Other Public Sector Study

314 items available

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http://hdl.handle.net/10986/2206

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Return on Investment of Public Support to SMEs and Innovation in Poland

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-12-31) World Bank

A Smarter Europe is a top priority of the European Union (EU), the core of which is innovation, economic transformation, and more competitive small and medium enterprises (SMEs). These themes account for a huge part of EU spending in the past, present, and future programming periods. Despite high expenditures, impacts on the economy often appear modest or are not well understood. EU, national, and regional policymakers want to know where and how to invest to get the highest return on investment (ROI). Poland was selected as the pilot country, since it is the largest recipient of EU funding, and has a rich set of support measures and implementing bodies. The remainder of the document is organized as follows. Section 2 summarizes the assessment of the needs of the Polish ecosystem, along with the portfolio mapping and policy mix analysis. Section 3 summarizes the functional analysis methodology and findings. Section 4 describes the ROI/effectiveness methodology and findings. And Section 5 offers conclusions and recommendations based on the combined analyses.
Guinea - Opportunities for Enhanced Domestic Revenue Mobilization: Value-Added Tax and Excise Taxes

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-05-01) World Bank

Revenue mobilization is a key constraint to economic development in the Republic of Guinea. The government’s five-year development plan (2016-2020) aims at fostering higher and more inclusive growth through public investments that require financing beyond current fiscal capacity. In this context, Guinea is seeking to efficiently raise additional domestic revenues and external investment financing. Development partners are supporting Guinea with technical assistance for revenue mobilization. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Union are supporting authorities with direct tax policy, non-tax revenue, and administration issues. The objective of this report is to shed light on indirect taxes, particularly value-added tax (VAT) and excise taxes. The report provides an overview of the main features of tax policy and administration in Guinea, followed by a more detailed analysis of VAT and excise taxes. The focus on indirect taxation is a result of both its significant revenue potential and coordination with other development partners. The analysis presented fills an important gap in the understanding of how Guinea can increase its tax revenues. On VAT, the study finds that addressing policy and administrative constraints can mobilize additional revenues while improving the business climate. On excise taxation, the study finds that existing excise rates are unevenly applied, with scope for raising rates in the future. To systematically address its revenue challenges across all tax types, Guinea should also consider development of a medium-term revenue strategy (MTRS). The report is structured as follows: in the first section, an overview of the evolution and composition of domestic revenues in Guinea is presented. In the second section, VAT is analyzed. The final section reviews excise tax policy and its implementation on international goods and domestic goods.
South Africa ID Case Study

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-05-01) World Bank

South Africa’s approach to identification offers valuable lessons for countries looking to increase the coverage, robustness, and use of their ID systems. Since the end of apartheid, South Africa’s national identification system has been transformed from a tool of oppression to one for inclusion and the delivery of social services. The ID system is now closely integrated with civil registration, boasts high coverage among all segments of the population, and has been instrumental for effective service delivery and a cost effective electoral process.
Digital Government and Open Data Readiness Assessment

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-02) World Bank ; Government of Vietnam

