IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/b/wbk/wbpubs/6543.html
   My bibliography  Save this book

Decentralization in Client Countries : An Evaluation of World Bank Support, 1990-2007

Author

Listed:
  • Independent Evaluation Group

Abstract

The Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) assessed the effectiveness of Bank support for decentralization between fiscal 1990 and 2007 in 20 countries, seeking to inform the design and implementation of future support. Given the difficulties of measuring the results of decentralization, the evaluation used intermediate outcome indicators such as strengthened legal and regulatory frameworks for intergovernmental relations, improved administrative capacity, and increased accountability of subnational governments and functionaries to higher levels of government and to citizens to assess the results of Bank support in these 20 countries. To examine potential lessons at a sectoral level, the evaluation also assessed whether Bank support for decentralization improved intermediate outcomes for service delivery in the education sector in 6 of the 20 countries. Bank support contributed to more effective decentralization substantially in more than one-third of the 20 cases and modestly in the others. The most successful aspects of Bank support pertained to the legal frameworks for intergovernmental relations, the frameworks for intergovernmental fiscal transfers, and subnational financial management Bank support was less effective in clarifying the roles and responsibilities of different levels of government and in improving own-source revenue mobilization by subnational governments. This was often a result of lack of political will. Other things being equal, Bank support brought better results where there was consensus around the reform within the country prior to Bank engagement and when the support was combined with incentives for institutional reform at the subnational level. Looking forward, the results of Bank support for decentralization can be strengthened with more timely and coordinated analytical work to underpin it, by better coordinating fragmented sector-by-sector interventions, and by accompanying support for policy reform with technical assistance to strengthen local government capacity.

