Browse by: "2011"

Since the 1960s the family in the OECD area has undergone significant transformation. In many countries, the extended family has all but disappeared, and the traditional two-parent family has become much less widespread as divorce rates, re-marriages, cohabitation, single parenthood and same-sex partnerships have all increased.  With rising migration, cultures and values have become more diverse, with some ethnic minorities evolving as parallel family cultures while others intermingle with mainstream cultures through mixed-race marriages. Families have seen more mothers take up work in the labour market, their adolescents spend longer and longer in education and training, and the elderly members of the family live longer and, increasingly, alone.  The repercussions of these changes on housing, pensions, health and long-term care, on labour markets, education and public finances, have been remarkable. Recent demographic projections perfromed by many OECD countries suggest that the next 20 years are likely to see a continuation and even acceleration of changes in household and family structures.  In particular, the numbers and shares of single-adult and single-parent households are expected to increase significantly, as is the number of couples without children.

This report explores likely future changes in family and household structures in OECD countries; identifies what appear to be the main forces shaping the family landscape between now and 2030; discusses the longer-term challenges for policy arising from those expected changes; and on the basis of the three subsequent thematic chapters, suggests policy options for managing the challenges on a sustainable basis.  

This report presents the results of an assessment of the organisation of the central government of Denmark. The study looks at reforms that are aimed at improving the quality of services (more value) and efficiency (less money) in central government. Starting with facts and quantitative benchmarks on the Danish central government, the study reviews recent reforms in Denmark, and makes recommendations in ten selected areas. The study concludes with a survey of the effects on the quality of services and the potential savings.

Public Servants as Partners for Growth:Toward a Stronger, Leaner and More Equitable Workforce compiles the main policy lessons of the work of the Public Employment and Management Network of the Public Governance Committee on reallocation of the public workforce, managing competencies, and fostering diversity. Its basic underpinning is that for the public service to make a contribution and underpin the economic recovery and growth it requires modernising its governance structures. Civil service systems are at public management’s core; hence they are central to governmental effectiveness. In the current context, countries need to ensure that the public workforce is motivated and committed to delivery, and produce change, despite the need for pay restraints and redundancies. Investments in the quality of people management, strategic workforce planning, competencies and diversity of the public workforce are critical to make it more competent, flexible and adaptable in order to have a competitive, innovative and inclusive public sector. Governments have to maintain and improve the capacity of the public service while at the same time producing savings. The key issue is seeing the public workforce as an asset and not as a cost.

This report assesses the Slovenian public sector salary system.  In doing so, it examines the salary structure; the job classification framework; wage relativities – level of compensation and method for determining wage increases, and the wage negotiation framework;  use of cash supplements; use of performance incentives; and the role of social dialogue in bargaining employment conditions.
 

Greece faces an immense, perhaps unique and increasingly urgent challenge. It needs to reform in depth, reconciling emergency measures with long lasting reforms. In the face of growing social and political discontent, the future crucially depends on the government's ability to link short term austerity measures with a long term vision and structural reforms aimed at restoring growth and improving the population's welfare. These reforms depend on a well functioning public administration. Strong measures, starting now, to improve the effectiveness, accountability and integrity of the public administration so that it is "fit for purpose" are a priority. The success of reforms such as privatisation, fiscal consolidation, debt reduction, tax collection and enhanced competitiveness is at stake.

This report analyses the issues, sets out the evidence, and makes recommendations for moving forward rapidly to strengthen Greek public governance.

The OECD Guidelines on Insurer Governance offer a comprehensive set of principles on the governance of insurers that are intended to provide guidance and serve as a reference point for insurers, governmental authorities, and other relevant stakeholders in OECD and non-OECD countries. As financial institutions whose business is the acceptance and management of insurable risk, insurers should have sound governance and risk management practices so that they will be in a position to provide promised benefits to policyholders and beneficiaries and thus fulfil their insurance function in the economy.

The Guidelines on Insurer Governance emphasise the following key elements of insurer governance: an expected prudent approach to business and financial strategies; a well developed risk culture and risk management and internal control systems, supported by effective and independent control functions and integrated firm-wide reporting; sound compensation arrangements; a high level of financial expertise among board members and within senior management; and policies and procedures that ensure proper treatment of customers and policyholders. The Guidelines complement the OECD Principles of Corporate Governance, one of the twelve key Financial Stability Board standards for sound financial systems.

La présente étude est consacrée à l’identification et à la quantification des produits de la corruption active dans les transactions commerciales internationales. Dans le secteur public comme dans le secteur privé, cela fait longtemps que les organisations savent que la corruption d’agents publics nuit à une bonne gouvernance, entrave le développement économique et empêche la concurrence de s’exercer pleinement. La confiscation et le recouvrement des produits générés par la corruption transnationale sont des éléments fondamentaux du cadre international de lutte contre la corruption d’agents publics étrangers.

Le chapitre 1 présente le cadre juridique international avec les différents modes de traitement des produits de la corruption active et recense les recours juridiques existant dans les différents pays ou territoires ainsi que la manière dont ces recours peuvent entrer en interaction.

Le chapitre 2 définit les cinq principaux types de corruption active et analyse comment ils pourraient être quantifiés. Chaque système est illustré par des exemples de pays tirés de pays utilisant des méthodes de quantification, ainsi que de commentaires sur certaines difficultés pratiques rencontrées pour calculer les produits. Enfin, le chapitre 3 contient une compilation d’études de cas illustrant les principes visés dans les précédents chapitres.

