Romania : Local Social Services Delivery Study, Volume 2. Main Report

The study seeks to identify institutional, and procedural factors which may facilitate, or hamper the effectiveness of social services, and inter-governmental fiscal arrangements. Based on existing research on decentralization, the success of decentralized service delivery depends on factors, that include the quality of intergovernmental institutions, a stable fiscal framework, and a well established civil society, and social structure. The study focuses on public social services, where local governments play the greatest role, and, throughout the report, the greatest emphasis is on social assistance benefits, and services, addressing those cash benefits which are delivered, and financed by local governments, including national programs such as birth grants, emergency assistance, and the main poverty alleviation program. In education, the study focuses on compulsory, and secondary education, though it does not address specialized secondary education, which is under the purview of central ministries. The study comprises two volumes: volume 1 provides an overview of the issues, summarizes major findings, and presents policy options; volume 2 includes the detailed discussion, and analysis, and presents the empirical underpinnings of the report. The study finds that fiscal decentralization of poverty alleviation benefits, has undermined its effectiveness, and eroded social safety nets; thus the government is preparing the Minimum Income Guarantee Program Law to centralize financing of social assistance cash benefits. And, education seems to be the policy area with greatest potential for further decentralization, suggesting a careful capacity evaluation to decide whether to attain complete autonomy.

Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	World Bank
Language:	English en_US
Published:	Washington, DC 2002-01-16
Subjects:	ACCOUNTABILITY, ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISMS, ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENTS, ADMINISTRATIVE CAPACITY, ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITY, ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES, AUTHORITY, BENEFICIARY ASSESSMENT, BORROWING, BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT, CAPITAL MARKETS, CASE STUDIES, CASE STUDY, CASH BENEFITS, CENTRAL GOVERNMENT, CITIZENS, CIVIL SOCIETY, COMMUNIST, CONSTITUENCIES, CONSTITUTION, CORRUPTION, COUNCILS, CURRENCY UNIT, DECENTRALIZATION, DECENTRALIZATION PROCESS, DECISION MAKING, DECISION MAKING AUTHORITY, DECONCENTRATION, DEVOLUTION, DIRECT IMPACT, DISTRICTS, ECONOMIC MEMORANDUM, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, EMPLOYMENT, EQUALIZATION, ETHNIC DIVERSITY, ETHNIC MINORITIES, EXCHANGE RATE, EXECUTION, EXPENDITURE, FEMALE-HEADED HOUSEHOLDS, FINANCIAL ANALYSIS, FINANCIAL AUTONOMY, FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, FINANCIAL RESOURCES, FISCAL, FISCAL DECENTRALIZATION, FISCAL YEAR, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, GOVERNMENT BUDGETS, GOVERNMENT FINANCE, GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES, GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITY, GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT, HEALTH CARE, HEALTH EXPENDITURES, HEALTH INSURANCE, HEALTH SERVICES, HEALTH SPENDING, HEALTH STATUS, HOUSEHOLD DATA, HOUSEHOLD SURVEY, HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS, HOUSING, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT SECTOR UNIT, INSTITUTIONAL ANALYSIS, INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS, INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE, INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXT, INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK, INSTITUTIONALIZATION, INTERGOVERNMENTAL FISCAL RELATIONS, INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS, LEGAL AUTHORITY, LEGISLATION, LEGISLATIVE DEVELOPMENT, LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK, LEVEL PLAYING FIELD, LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT, LOCAL AUTHORITY, LOCAL AUTONOMY, LOCAL COUNCILS, LOCAL ELECTIONS, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUTONOMY, LOCAL GOVERNMENT BUDGETS, LOCAL GOVERNMENT FINANCE, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, LOCAL LEVEL, LOCAL PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, LOCAL PUBLIC FINANCE, LOCAL TAXES, MARKET ECONOMY, MINIMUM INCOME GUARANTEE, MINISTRY OF FINANCE, MUNICIPALITIES, MUNICIPALITY, NATIONAL LEVEL, NATIONAL POPULATION, PENALTIES, PENSIONS, POLICY CONTEXT, POLICY OPTIONS, POLITICAL DECENTRALIZATION, POLITICIANS, POOR HOUSEHOLDS, POVERTY ALLEVIATION, POVERTY ANALYSIS, POVERTY LINE, PRIVATIZATION, PROPERTY OWNERSHIP, PROVISIONS, PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, PUBLIC FINANCE, PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS, PUBLIC OFFICIALS, PUBLIC PROPERTY, PUBLIC SERVICE, PUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERY, PUBLIC SERVICE PROVISION, PUBLIC SERVICES, PUBLIC SPENDING, QUALITATIVE APPROACHES, QUANTITATIVE DATA, REAL TERMS, REGIONAL DIMENSIONS, REGIONAL DISPARITIES, RELATIVE POVERTY, REORGANIZATION, RISK OF POVERTY, ROADS, RURAL AREAS, RURAL POVERTY, SAFETY NET, SERVICE DELIVERY, SERVICE PROVIDERS, SOCIAL ASSISTANCE, SOCIAL ASSISTANCE EXPENDITURES, SOCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, SOCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, SOCIAL ASSISTANCE SYSTEM, SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, SOCIAL INSURANCE, SOCIAL POLICIES, SOCIAL SCIENTISTS, SOCIAL SECTOR, SOCIAL SECTOR EXPENDITURES, SOCIAL SECTORS, SOCIAL SERVICES, SOCIAL SOLIDARITY, SOCIAL WELFARE, SOCIOECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, SUBNATIONAL GOVERNMENTS, TASK TEAM LEADER, TAX, TOTAL EXPENDITURES, TRANSPARENCY, UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS, UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, URBAN AREAS, USER CHARGES, UTILITIES, WATER SUPPLY SOCIAL SERVICE DELIVERY, PROCEDURAL REGULATIONS, FISCAL EFFICIENCY, INTERGOVERNMENTAL INSTITUTIONS, QUALITY STANDARDS, FISCAL CONSOLIDATION, PUBLIC EXPENDITURES, REVENUE MEASURES, CAPACITY BUILDING, SOCIAL STRUCTURES, LOCAL GOVERNMENT PARTICIPATION, SOCIAL BENEFITS, CASH COMPENSATIONS, POVERTY ALLEVIATION MECHANISMS, EDUCATION SECTOR, COMPULSORY EDUCATION, POLICY REFORM, FISCAL MANAGEMENT, SOCIAL SAFETY NETS, LEGAL & REGULATORY FRAMEWORK, EDUCATIONAL POLICY, AUTONOMY,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2002/01/1687166/romania-local-social-services-delivery-study-vol-2-2-main-report https://hdl.handle.net/10986/15438
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!