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Local Service Provision in Selected OECD Countries: Do Decentralized Operations Work Better?

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  • Mr. Ehtisham Ahmad
  • Mr. Giorgio Brosio
  • Mr. Vito Tanzi

Abstract

There is a widespread presumption that decentralization improves public service provision. This has led to policy prescriptions that are assiduously adhered to by countries and international. This paper reviews the recent evidence from OECD countries-which is seen to be inconclusive. This suggests the need for a careful design of programs that take into account the political economy constraints and incentives, as well as more systematic and thorough evaluations of outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Mr. Ehtisham Ahmad & Mr. Giorgio Brosio & Mr. Vito Tanzi, 2008. "Local Service Provision in Selected OECD Countries: Do Decentralized Operations Work Better?," IMF Working Papers 2008/067, International Monetary Fund.
    • Handle: RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2008/067
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    3. Julio López-Laborda & Antoni Zabalza, 2015. "Intergovernmental Fiscal Relations: The Efficiency Effect of Taxes, Transfers, and Fiscal Illusion," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 33(1), pages 136-162, February.
    4. Akramov, Kamiljon T. & Asante, Felix Ankomah, 2008. "Decentralization and local public services in Ghana: Do geography and ethnic diversity matter?," GSSP working papers 16, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    5. Brosio, Giorgio & Zanola, Roberto, 2008. "The welfare costs of national standards: a contribution to the debate on the outcomes of de/centralization," POLIS Working Papers 113, Institute of Public Policy and Public Choice - POLIS.
    6. Ehtisham Ahmad, 2010. "Improving Governance in Pakistan: Changing Perspectives on Decentralisation," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 49(4), pages 283-310.
    7. International Monetary Fund, 2015. "Romania: Selected Issues," IMF Staff Country Reports 2015/080, International Monetary Fund.
    8. Gijs Roelofs & Daniel Vuuren, 2017. "The Decentralization of Social Assistance and the Rise of Disability Insurance Enrolment," De Economist, Springer, vol. 165(1), pages 1-21, March.
    9. Zegras, Christopher & Nelson, Joshua & Macário, Rosário & Grillo, Christopher, 2013. "Fiscal federalism and prospects for metropolitan transportation authorities in Portugal," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 1-12.
    10. Mustafa Rafat Zaman, 2024. "Fiscal decentralization and gender equality: empirical evidence across countries," Public Sector Economics, Institute of Public Finance, vol. 48(2), pages 203-209.
    11. Brosio, Giorgio, 2014. "Decentralization and Public Service Delivery in Asia," ADB Economics Working Paper Series 389, Asian Development Bank.
    12. Judit Vall Castelló & Joan Costa-Font & Gilberto Turati & Dolores Jiménez-Rubio & Pilar García-Gómez, 2019. "Health Economics: Service Provision in Decentralised Healthcare Systems / Economía de la salud: prestación de servicios en sistemas de salud descentralizados / Economia de la salut: prestació de serve," IEB Reports ieb_report_1_2019, Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB).
    13. Ahmad, Ehtisham & Brosio, Giorgio, 2009. "Decentralization and local service provision: what do we know?," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 38347, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    14. Jiménez-Rubio, Dolores & García-Gómez, Pilar, 2017. "Decentralization of health care systems and health outcomes: Evidence from a natural experiment," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 188(C), pages 69-81.
    15. Marco Alderighi & Christophe Feder, 2014. "Political competition, power allocation and welfare in unitary and federal systems," Working Paper series 23_14, Rimini Centre for Economic Analysis.
    16. International Monetary Fund, 2008. "Austria: Selected Issues," IMF Staff Country Reports 2008/189, International Monetary Fund.
    17. Moussé Sow & Mr. Ivohasina F Razafimahefa, 2015. "Fiscal Decentralization and the Efficiency of Public Service Delivery," IMF Working Papers 2015/059, International Monetary Fund.
    18. Ambra Poggi, 2019. "Regional labour markets in Spain: Can flexibility and local democracy reduce inefficiencies?," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 98(3), pages 1499-1516, June.
    19. Ambra, Poggi, 2016. "Matching inefficiencies, labor market flexibility and local democracy in Spain," Working Papers 348, University of Milano-Bicocca, Department of Economics, revised 16 Jul 2016.
    20. Brosio, Giorgio, 2019. "Decentralized provision of education: Methodological suggestions for analysis, with application to Mexico," Macroeconomía del Desarrollo 44390, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).

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