Feature Archive

Results Oriented Public Sector Series: ISO 9000 Certification of Governments

The Latin America and Caribbean Region Public Sector Group hosted an event on the latest developments of ISO 9000 Certification of Governments in Latin America. Mr. Luiz Domingo Lopez-Diaz presented the experience in Chile and Mexico and gave an introduction of the ISO system.

ISO Certification is provided by the International Organization of Standards in Geneva, Switzerland. The original purpose of the organization was to harmonize national norms and standards of products and create a uniform system to facilitate international trade.  More

Chile: World Bank approves US$24.8 million to enhance the financial administration system

On August 28, 2007, The World Bank approved US$24.8 million to increase the efficiency of operations regarding financial management, budget formulation and execution, and the transparency of public expenditure management at the central and municipal level in Chile through the implementation of an updated, functionally enhanced and expanded financial administration system, the Sistema de Información para la Gestión Financiera del Estado (SIGFE).

The expansion and strengthening of the SIGFE is one of the Government’s key initiatives incorporated in the 2007 Budget law. Its implementation has already yielded benefits, including enhanced fiscal transparency, robust institution strengthening, improved inter-agency coordination, and enhanced financial planning.  More

Networking Workshop - LAC Experience in Performance Budgeting

In collaboration with the OECD, the LAC Public Sector Group hosted a workshop on Performance Budgeting on June 13, 2007 in Washington  DC.Speakers and presenters included senior Bank staff, OECD experts, and National experts from our client countries. The event was simultaneously broadcasted to twelve countries to allow a broad participation of budget experts in our client countries. The goal of the workshop was to allow member countries to exchange experiences in performance budgeting, set expectations, and identify strategies to achieve a results oriented public sector.  More

CLAD Conference
From November 7 to 10, 2006 the XI International Congress on the Reform of the State and Public Administration took place in Guatemala City. The World Bank, (LCSPS) contributed significantly to the conference through monetary contributions and by organizing two panels: (I) Recent issues and approaches in World Bank support for public sector reform (Panel Coordinator: Jonas Frank, Public Sector Management Specialist, LCSPS), and (II) Translating performance rhetoric into action (Panel Coordinator: Jeffrey Rinne, Public Sector Management Specialist, LCSPS).

The first panel presents recent analyses of selected areas of State reform supported by the Public Sector Group of the World Bank in Latin America. Anti-corruption efforts, fiscal threats generated by State's burgeoning legal liabilities, and intricate relationships of political, fiscal and administrative decentralization are the subjects featured here. These issue areas are highly relevant for countries in the region. National anti-corruption strategies have often proven ineffectual to drive down the troubling levels of corruption in many countries. Ms Ana Bellever: "Transparency reforms: a second generation institutional change", argues that o make anti-corruption efforts more effective we need to understand better the specific corruption dynamics that take place in each sector. Many Latin American States face substantial legal liabilities - the result of labor disputes, cases of lack of access to services, human rights violations, etc. Yet the magnitude of these liabilities is generally unknown and implies substantial fiscal risks. Ms Lisa Bhansali: "Diseñando políticas públicas para fortalecer la denfensa del Estado", provides insight into how countries may successfully develop strategies to address this challenge. Decentralization of resources and responsibilities to subnational government has been a major focus of reform in many countries. Other contributions in the first panel included Mr Ronald Myers: "The evolving nature of World Bank support for public sector reform", and Dr.Jonas Frank: "Decentralization Strategies: from best practice to best fit. The case of Bolivia." Conference Proceedings  |  http://www.clad.org.ve/

E-Government Strategy
The World Bank has embraced e-government in it's efforts to modernize public sector and improve public sector delivery. For this reason, e-government initiatives are present in most projects in the Sector. E-government is considered a key facilitator to achieve the proposed reforms supported by the rest of the core areas, from public financial management to anti-corruption, including the improvement of service delivery for citizens. In numerous projects, it has been demonstrated that e-government has had a remarkable impact on improving the efficiency and integration of public sector. Recently the Latin America and Caribbean Region Vice Presidency approved the new E-Government Strategy under the leadership of the Public Sector Group. more

BRAZIL - Designing a New Loan Prototype to Meet Client Needs 
By 2003-4, the accumulated burdens of slow growth and debt overhang weighed heavily on Brazil’s state governments. The State of  Ceará was no exception. Discretionary expenditures were frequently cut to a third of their budgeted amounts, and funding had dried up for priority programs and even essential services. The state’s development agenda was shelved as Ceará struggled to survive.   Read more

Promoting the institutionalization of M&E systems - Proceedings Now Available
In June 2005, the World Bank, in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) organized a regional conference to take stock of the lessons learned by governments in the region. The participants represented finance and sector ministries from eleven countries, as well as experts from academia, bilateral donor agencies, consulting firms, and various sectors of the host institutions. Experiences from five countries, namely Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Brazil and Peru were shared during the conference, and served as input to determine lessons learned in institutionalizing systems of monitoring and evaluation. The conference also served as a springboard to launch an informal network of policymakers and M&E practioners to ensure that national experiences continue to be shared widely and systematically in the Region.  Conference Proceedings| en español| Short Note

President Wolfowitz Visits Mexico's IFAI.  April 25, 2006.  On his first trip to Mexico as president of the World Bank, Paul Wolfowitz visited the Mexican Federal Institute for Access to Information (IFAI). President Wolfowitz opened his visit to the country emphasizing the importance of access to information as a pillar for good governance. During his visit to IFAI, he tested an electronic access to information system which will be  replicated at the state and municipal levels with the support of the Bank, interacted with IFAI's users, and met with Maria Marvan - President of the Institute - and other commissioners. Pamela Cox, Vice-President for the Latin America and Caribbean Region of the World Bank and Isabel Guerrero, Country Director for Mexico and Colombia joined the visit.

Earlier this year, on March 30 and 31, the Mexican Federal Institute for Access to Information (IFAI) with the support of the World Bank and the World Bank Institute organize the first National Forum on Access to Information. More than 200 participants almost all Mexican States discussed the importance of access to information and shared challenges regarding the institutionalization of this agenda at the state and municipal levels. While representatives of the 5 main political parties expressed their support towards the "constitutionalization" of this right, Bank staff led by Sector Manager Ronald Myers emphasized the linkage between good governance, growth and poverty reduction. Maria Marvan, President of IFAI, expressed their gratitude for the support given by the Bank to this agenda during the last 2 years in the context of the work done through an Institutional Development Fund (IDF). The forum, partially funded by a Spanish Trust Fund, constitutes another step forward in the transition towards a democratic governance framework in Mexico. More information can be found at    www.ifai.org.mx | IFA ShortNote | WB Article

Improving Justice Services for the Poor: New Project Launched for Peru
The World Bank has launched a Justice Services Improvement Project to assist Peru in modernizing its justice system and improving delivery of services to the poor. The President of Peru, the Chief Justice, and the Minister of Justice attended the launch event in Lima on December 19, together with members of the World Bank, the media, and other justice sector representatives. The launch included the first ever speech by an indigenous justice of the peace at Peru's Supreme Court.  More