This collection looks at processes of change and reform in public service delivery in a range of states and sectors, and over time spans. The first three essays examine reforms that have improved prospects for economic growth and poverty alleviation in Bihar; improved the functioning of public sector enterprises and the power sector, and initiated improvements in education in West Bengal; and the efficient delivery of economic services in Gujarat in order to pursue a high-growth agenda. The next two essays focus on regulation in infrastructure as well as the delivery of urban services. The question of balancing greater autonomy with accountability to improve public service delivery through the use of executive agencies is also analysed. The final essay discusses how India might absorb lessons for the effective implementation of the Right to Information Act (2005) from countries such as Mexico, South Africa, and Canada. The volume shows how reform is an ongoing process that depends critically on contextual factors. These include the history of reform ideas, the capacity of the state to execute reform, and the nature of the state itself and its relationships with key actors, such as the private sector and unions.

This volume focuses on sucessful cases of innovative change in public service delivery and offers comment on initatives to continue change and further develop best practice.

Despite rapid advances in modern medicine and state-of-the-art health care services in the private sector, primary health care in India remains inaccessible to a majority of the population. Besides, even policymakers often do not have access to real-time data to fine-tune their policies or design appropriate research and intervention programmes. Drawing on field experiences, this volume brings together scholars and practitioners to examine public health from different perspectives. It discusses practical and applied issues related to the health sector, especially the role of Information and Communications Technology (ICT); participation of civil society; service delivery; quality evaluation; consumer empowerment; data management; and research and intervention. This book will be useful to scholars, students and practitioners of public health in developing countries such as India. It will also interest policymakers, health care professionals, and departments of public health management and those concerned with community medicine.

The book examines the status of public service in developing countries, in the sectors of health, infrastructure, labour and marginalized populations, rural economy, and public administration. The last decade has witnessed significant government focus on service delivery in developing nations like South Africa, Philippines, India and Malaysia. At the forefront of this movement has been the public sector reforms significantly driven by two broad factors: public sector inefficiencies, and liberal economic ideology. This move towards efficient public service delivery in developing nations (versus developed nations) has required a significant shift in institutional thinking and institutional capacity for the governments. It is therefore no surprise that while economic liberalization has been relatively easy to implement, governance reforms towards public service delivery has been significantly more challenging. In this background, the chapters of the book, with sector themes, examine the three basic foundations of public policy--courses of action, regulatory measures and issues, and funding structures and priorities--in public service delivery. The book is a multi country, multi sector, perspective since it includes studies from Russian Federation, India, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Fiji, South Africa, Columbia, Philippines, Macedonia, and India. This perspective lends itself to the investigation for a comprehensive overall development model.

Public–private partnerships (PPPs) have shown their ability to meet some of the challenges in the health and education sectors both in India and overseas. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has been assisting the Government of India since 2006 to develop PPPs across sectors in India, through a programmatic joint PPP Initiative, Mainstreaming PPPs in India. Under the initiative, a special task team of the ADB, together with the Government of India's Ministry of Finance and KPMG consultants undertook a rapid assessment study to develop possible PPP solutions for meeting the challenges of India's health and education sectors. Assessments of local PPP projects in the sector, consultations with state government officials in India, and best practice examples from the United Kingdom and other countries, have led to the development of this report. This report will therefore provide a quick guide to international and national PPP cases in the sectors as well as practical ideas and suggested models to interested project sponsors, especially within government bodies responsible for sector development. Development of possible PPP projects based on some of the models and ideas suggested herewith will hopefully spur investment and efficiency gains in health and education infrastructure and service delivery mechanisms of the country.

This publication sets out a framework for analysing the performance of governments in developing countries, looking at the government as a whole and at local and municipal levels, and focusing on individual sectors that form the core of essential government services, such as health, education, welfare, waste disposal, and infrastructure. It draws lessons from performance measurement systems in a range of industrial countries to identify good practice around the world in improving public sector governance, combating corruption and making services work for poor people.

Governance in Developing Asia is one of the first books of its kind to provide an overview of the role that better governance and citizen empowerment can play in improving public service delivery in developing Asia. The World Development Report 2004 se