Government leaders need high-quality and responsive advice to make informed decisions, particularly to help restore long-term economic growth. Indeed, in many countries ministerial advisors are appointed primarily in order to increase the responsiveness of government and help address strategic challenges faced by government leaders. At the same time, their sheer number and the opacity surrounding their status have prompted widespread concern. These are two findings that emerged from an OECD survey in 2010 into the work of ministerial advisors across 27 countries.
This report examines the survey’s findings in order to better understand the important role advisors play and how they are managed. It considers why ministers use their services, how they are appointed, the special status they enjoy, the concerns they have prompted in the general public, and how reform may make them more accountable  and improve the transparency of their status.

This study focuses on the identification and quantification of the proceeds of active bribery in international business transactions. Public and private organisations alike have long recognised that bribery of public officials is harmful to good governance, economic development and competitive conditions. Confiscation and recovery of the proceeds derived from foreign bribery are key elements in the international framework to fight corruption of public officials.

Chapter 1 introduces the international legal framework for the treatment of the proceeds of active bribery and catalogues the legal remedies available in various jurisdictions, and how these remedies may interact.

Chapter 2 defines five principal types of proceeds of active bribery and analyzes how they may be quantified. Each system is illustrated by examples from countries using such methods, as well as commentary on some practical challenges linked to the calculation of proceeds.

Chapter 3 offers a compilation of case summaries to illustrate the principles covered in the preceding chapters.

Despite its relatively small size, Slovenia is a good illustration of the potential of regional development policy. Its internal diversity, openness and experience of rapid structural change all reinforce the need for efficient reallocation of resources, while underscoring the need to take account of the potential positive and negative externalities associated with the shifting structure of economic activity.  

With 36% of the national territory falling under Natura 2000 protection, spatial planning is particularly challenging and yet also particularly important. Given the absence of a regional tier of government and the extreme fragmentation of the municipal level of authority, Slovenia needs to develop capacity at intermediate levels, to address policy problems that are best tackled at a scale in between the local and the national. 

“Shifting wealth” – a process that started in the 1990s and took off in the 2000s – has led to a completely new geography of growth driven by the economic rise of large developing countries, in particular China and India. The resulting re-configuration of the global economy will shape the political, economic and social agendas of international development as those of the converging and poor countries for the years to come.

This report analyses the impact of “Shifting wealth” on social cohesion, largely focusing on high-growth converging countries. A “cohesive” society works towards the well-being of all its members, creates a sense of belonging and fights against the marginalization within and between different groups of societies. The question this report asks is how does the structural transformation in converging economies affect their “social fabric”, their sense of belonging or put generally their ability to peacefully manage collective action problems.

Recent events in well performing countries in the Arab world but also beyond such as in Thailand, China and India seem to suggest that economic growth, rising fiscal resources and improvements in education are not sufficient  to create cohesion; governments need to address social deficits and actively promote social cohesion if long-term development is to be sustainable.   

With 22% of the national population (11.2 million inhabitants), the Gauteng city-region is the largest and richest region in South Africa, contributing to one-third of national GDP. The area encompasses a series of connected cities, including Johannesburg and the national capital of Tshwane (formerly Pretoria), that function as a single, integrated region. Gauteng has been South Africa’s growth engine: for every additional 1% growth in population in the province, 1.6% is added to its contribution to national growth, implying higher productivity than in other parts of the country. Nevertheless, the city-region’s growth potential is constrained by deep socio-economic challenges, including high unemployment (26.9%) and low productivity growth. Its rapid demographic and economic development has also reinforced the spatial segregation instituted under apartheid.

Against the backdrop of South Africa’s achievements since the fall of apartheid, this Review evaluates measures to position economic development policy and to confront economic inequality in Gauteng. The issues of adequate housing as a catalyst of economic development and a vehicle for socioeconomic integration, transport mobility and public service delivery are examined in detail. The Review also assesses the economic growth potential of the manufacturing and green sectors, as well as governance issues, focussing on the potential of intergovernmental collaboration in advancing a cross-cutting regional approach for Gauteng.  

Regulations are indispensable to the proper functioning of economies and societies.  They underpin markets, protect the rights and safety of citizens and ensure the delivery of public goods and services.  At the same time, regulations are rarely costless.  Businesses complain that red tape holds back competitiveness while citizens complain about the time that it takes to fill out government paperwork.  More worrying still, regulations can be inconsistent with the achievement of policy objectives.  They can have unintended consequences and they can become less effective or even redundant over time. The 2008 financial crisis, and the ensuing and ongoing economic downturn are stark reminders of the consequence of regulatory failure.  

Reflecting the importance of getting regulation right, this report encourages governments to “think big” about the relevance of regulatory policy. It assesses the recent efforts of OECD countries to develop and deepen regulatory policy and governance.  It evaluates the comprehensive policy cycle by which regulations are designed, assessed and evaluated, revised, and enforced at all levels of government.  It describes progress developing a range of regulatory management tools including consultation, Regulatory Impact Assessment, and risk and regulation. It also illustrates more nascent effort to promote regulatory governance including creating accountability and oversight of regulatory agencies and creating a “whole of government” approach for regulatory design and enforcement.  The report provides ideas on developing a robust regulatory environment, a key to returning to a stronger, fairer and more sustainable growth path.