Publication: Evaluation of World Bank Support for Public Sector Reform
Date
2008-02
ISSN
Published
2008-02
Author(s)
Thomas, Vinod
Abstract
The effectiveness and efficiency of a
country's public sector is vital to the success of
development activities, including those the World Bank
supports. Sound financial management, an efficient civil
service and administrative policy, efficient and fair
collection of taxes, and transparent operations that are
relatively free of corruption all contribute to good
delivery of public services. Although a majority of
countries that borrowed to support public sector reform
experienced improved performance in some dimensions, there
were shortcomings in important areas and in overall
coordination. The frequency of improvement was higher among
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
borrowers than among International Development Association
(IDA) borrowers. Performance usually improved for public
financial management, tax administration, and transparency,
but performance did not usually improve with respect to
civil service. Direct measures to reduce corruption such as
anticorruption laws and commissions rarely succeeded.
Recommendations to the Bank focus on improving guidelines
for civil service and anticorruption reforms and on setting
realistic objectives and sequencing for reforms. The Bank
has helped develop tools to improve transparency and reduce
bureaucratic corruption, such as the Public Expenditure
Tracking Survey (PETS), quantitative service delivery
surveys, and the Business Environment and Enterprise
Performance Survey (BEEPS).
Citation
“Thomas, Vinod. 2008. Evaluation of World Bank Support for Public Sector Reform. IEG Fast Track Brief. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/6049cfcb-072b-56c2-b817-025ca8803656 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”