This report, composed of two separate themes of Digital Government Readiness Assessment (DGRA) and Open Data Readiness Assessment (ODRA), is intended to help government assess their digital environments and frame their own strategies.In order to assess the potential for a Digital Enabling Government Initiative (DEGI) for Vietnam, this report compiles two chapters of aforementioned DGRA and ODRA. Specifically, it assesses potential opportunities and challenges of improving digital government and open data initiatives in the country. Although DGRA and ODRA are two separate assessments with different dimensions evaluated, they take a similar methodological approach from a broader point of view, starting with the desk research and later expanding to scoping mission. Therefore, both chapters of DGRA and ODRA are similar in format but outlined in respective assessment dimension and individual indicators. Since its onset in the fall of 2017, intensive desk research was conducted, and a field mission was carried out to confirm preliminary findings and uncover additional insight during a specific period in time, which means that during the course of analysis and writing additional developments could have been made. This is similar to the United Nations global e-government development report, which assesses progress during a “snapshot” in time.DGRA, the first part of the report, aims to evaluate Vietnam’s current potential for digital government development across seven key dimensions of leadership and governance; user focus; business process change; capabilities; culture and skills; shared infrastructure; data driven; and cybersecurity, privacy and resilience. Meanwhile, ODRA assesses Vietnam’s open data policy through evaluating eight different dimensions of leadership; policy/legal framework; institutional structure; data within government; demand; citizen engagement; funding; and infrastructure.The DGRA chapter focuses on digital government, which is a core part of Digital Economy as public sector delivers information and services more effectively and make them accessible to its citizens.The DGRA also measures the citizen’s demand for digital government services as well as integration and infrastructure policies to delve deeper into the opportunities and challenges the country faces in its digital development journey. The assessment includes a step-by-step analysis of specific components of digital government and presents an action plan to address the challenges identified for improvement.ODRA, the second part of the report, focuses on the country’s open data policy. Open data refers that the data must be both legally and technically open to public, thus placed in the public domain or under liberal terms of use with minimal restrictions, and that the data is published in machine-readable and preferably in non-proprietary electronic formats, which enables everyone to access and use data with freely available software tools.This report, bringing DGRA and ODRA assessments altogether, aims to help raise awareness of digital government and open data, two critical topics as Vietnam prepares its next step for the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0). Further, it hopes to serve as a useful resource for the top government leadership in identifying areas of relative strengths and weaknesses to help improve digital government and open data at the same time.
Moving Further on Civil Service Reforms in Ethiopia: Findings and Implications from a Civil Service Survey and Qualitative Analysis

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-01-15) World Bank

This report identifies key challenges facing the Ethiopian civil service today and suggests avenuesfor further reforms. Ethiopia’s civil service has so far developed at a rapid pace and faces anumber of constraints, challenges, and new or expanding demands. Continuing reform efforts and building on past achievements is critical for the successful implementation of Ethiopia’s Growth and Transformation Program (GTP II). While the past two decades have seen important achievements made, the government seeks to further strengthen its economic governance and service delivery.The analytic effort that this report reflects was triggered by a request from the Ministry ofPublic Service and Human Resource Development (MPSHRD). The Ministry sought to identify challenges and options to target and pursue further reforms and efforts to strengthen the civil service and its contributions to service delivery. The report is based on several sources: (i) the Ethiopian Civil Servants Survey (ECSS), which was undertaken in June through September 2016 and targeted professional level staff and directors or heads of federal ministries or agencies, regional bureaus, and woreda offices; (ii) a series of key informant interviews with officials and stakeholders, as well as focus group discussions with members of ‘Public Wings’; and (iii) administrative data and information, e.g. concerning the number of civil servants, as wellas salaries and benefits. The focus is on five key service delivery sectors: agriculture, education, health, revenue collection, and trade—all critical areas for state activity. The analysis encompasses an assessment of previous and ongoing reforms, and takes a look at the constraints and overall quality of current management practices. Where possible, the report also compares the civil service in Ethiopia to that of other countries, based on information gathered from similar surveys and other comparative information.
Incentives for Improving Birth Registration Coverage: A Review of the Literature

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2018-12-31) World Bank

This paper describes a framework of supply and demand factors that could affect birth registration coverage rates, particularly in the context of social transfers. Within this framework, a review of the empirical literature (academic and grey) was conducted on incentives that have been demonstrated to increase birth registration coverage. More than two hundred articles were reviewed, and forty-two (twenty-three academic and nineteen grey) were selected for this study based on relevance. The literature encompassed evidence from Asia, Africa, and Latin America on linking birth registration with social transfer programs, such as cash transfers, which have resulted in increased birth registration rates. The methods in the literature on incentives for countries to increase birth registration coverage vary. There is a lack of scholarly research on incentives to address both supply and demand barriers for birth registration and a need for more robust literature on the topic.
Moldova Mobile ID Case Study

