Other Public Sector Study
315 items available
Permanent URI for this collection
Items in this collection
1 - 10 of 55
-
Publication
GovTech for Azerbaijan: A Whole of Government Approach as a Key Foundation for the Digital Economy in Azerbaijan
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-06-10)This note presents main findings of the GovTech Snapshot Assessment for Azerbaijan, forming part of a larger World Bank global engagement on GovTech and Advisory Services and Analytics (ASA) in the South Caucasus focusing on transforming government services through digital innovations. The objective of the note is to conduct an initial GovTech stock-taking, using the GovTech conceptual framework within the broader Digital Economy context. Starting with a first analytical phase in 2021 and to be continued through a second phase of implementation support in 2022, the assessment focuses on key thematic areas in line with client interest to help identify entry-points and reform options. It applies a simplified and customized version of the Digital Government Readiness Assessment Methodology (DGRA), assessing key thematic dimensions and developing a menu of reform options in line with client priorities. The note is structured in four sections. The first section presents the GovTech and Digital Economy conceptual framework. Section two includes key findings of the snapshot assessment for all nine dimensions of the DGRA. Section three propose potential reform opportunities, based on entry-points identified in the assessment and customized to client priorities. Finally, Section 4 presents different engagement options to deepen collaboration between the government of Azerbaijan and the World Bank on GovTech. -
Publication
GovTech for Georgia: A Whole of Government Approach as a Key Foundation for the Digital Economy in Georgia
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-06-10)This note presents main findings of the GovTech Snapshot Assessment for Georgia, forming part of a larger World Bank global engagement on GovTech and Advisory Services and Analytics (ASA) in the South Caucasus on Transforming Government Services through Digital Innovations. The objective of the note is to conduct an initial GovTech stock-taking, using the GovTech conceptual framework within the broader Digital Economy context. Starting with a first analytical phase in 2021 and to be continued through a second phase of implementation support in 2022, the assessment focuses on key thematic areas in line with client interest to help identify entry-points and reform options. It applies a simplified and customized version of the Digital Government Readiness Assessment Methodology (DGRA), assessing key thematic dimensions and developing a menu of reform options in line with client priorities. -
Publication
GovTech for Armenia: A Whole of Government Approach as a Key Foundation for the Digital Economy in Armenia
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-06-10)This note presents main findings of the GovTech snapshot assessment for Armenia forming part of a larger World Bank global engagement on GovTech and Advisory Services and Analytics (ASA) in the South Caucasus on transforming government services through digital innovations. The objective of the note is to conduct an initial GovTech stock-taking using the GovTech conceptual framework within the broader digital economy context. Starting with a first analytic phase in 2021 and to be continued through a second phase of implementation support in 2022, the assessment focuses on key thematic areas in line with client’s interest to help identify entry-points and reform options. It applies a simplified and customized version of the Digital Government Readiness Assessment Methodology (DGRA), assessing key thematic dimensions and developing a menu of reform options in line with client priorities. The note is structured in four sections. The first section presents the GovTech and Digital Economy conceptual framework. Section two includes key findings of the snapshot assessment for all nine dimensions of the DGRA. Section three propose potential reform opportunities based on entry-points identified in the assessment and customized to client priorities. These are presented below as a preliminary menu of reform options and as a basis for further discussion with Armenian counterparts. Finally, Section 4 presents different GovTech engagement options to deepen collaboration between the government of Armenia and the World Bank. -
Publication
Corporate Governance of State-Owned Enterprises in Europe and Central Asia: A Survey
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2020-12-01)The Corporate Governance of State-Owned Enterprises in Europe and Central Asia Survey analyzes the transparency and control environment governing state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in selected countries of the Europe and Central Asia Region (ECA), with an emphasis on financial reporting, auditing, and transparency requirements. The survey builds on and complements several studies on SOE governance that World Bank teams have carried out around the ECA Region. The purpose of this survey is to provide the countries with an easy-to-follow benchmarking comparison of SOE practices in accountability requirements across the ECA Region. The survey will also inform ongoing and future World Bank assistance to partner countries in the areas of SOE financial accountability, controls, and transparency. The survey aims to assist governments and SOE ownership entities in carrying out reforms and implementing effective SOE monitoring mechanisms and corporate governance practices. -
Publication
Return on Investment of Public Support to SMEs and Innovation in Poland
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-12-31)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. -
Publication
Moldova Mobile ID Case Study
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2018-12)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." -
Publication
Disaster Risk Finance Country Note: Uzbekistan
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2018-12-01)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. -
Publication
Ukraine e-Government Assessment
