Publication: Assessing Public Investment Management Functions and Institutional Arrangements for State-Owned Enterprises: A Diagnostic Framework
Loading...
Date
2021-07-20
ISSN
Published
2021-07-20
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
This paper provides a diagnostic framework (DF) for helping governments conceptualize and develop desirable functions and institutional arrangements for public investments managed by state-owned enterprises (SOEs). The DF also extends its coverage to not-for-profit, quasi-independent government entities. Determining the appropriate approach to managing SOE public investments requires a measured reconciliation of multiple trade-offs. In certain cases, when SOEs make profit-seeking investments for commercial purposes, operate in competitive markets, and make investments that present no major externalities, governments should take a hands-off approach, a scenario that may include cases in which governments simply exit and leave the corporate governance in the hands of private investors. Governments should let SOEs make their own investment decisions in pursuit of business efficiency. In such instances, governments need to establish a level playing field on which SOEs can operate and compete with private actors and exercise their public interest as a shareholder. In other cases, however, governments should establish a robust system - well aligned with the national public investment management (PIM) architecture to regulate SOE investments. This alignment should occur when SOE investments extend the role of line ministries and are financed by the general government budget or involve large-scale projects, posing significant fiscal risks through implicit or explicit contingent liabilities. The PIM practiced by SOEs should also align with the national PIM system when there are potential detrimental impacts on the environment, climate, and resilience. Our DF consists of four matrices intended to be used in combination to assess the gap between a country’s current SOE PIM and international best practices. Matrix 1 sketches the guideposts to determine which stakeholders should guard SOE investments, focusing on who. Matrix 2 helps assess PIM functions, focusing on what should be done under each PIM function and by whom. Matrix 3 presents a framework and a set of measurement indicators to evaluate how governments should introduce PIM processes and systems. Matrix 4 gives some consideration to the project viability of SOEs. To effectively apply the DF, it cannot be used mechanically: it must be grounded in a good understanding of the country’s political economy and the vested incentives of all stakeholders involved in SOE PIM.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“Glenday, Graham; Le, Tuan Minh; Mahdi, Shireen; Pijuan, Albert. 2021. Assessing Public Investment Management Functions and Institutional Arrangements for State-Owned Enterprises: A Diagnostic Framework. Equitable Growth, Finance and Institutions Insight;. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/36002 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 Ukraine : System of Financial Oversight and Governance of State-Owned Enterprises(Washington, DC, 2011-02-22)The report focuses on the system of financial oversight and governance of state-owned enterprises in Ukraine. State-owned enterprises (SOEs) continue to represent a significant share of Ukraine's economy, and play a dominant role in sectors such as rail, transport, utilities, energy and telecommunications. These enterprises play an important role for the government by remitting dividend payments to the national treasury to fund the country's development agenda. At the same time, these same enterprises government receive fiscal support through a transfer of budgetary resources, issuance of guarantees for enterprise debt, facilitation to lines of credit, and other financial instruments. Ukraine's SOE sector has a wide range of ownership and management schemes. The basic legal framework for SOE oversight, defined in the Commercial Code of Ukraine, provides for the delegation of responsibilities across several ministries/agencies. As a result, there are overlapping roles across different government institutions, and gaps with regard to active monitoring and oversight. In practice, the SOE oversight function of the line ministries is primarily exercised through a review of the reports submitted by the SOEs on the implementation of financial plans. However, the review is typically light, and its efficiency is undermined by the limited clarity of the operating objectives for SOEs, and limited usefulness of the performance management framework. Moreover, the underlying data used to measure performance indicators is not validated and its reliability is uncertain. Even though the current performance management framework can be improved, performance evaluations are not conducted for a substantial number of SOEs which seriously undermines the effectiveness of oversight.Publication Corporate Governance of State-Owned Enterprises in Latin America : Current Trends and Country Cases(World Bank Group, Washington, DC, 2014-07)The main objective of this report is to provide a descriptive analysis of the current practices and trends of corporate governance of State-owned Enterprises (SOEs) in several Latin-American countries. It provides practitioners of SOE corporate governance with a stocktaking of current practices and trends in several Latin American countries, as well as international experiences and good practices elsewhere. This report intend to contribute to the discussion and growing interest on SOE corporate