Suggested Citation

  • Independent Evaluation Group, 2008. "Decentralization in Client Countries : An Evaluation of World Bank Support, 1990-2007," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 6543, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbpubs:6543
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/6543/454080PUB0Box311PUBLIC10Aug07102008.pdf?sequence=1
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Tony Verheijen, 2007. "Administrative Capacity in the New EU Member States : The Limits of Innovation?," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 6752, December.
    2. Dillinger,William R. & Webb,Steven Benjamin, 1999. "Fiscal management in federal democracies : Argentina and Brazil," Policy Research Working Paper Series 2121, The World Bank.
    3. Johannes Jütting & Céline Kauffmann & Ida McDonnell & Holger Osterrieder & Nicolas Pinaud & Lucia Wegner, 2004. "Decentralisation and Poverty in Developing Countries: Exploring the Impact," OECD Development Centre Working Papers 236, OECD Publishing.
    4. William Dillinger & Steven B. Webb, 1999. "Fiscal management in federal democracies: Argentina and Brazil," Económica, Departamento de Economía, Facultad de Ciencias Económicas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, vol. 0(3), pages 423-483.
    5. Faguet, Jean-Paul & Sánchez, Fabio, 2008. "Decentralization's Effects on Educational Outcomes in Bolivia and Colombia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 36(7), pages 1294-1316, July.
    6. Davoodi, Hamid & Zou, Heng-fu, 1998. "Fiscal Decentralization and Economic Growth: A Cross-Country Study," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(2), pages 244-257, March.
    7. Sebastian Galiani & Ernesto Schargrodsky, 2002. "Evaluating the Impact of School Decentralization on Educational Quality," Economía Journal, The Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association - LACEA, vol. 0(Spring 20), pages 275-314, January.
    8. Faguet, Jean-Paul, 2004. "Does decentralization increase government responsiveness to local needs?: Evidence from Bolivia," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(3-4), pages 867-893, March.
    9. Faguet, Jean-Paul, 2001. "Does decentralization increase responsiveness to local needs? - evidence from Bolivia," Policy Research Working Paper Series 2516, The World Bank.
    10. Alec Ian Gershberg & Michael Jacobs, 1998. "Decentralization and Recentralization: Lessons from the Social Sectors in Mexico and Nicaragua," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 6441, Inter-American Development Bank.
    11. Khaleghian, Peyvand, 2003. "Decentralization and public services : the case of immunization," Policy Research Working Paper Series 2989, The World Bank.
    12. Patricia Clarke Annez & George E. Peterson, 2007. "Financing Cities : Fiscal Responsibility and Urban Infrastructure in Brazil, China, India, Poland and South Africa," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 6735, December.
    13. World Bank, 2000. "Pakistan - Reforming Provincial Finances in the Context of Devolution : An Eight Point Agenda," World Bank Publications - Reports 14964, The World Bank Group.
    14. Okidi, John A. & Guloba, Madina, 2006. "Decentralization and development: Emerging issues from Uganda's experience," Occasional Papers 93810, Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC).
    15. Ianchovichina, Elena & Liu, Lili & Nagarajan, Mohan, 2006. "Subnational fiscal sustainability analysis : what can we learn from Tamil Nadu ?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3947, The World Bank.
    16. Jimenez, Emmanuel & Sawada, Yasuyuki, 1999. "Do Community-Managed Schools Work? An Evaluation of El Salvador's EDUCO Program," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 13(3), pages 415-441, September.
    17. Keith Mackay, 2007. "How to Build M&E Systems to Support Better Government," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 6851, December.
    18. Steiner, Susan, 2006. "Decentralisation in Uganda: Exploring the Constraints for Poverty Reduction," GIGA Working Papers 31, GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies.
    19. Raich, Uri, 2005. "Fiscal determinants of empowerment," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3705, The World Bank.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Ryan Saylor, 2016. "Ethnic Entrepreneurs and Movements for New Administrative Units: Lessons from Nigeria," Publius: The Journal of Federalism, CSF Associates Inc., vol. 46(4), pages 568-595.
    2. Danielle Resnick, 2014. "Strategies of Subversion in Vertically-Divided Contexts: Decentralisation and Urban Service Delivery in Senegal," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 32(s1), pages 61-80, July.
    3. Albornoz, Facundo & Cabrales, Antonio, 2013. "Decentralization, political competition and corruption," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 103-111.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Anila Channa & Jean-Paul Faguet, 2016. "Decentralization of Health and Education in Developing Countries: A Quality-Adjusted Review of the Empirical Literature," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 31(2), pages 199-241.
    2. Victoria Gunnarsson & Peter F. Orazem & Mario A. Sánchez & Aimee Verdisco, 2009. "Does Local School Control Raise Student Outcomes? Evidence on the Roles of School Autonomy and Parental Participation," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 58(1), pages 25-52, October.
    3. Fabio Sánchez, 2006. "Descentralización Y Progreso En El Acceso A Los Servicios Sociales De Educación, Salud Y Agua Y Alcantarillado," Documentos CEDE 2287, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.
    4. Buerger, Christian & Lincove, Jane Arnold & Mata, Catherine, 2023. "How context shapes the relationship between school autonomy and test-scores. An explanatory analysis using PISA 2015," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    5. Seregious Be-ere, 2022. "Decentralization Reforms in Developing Countries Designed to Champion the Interests of Central Politicians and not Grassroots Development," Journal of Developing Societies, , vol. 38(1), pages 27-49, March.
    6. Fabiana Machado, 2013. "Decentralization and Accountability: The Curse of Local Underdevelopment," Research Department Publications IDB-WP-397, Inter-American Development Bank, Research Department.
    7. Grégoire ROTA-GRAZIOSI & Emilie CALDEIRA, 2014. "La décentralisation dans les pays en développement : une revue de la littérature - Decentralization in developing countries: A literature review," Working Papers 201411, CERDI.
    8. Kendall D. Funk & Erica Owen, 2020. "Consequences of an Anti‐Corruption Experiment for Local Government Performance in Brazil," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 39(2), pages 444-468, March.
    9. Paula Salinas & Albert Solé-Ollé, 2009. "Evaluating the effects of decentralization on educational outcomes in Spain," Working Papers 2009/10, Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB).
    10. repec:ces:ifodic:v:2:y:2004:i:1:p:14567690 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Diether Beuermann & Maria Amelina, 2014. "Does Participatory Budgeting Improve Decentralized Public Service Delivery?," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 87095, Inter-American Development Bank.
    12. Galiani, Sebastian & Gertler, Paul & Schargrodsky, Ernesto, 2008. "School decentralization: Helping the good get better, but leaving the poor behind," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(10-11), pages 2106-2120, October.
    13. Andrés Rodríguez-Pose & Roberto Ezcurra, 2010. "Does decentralization matter for regional disparities? A cross-country analysis," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 10(5), pages 619-644, September.
    14. Diether W. Beuermann & Maria Amelina, 2018. "Does participatory budgeting improve decentralized public service delivery? Experimental evidence from rural Russia," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 19(4), pages 339-379, November.
    15. Habibi, Nadir & Huang, Cindy & Miranda, Diego & Murillo, Victoria & Ranis, Gustav & Sarkar, Mainak & Stewart, Frances, 2001. "Decentralization in Argentina," Center Discussion Papers 28455, Yale University, Economic Growth Center.
    16. Faguet, Jean-Paul, 2014. "Decentralization and Governance," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 2-13.
    17. Anwar Shah & Theresa Thompson & Heng-fu Zou, 2004. "Decentralising the public sector: The Impact of Decentralisation on Service Delivery, Corruption, Fiscal Management and Growth in Developing and Emerging Market Economies: A Synthesis of Empirical Evi," ifo DICE Report, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 2(1), pages 10-14, October.
    18. Francesca Fornasari & Steven B. Webb & Heng-fu Zou, 2000. "The Macroeconomic Impact of Decentralized Spending and Deficits: International Evidence," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 1(2), pages 403-433, November.
    19. Anwar Shah & Theresa Thompson & Heng-fu Zou, 2004. "Decentralising the public sector: The Impact of Decentralisation on Service Delivery, Corruption, Fiscal Management and Growth in Developing and Emerging Market Economies: A Synthesis of Empirical Evi," ifo DICE Report, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 2(01), pages 10-14, October.
    20. Leer, Jane, 2016. "After the Big Bang: Estimating the effects of decentralization on educational outcomes in Indonesia through a difference-in-differences analysis," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 80-90.
    21. Alcaíno, Manuel & Jaimovich, Analia & Méndez, Carolina & Vásquez, Diana, 2022. "Government fragmentation and educational outcomes: evidence on the creation of municipalities in Chile," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 11987, Inter-American Development Bank.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wbk:wbpubs:6543. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Tal Ayalon (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/dvewbus.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.