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2018-06)Electronic Government (e-government) is among the main bases for improving public administration and service delivery in Ukraine. To effectively support enhanced developmentoutcomes, it requires a systemic and coordinated approach and parallel advancement of various components of digitalization. The purpose of this assessment is to identify issues and opportunities to consolidate, enhance and accelerate the electronic government reform in Ukraine. It informs and serves as a foundation for the prioritization and development of future areas of engagement of the broader e-government reform.Efforts to advance the implementation of e-government activities have not been properly sequenced and have been uncoordinated.To assess governance e-transformation this report introduces a comprehensive methodology – Electronic Government’s Governance Outline (hereafter Assessment) – that was developed by the team and is used for the first time. This assessment reflects the progress and status against various benchmarks of e-government, grouped in 18 dimensions and spread among 5 areas.The Ukraine assessment is a first attempt at bringing together the technical perspective of digitalization with the treatment of the agency problem underlaying the essence of governance. Recognizing the challenges and complexity of reforms in this area, the report outlines key priorities for future focus by policymakers and implementers in setting up specific strategies for addressing weaknesses and advancing reforms. The assessment, which was performed through desk review of policy and regulatory framework, interviews and structured surveys of key stakeholders, reveals a pattern of disproportional development of the system. The report discusses three foresight scenarios as alternatives to the “status quo”.The scenarios reflect different approaches to addressing identified vulnerabilities of e-government in Ukraine. Implementing many of the good practices will be a challenge in the short-term. Next steps should ideally focus on reforms that prioritize consolidation of datacenters. Implementing a centralized policy for ICT procurement requires strong political will and high-level support. The first manifestation of such political support could be clear definition of the stakeholder roles and, most importantly, separation of implementation from policymaking. -
Publication
Re-Mapping Opportunity: Making Best Use of the Economic Potential of Russia's Regions
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2018-03-01)In order to understand a country as large and diverse as Russia, it is extremely important to consider spatial patterns of economic development. As Russia looks for new drivers of economic growth, it is important to understand the structural conditions that have defined economic development in Russia’s regions. This report uses the Economic Potential Index (EPI) methodology to identify the conditions that drive regional development. Economic potential is the level of productivity that is possible for a region to achieve given its structural endowments, which are characteristics that are hard to alter in the short run. The methodology used in this report combines quantitative analysis of drivers of productivity across regions with in-depth case studies that focus on the role of regional governments and institutions in converting endowments into economic outcomes. This methodology generates insights that are relevant for both national and regional governments. The first chapter of this report provides an overview of regional development in Russia over the last 25 years and identifies “Russia-specific” national structural conditions that may affect regional development. The second chapter discusses the results of an assessment of economic potential at the regional level and the factors that shape it in Russia. The third chapter focuses on the role of national and regional governance, policy, and institutions in promoting economic development of the regions. The final chapter proposes policy priorities for both regional and national authorities. -
Publication
Kazakhstan: Enhancing the Fiscal Framework to Support Economic Transformation
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2017-11-27)Kazakhstan benefited from the oil boom of 2000–14 that led to income growth and poverty reduction and helped build a fiscal cushion to stabilize the economy during downturns. During this period, nominal GDP per capita increased ten-fold, from US$1,229 in 2000 to US$12,807 in 2014, mainly due to price effects from currency appreciation that followed an expansion of the oil sector. Income growth led to a substantial decline in the poverty rate, from 77 percent in 2001 to 16 percent in 2014. As oil output more than doubled and the oil price super-cycle emerged, the Government of Kazakhstan (GoK) accumulated substantial fiscal savings in its oil fund, the National Fund of the Republic of Kazakhstan (NFRK).2 Fiscal savings in the NFRK peaked at US$73 billion (33 percent of GDP) at end-2014. A portion of these funds was used for anti-crisis programs in 2007-10, during which time the fiscal stimulus program totaled US$18 billion (about 15 percent of GDP). The authorities must urgently adopt and start implementing a fiscal consolidation strategy and refocus macro-fiscal policy on promoting diversified growth and high-quality job creation. The countercyclical fiscal stance adopted in 2014 led to an increase in the nonoil fiscal deficit (NOD), which is too high to ensure medium-term fiscal sustainability and threatens the long-term growth potential of the nonoil tradable economy. Successful fiscal consolidation would require: (i) reducing inefficient expenditure that distorts private incentives while redirecting savings toward productivity-enhancing spending; and (ii) eliminating inefficient tax benefits that result in an uneven playing field for investment. While pursuing a fiscal consolidation effort over the medium term, there are potential benefits to reviewing Kazakhstan’s fiscal policy framework and institutions with the goal of strengthening their coherence, credibility, and flexibility. This Public Finance Review (PFR) aims to help the authorities identify areas for fiscal consolidation that will bring about fiscal sustainability in the medium term and support economic transformation in the long run. While developing a fiscal consolidation strategy, the authorities should address four policy areas to enhance fiscal sustainability and support economic transformation. These are discussed in the following four policy focus chapters: (i) enhancing the credibility of the fiscal policy framework; (ii) improving public spending efficiency and effectiveness; (iii) mobilizing nonoil revenue and optimizing the tax system; and (iv) strengthening fiscal policy institutions.