Public Expenditure Management Handbook [antikvár]

FOREWORD Public expenditure issues are encountered wherever there is a discussion of government, the public sector, and development. Over the years, the World Bank has invested considerable resources in analyzing public expenditures and the impacts of different interventions on sustainable development. This work has both broadened and deepened our understanding of development priorities justifying government intervention. This handbook highlights the fact that good analysis and sound policy are not enough to ensure sound and sustainable development outcomes. As was emphasized in the World Development Report 1997: The State in a Changing World, if the institutional arrangements- the rules of the game, both formai and informál-are not supportive or demanding of good performance, the results will not be sustainable on the ground. Of particular interest is the concept of three levels of budgetary outcomes-aggregate fiscal discipline, strategic prioritization (allocative efficiency), and operational performance (technical efficiency). The need to pay attention to the interaction between these three levels, and to the institutional arrangements within which they are embedded, are compelling messages. This handbook provides a broad framework for thinking about public expenditure management and how it affects budgetary outcomes. In addition, useful practical insights will reward the diligent reader. Those associated with the production of this handbook would acknowledge that this is not the final word on this subject. More empirical and theoretical work is needed. There is a particular need to understand the lessons from reforming OECD countries for Bank member countries. There is alsó the need to document the experience of developing countries and economies in transition if we are to have a fuller understanding of what works and what does not.