governance and to provide an impulse for further analytical work in this area. In most Latin American and Caribbean countries, the SOE sector contributes significantly to GDP and represents an important part of consolidated public expenditures. In several cases, the SOEs are also key and strategic actors in the country s economy providing essential goods and services and frequently hold a dominant market position in critical sectors, such as petroleum, electricity, and transportation. They also operate in competitive markets such as financial services, telecommunications, etc. SOEs are also increasingly under pressure, by both their governments and by international competition, to operate and achieve their goals more efficiently and effectively. Within this context, achieving good corporate governance practices is critical to SOEs effectively providing goods and services and achieving their short-, medium-, and long-term goals, within a sustainable fiscal framework. This report has been prepared with the direct collaboration of government officials involved in the SOE sectors of eight countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, and Spain. It is mainly based on financial information and other relevant data on the above-mentioned countries, covering the period from 2010 to 2013. As part of data collection for the report, representatives of the SOE sectors in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Spain and Uruguay, attended the Technical Workshop on SOE Supervision in Latin American and Caribbean Countries, organized by the SOE Monitoring Unit of Paraguay and the World Bank in December 2011 in Punta del Este, Uruguay.Publication Tajikistan : Fiscal Risks from State-Owned Enterprises(Washington, DC, 2014-06)This policy note is part of the World Bank's Programmatic Public Expenditure Review (PER) work program for FY2012-2014. The PER consists of a series of fiscal policy notes, which aim at providing the Government of Tajikistan with recommendations to strengthen budgetary processes and analysis. This policy note, the fifth in the series continues the fiscal policy dialogue conducted in the previous notes. It is structured as follows. Chapter 2 reviews the role of state-owned enterprises (SOE) in Tajikistan's economy and identifies key issues. Chapter 3 assesses the fiscal risks posed by SOEs, especially those in the energy sector. Chapter 4 puts forth possible solutions. Chapter 5 summarizes the main conclusions of this note: 1) despite privatizations and attempts at restructuring, Tajikistan still has a large, inefficient, and heavily indebted public sector; 2) the lack of comprehensive information about the sector undermines budget credibility and budget integrity; 3) multiple but uncoordinated functions, responsibilities, and accountability lines limit government ability to form a comprehensive view of the SOE sector, define a consistent strategy, and effect transparency, performance, reporting, and oversight; 4) elaborate QFAs of SOEs and other public institutions create substantial fiscal risks and undermine the hard-earned benefits of fiscal consolidation; 5) liabilities, explicit and implicit, created by SOE operations are large and must be accounted for and properly delineated; 6) solutions proposed to address the major issues are phasing out QFAs, optimizing the size and scope of the SOE sector, and improving SOE management; and 7) SOE reform should be an integral part of the general reform agenda.Publication The Power of Public Investment Management : Transforming Resources into Assets for Growth(World Bank Group, Washington, DC, 2014-09-30)This publication consists of seven chapters: building a system for public investment management; a unified framework for public investment management; country experiences of public investment management; approaches to better project appraisal; public investment management under uncertainty; procurement and public investment management; and public investment management for public-private partnerships.Publication Governance Reforms of State-Owned Enterprises(Washington, DC, 2015-08)The state-owned enterprise (SOE) landscape has become increasingly diverse. There used to be some relatively well-defined criteria, but with the growing complexity of state participation in the economy, there is no longer a uniform definition, and especially because the definition of a SOE has always been country-specific. SOE reforms can have major positive impacts not only by reducing fiscal risks by decreasing hidden subsidies, direct transfers, and overstaffing, but also by strengthening competition and developing capital markets. SOE reforms in developing countries began in the 1960s because of the poor performance of many of the SOEs. The reform movement sought to strengthen the internal capacity of SOEs. To enrich the discussion about possible avenues for performance-enhancing SOE reforms, this report presents the main principles of good governance of SOEs with references to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines on corporate governance of SOEs (OECD 2005). This document is divided into six parts: (1) an effective legal and regulatory framework for SOEs; (2) the state as an owner; (3) equitable treatment of shareholders; (4) relations with stakeholders; (5) transparency and disclosure; and (6) the responsibilities of the boards of SOEs.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
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 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 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.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.