Publication: Municipal Mergers and Associations: International Experience and Reform Options for Croatia
Loading...
Date
2022-05
ISSN
Published
2022-05
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
Croatia’s high degree of municipal fragmentation has been consistently recognized as a weakness and one of the main problems of its intergovernmental fiscal system. The report argues that the problem of fragmentation is in essence a problem of capacity. The objective of this report is to review international experiences and lessons in the promotion of local government mergers and municipal associations to inform efforts to advance institutional reform in Croatia and address the problem of low local government capacity. The report is organized into six sections. The first section is introduction, the second section reviews the fragmented territorial administrative structure in Croatia, and the third is devoted to unpacking the concept of local government units (LGU) capacity. The fourth section focuses on relevant international experience related to municipal fragmentation and capacity deficiencies, and the fifth examines incentive measures for Intermunicipal Cooperation (IMC) and the creation of associations or commonwealths. The sixth section lays out policy options and recommendations for Croatia, prioritized along a sequence for implementation.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“World Bank. 2022. Municipal Mergers and Associations: International Experience and Reform Options for Croatia. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/38330 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication Municipal Mergers and Associations(Washington, DC, 2022)This Equitable Growth, Finance and Institutions (EFI) note reviews international experiences and lessons in promoting local government mergers and municipal associations. It seeks to inform efforts to advance institutional reforms in Croatia and address the problem of low local government capacity. This note also provides insights on the incentives needed to encourage the voluntary association of local government units for the common provision of certain functions and public services based on international practices.Publication Peru : The Decentralization Process and its Links with Public Expenditure Efficiency(Washington, DC, 2010-06-07)Decentralization in Peru is an ongoing process that is in its infancy and faces key challenges. This study aims to take stock of the process and identify these challenges. The main goal of the report is to help think through these issues with a view of identifying priorities and opportunities for fruitful engagement in this area. Much of the stock-taking serves as an introduction to the topic for the general reader and draws on what has become by now extensive secondary literature. The report distils the key challenges of the decentralization process and adds value in three specific areas. A first distinct contribution of this report is to highlight the importance of political economy factors in explaining the ebbs and flows of the decentralization process. Second, the report provides new data on truly decentralized spending as opposed to deconcentrated as well as on public spending per capita across districts. Third, this report provides a novel analysis of the efficiency of public spending across departments in Peru. The report compiles measures of public sector performance and efficiency for education, health, and transport across all departments. The overall institutional framework provides enough reasons for reconsideration an area where the Bank could add value. To be clear, this report does not call for new rushed legislative initiatives to address the perceived shortcomings in the institutional set up. What is called for is the creation of spaces for inter-institutional and inclusive dialogue to help establish a consensus on some basic principles. Only then will changes to the current institutional framework be appropriate. The mechanism to share natural resource revenues among levels of government has contributed to obfuscate the decentralization process.Publication Romania Municipal Finance Policy Note(Washington, DC, 2008-06-03)The policy note is organized as follows: the first section reviews the local government structure and fiscal system and discusses how it can be improved to better enable local governments to efficiently fulfill their functions. The second section then examines the state of municipal utilities. The third and the final section examines the recent evolution, opportunities and challenges ahead for the development of the sub-national debt market, analyzes key deficiencies and proposes priority reforms in the legal and regulatory framework for local government borrowing, and proposes a strategy to increase the access of sub-national entities to the sub-national debt market, based on a range of technical assistance and financial support instruments carefully attuned to sub-national entities' risk profiles.Publication Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia : Issues in Urban and Municipal Development(Washington, DC, 2006-11)The present study examines the challenges facing municipal governments in FYR Macedonia. The introductory chapter provides some further context for these developments, in terms of the challenges they pose for urban areas and their governments. Chapter Two examines issues for financial management of municipalities under the decentralized regime, and the attendant need for improving local government capacity. The third chapter highlights questions in the area of communal services, where municipal governments retain overall provision and supervisory responsibilities of the local public enterprises. The fourth chapter focuses on urban planning and land management, an area critical to the efficient functioning of cities and for which municipalities have acquired new obligations. The approach of the report is to assemble existing data from many available studies, both by the World Bank and by other sources, and information obtained from interviews in the country to articulate ideas and recommendations for consideration by the Government elected in July 2006, by municipal governments, and by other stakeholders.Publication Development of Capital Markets and Institutional Investors in Russia : Recent Achievements and Policy Challenges Ahead(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2006)This study reviews the recent developments in capital markets and institutional investors in Russia, and examines the policy challenges ahead for the development of the sector. The analysis covers key impediments for further development and policy challenges for securities markets, in particular legal and regulatory framework, market infrastructure, government bonds, sub-sovereign bonds, corporate bonds, and equities. The analysis also covers key impediments for further development and policy challenges for mutual funds, pension funds, and insurance companies.