Dezember 2011 bis Ende 2015 21 Modellregionen dabei, eigenständig eine Regionalstrategie Daseinsvorsorge zu erarbeiten und damit strategische Grundlagen für...

Since its establishment in 2011, the Spanish Network of Smart Cities (RECI) has worked towards the ultimate objective of making Spanish cities an international reference within the global "smart" panorama. This network, originally empowered by the individual experience of many Spanish cities...

Discrimination in access to public services can act as a major obstacle towards addressing racial inequality. We examine whether racial discrimination exists in access to a wide spectrum of public services in the US. We carry out an email correspondence study in which we pose simple queries to...

In this paper we estimated the demand for local public spending for the Brazilian municipalities within a median voter’s framework. The median voter theorem provides a method of aggregating individual voter's demands to obtain community demand. The rationale for applying that framework came...

A novel study of Brazilian city council efficiency using the non-parametric estimator FDH (free disposal hull) with bias correction is presented. In regional terms, study results show a concentration of efficient councils in the southern region. In turn, those in the northeastern and...

Discrimination in access to public services can act as a major obstacle towards addressing racial inequality. We examine whether racial discrimination exists in access to a wide spectrum of public services in the US. We carry out an email correspondence study in which we pose simple queries to...

Municipal employees have come under fire for poor performance and conduct in their work as some engage in corruption and others are not qualified enough to discharge their duties to the required levels. Employee training and development has become one of the key aspects in improving employee...