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2018-12) World Bank

The Republic of Moldova was among the first countries in the world to implement Mobile eID, whichhas been implemented through the innovative Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. In recognitionof Moldova embracing mobile technologies as an opportunity to tap the potential of mobile phones toimprove government initiatives, the government of Moldova was awarded the Best mGovernment Awardby the GSMA during the 2013 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The concept of Mobile eID, also known as mobile signature, works as an ID in the virtual world, allowing users to authenticate themselves in cyberspace, with the aim to prove their identity with the help of a cell phone or electronically sign a legally-binding transaction or document. For the regular users, the advantage of mobile eID lies in its simplicity, since no separate card reader or drivers areneeded, as the phone itself already performs these functions. Implementation of Mobile eID in Moldova was part of a larger digital transformation initiative supported by a 20 million US Dollars World Bank–funded loan as part of Governance eTransformation Project (GeT), and assuch, it benefited from increased political support. Moreover, the approval by the government of Moldova of the strategic e-Transformation program further paved the way for eID implementation, by expressly stating that mobile electronic identity is "a means to ensure data integrity and security in eservice delivery and financial transactions."
Disaster Risk Finance Country Note: Uzbekistan

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2018-12-01) World Bank

This disaster risk finance country note was prepared within the Uzbekistan strengthening disaster resilience technical assistance. It aims at: (a) raising awareness about fiscal impacts of disasters in Uzbekistan; (b) providing an overview of the way the Government of Uzbekistan (GoU) currently finances disaster losses; and (c) identifying potential measures to strengthen financial protection against disasters. The GoU has a number of regulations that govern post-disaster financing. They include provision that the first line of defense against natural disasters lies with the local level, while resources of a national reserve fund of the cabinet of ministers are drawn only when the local resources are exhausted. Therefore, the GoU can consider the following major steps to strengthen post-disaster financing in Uzbekistan: (a) improving collection of information related to disasters and accounting for fiscal risks; (b) developing a financial protection strategy against natural disasters; (c) improving disaster insurance; better understanding disaster insurance market in the country is an important first step; and (d) improving effectiveness and targeting of the resources available.
Identification for Development Country Diagnostic: Uganda

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2018-11-01) World Bank

In today’s digital age, robust, inclusive, and responsible civil registration and identification systems play an important role in providing citizens with a legal identity and generating vital and demographic statistics. Universal coverage of these systems improves the accessibility, integrity, effectiveness, and efficiency of public and private services. Experience in Estonia, India, Peru, South Africa, Thailand, and other countries has shown that an effective national identification system can accelerate progress in addressing key development and governance challenges, such as financial inclusion, universal healthcare coverage, and digitizing and integrating services in the public and private sectors. The ID4D diagnostic was undertaken between November 2017 and June 2018 at the request from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Government of Uganda under the umbrella of the World Bank’s Identification for Development (ID4D) initiative.This work was done with excellent collaboration from NIRA’s management and personnel. Its objective was to analyze the identification ecosystem in Uganda, highlight strengths and achievements, suggest areas of improvement, and build consensus around recommendations and next steps. This was done through in-person interviews with over40 government and private stakeholders, a field visit, and a literature review. Draft findings and recommendations were presented at a consultation workshop in August 2018, attended by over 50 experts representing 30 MDAs and private sector organizations. Feedback from the workshop is reflected in the report.
Privacy by Design: Current Practices in Estonia, India, and Austria

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2018-11) World Bank

Digital identification systems, integrated with civil registration, can play a transformational role across many development areas, such as financial inclusion, expanding access to services and social safety nets, and effective humanitarian response. But while the opportunity is great, so are the risks. One set of risks results from collecting, using, and managing personal data, which creates serious privacy challenges. Risks also include: (1) Incorrect or inaccurate data collection, leading to mistaken identity or unjust treatment; (2) Data collected for one purpose being used for another purpose without the user’s consent; and (3) Unauthorized or inappropriate transfer of data between government agencies, governments, and even with third non-governmental parties. The importance of data privacy in building digital ID systems is highlighted in the Principles on Identification developed by the World Bank in 2017. These principles have been signed onto by more than 20 international organizations and development partners as being fundamental to maximizing the benefits of identification systems for sustainable development.