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Making services work : indicators, assessments, and benchmarking of the quality and governance of public service delivery in the human development sectors

Author

Listed:
  • Fiszbein, Ariel
  • Ringold, Dena
  • Rogers, F. Halsey

Abstract

Improving governance is central to improving results in human development. It is clear that money is not enough: improved outcomes from service delivery require better governance, including mechanisms for holding service providers accountable and appropriate incentives for performance. There is therefore a growing demand for indicators to measure how and whether these processes work, and how they affect health and education results. This paper makes the case for measuring governance policies and performance, and the quality of service delivery in health and education. It develops a framework for selecting and measuring a set of indicators and proposes options, drawing from new and innovative measurement tools and approaches. The paper proposes the adoption of a more systematic approach that will both facilitate the work of health and education policymakers and allow for cross-country comparisons and benchmarking.

Suggested Citation

  • Fiszbein, Ariel & Ringold, Dena & Rogers, F. Halsey, 2011. "Making services work : indicators, assessments, and benchmarking of the quality and governance of public service delivery in the human development sectors," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5690, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:5690
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    7. Michael Kremer & Nazmul Chaudhury & F. Halsey Rogers & Karthik Muralidharan & Jeffrey Hammer, 2005. "Teacher Absence in India: A Snapshot," Journal of the European Economic Association, MIT Press, vol. 3(2-3), pages 658-667, 04/05.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Giannozzi, Sara & Khan, Asmeen, 2011. "Strengthening governance of social safety nets in East Asia," The Social Policy and Labor Discussion Paper Series 63930, The World Bank.
    2. Emiliana Vegas & Chelsea Coffin, 2012. "Education Finance : It's How, Not Simply How Much, That Counts," World Bank Publications - Reports 10056, The World Bank Group.
    3. Bassett, Lucy & Giannozzi, Sara & Pop, Lucian & Ringold, Dena, 2012. "Rules, roles, and controls : governance in social protection with an application to social assistance," The Social Policy and Labor Discussion Paper Series 67612, The World Bank.
    4. Isaac Mbiti & Danila Serra, 2022. "Health workers’ behavior, patient reporting and reputational concerns: lab-in-the-field experimental evidence from Kenya," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 25(2), pages 514-556, April.
    5. Alessandra Rigo & Elena Pisani & Laura Secco, 2025. "Integrating Green Care Initiatives into Conventional Health Systems: Which Governance Dimensions Can Guide This Process?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 22(2), pages 1-30, January.
    6. Rubio, Gloria M., 2011. "Measuring governance and service delivery in safety net programs," The Social Policy and Labor Discussion Paper Series 64633, The World Bank.

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