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication Argentina Country Climate and Development Report(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-11)The Argentina Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) explores opportunities and identifies trade-offs for aligning Argentina’s growth and poverty reduction policies with its commitments on, and its ability to withstand, climate change. It assesses how the country can: reduce its vulnerability to climate shocks through targeted public and private investments and adequation of social protection. The report also shows how Argentina can seize the benefits of a global decarbonization path to sustain a more robust economic growth through further development of Argentina’s potential for renewable energy, energy efficiency actions, the lithium value chain, as well as climate-smart agriculture (and land use) options. Given Argentina’s context, this CCDR focuses on win-win policies and investments, which have large co-benefits or can contribute to raising the country’s growth while helping to adapt the economy, also considering how human capital actions can accompany a just transition.Publication World Development Report 2006(Washington, DC, 2005)This year’s Word Development Report (WDR), the twenty-eighth, looks at the role of equity in the development process. It defines equity in terms of two basic principles. The first is equal opportunities: that a person’s chances in life should be determined by his or her talents and efforts, rather than by pre-determined circumstances such as race, gender, social or family background. The second principle is the avoidance of extreme deprivation in outcomes, particularly in health, education and consumption levels. This principle thus includes the objective of poverty reduction. The report’s main message is that, in the long run, the pursuit of equity and the pursuit of economic prosperity are complementary. In addition to detailed chapters exploring these and related issues, the Report contains selected data from the World Development Indicators 2005‹an appendix of economic and social data for over 200 countries. This Report offers practical insights for policymakers, executives, scholars, and all those with an interest in economic development.Publication Lebanon Economic Monitor, Fall 2022(Washington, DC, 2022-11)The economy continues to contract, albeit at a somewhat slower pace. Public finances improved in 2021, but only because spending collapsed faster than revenue generation. Testament to the continued atrophy of Lebanon’s economy, the Lebanese Pound continues to depreciate sharply. The sharp deterioration in the currency continues to drive surging inflation, in triple digits since July 2020, impacting the poor and vulnerable the most. An unprecedented institutional vacuum will likely further delay any agreement on crisis resolution and much needed reforms; this includes prior actions as part of the April 2022 International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff-level agreement (SLA). Divergent views among key stakeholders on how to distribute the financial losses remains the main bottleneck for reaching an agreement on a comprehensive reform agenda. Lebanon needs to urgently adopt a domestic, equitable, and comprehensive solution that is predicated on: (i) addressing upfront the balance sheet impairments, (ii) restoring liquidity, and (iii) adhering to sound global practices of bail-in solutions based on a hierarchy of creditors (starting with banks’ shareholders) that protects small depositors.Publication Classroom Assessment to Support Foundational Literacy(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-03-21)This document focuses primarily on how classroom assessment activities can measure students’ literacy skills as they progress along a learning trajectory towards reading fluently and with comprehension by the end of primary school grades. The document addresses considerations regarding the design and implementation of early grade reading classroom assessment, provides examples of assessment activities from a variety of countries and contexts, and discusses the importance of incorporating classroom assessment practices into teacher training and professional development opportunities for teachers. The structure of the document is as follows. The first section presents definitions and addresses basic questions on classroom assessment. Section 2 covers the intersection between assessment and early grade reading by discussing how learning assessment can measure early grade reading skills following the reading learning trajectory. Section 3 compares some of the most common early grade literacy assessment tools with respect to the early grade reading skills and developmental phases. Section 4 of the document addresses teacher training considerations in developing, scoring, and using early grade reading assessment. Additional issues in assessing reading skills in the classroom and using assessment results to improve teaching and learning are reviewed in section 5. Throughout the document, country cases are presented to demonstrate how assessment activities can be implemented in the classroom in different contexts.Publication The Journey Ahead(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-10-31)The Journey Ahead: Supporting Successful Migration in Europe and Central Asia provides an in-depth analysis of international migration in Europe and Central Asia (ECA) and the implications for policy making. By identifying challenges and opportunities associated with migration in the region, it aims to inform a more nuanced, evidencebased debate on the costs and benefits of cross-border mobility. Using data-driven insights and new analysis, the report shows that migration has been an engine of prosperity and has helped address some of ECA’s demographic and socioeconomic disparities. Yet, migration’s full economic potential remains untapped. The report identifies multiple barriers keeping migration from achieving its full potential. Crucially, it argues that policies in both origin and destination countries can help maximize the development impacts of migration and effectively manage the economic, social, and political costs. Drawing from a wide range of literature, country experiences, and novel analysis, The Journey Ahead presents actionable policy options to enhance the benefits of migration for destination and origin countries and migrants themselves. Some measures can be taken unilaterally by countries, whereas others require close bilateral or regional coordination. The recommendations are tailored to different types of migration— forced displacement as well as high-skilled and low-skilled economic migration—and from the perspectives of both sending and receiving countries. This report serves as a comprehensive resource for governments, development partners, and other stakeholders throughout Europe and Central Asia, where the richness and diversity of migration experiences provide valuable insights for policy makers in other regions of the world.