Browse by: "2007"
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Pour la plupart des pays de l’OCDE, les mesures visant à réduire les charges administratives dont l’élimination de la paperasserie sont une priorité. Que peuvent faire les autorités publiques ? S’appuyant sur des groupes de réflexion et des comités consultatifs, les autorités attribuent de plus en plus souvent la compétence en la matière à un service de l’administration centrale. Cette démarche, qui mobilise l’ensemble des administrations, marque ces dernières années une étape déterminante, où la simplification administrative s’inscrit dans les dispositifs nationaux en faveur de la qualité de la réglementation.
Turkey’s e-government efforts received new emphasis in the last three years. The election of a new government brought forward an agenda including public sector modernisation using e-government. Turkey has since made considerable progress with e-government. This review identifies several strategic opportunities. One opportunity is to stimulate the provision of e-services and e-commerce by increasing access to high-speed Internet throughout the country. A second opportunity is to skip the initial stages of e-government applications -- characterised by isolated islands of development -- and instead promote a more “joined up” government. A third opportunity is to use the existing base of 46 million mobile telephones as a communication channel between the government and its citizens. The review also identifies several major challenges. One challenge is bridging the digital divide between urban and rural populations, men and women, and young and old. A second challenge is public sector modernisation in terms of increased transparency and accountability. A third challenge is making sure that investments in e-government are valuable, i.e. that benefits are larger than costs.
The challenges faced by Mexico’s rural areas are significant. Mexico's countryside is home to a large population (more than the overall population of many OECD countries) that is highly dispersed and largely living in poverty. The potential of these areas is however significant, as their vast (and young) human resources, their natural, cultural and physical assets could provide, in a more diversified economy, a greater contribution to national development.
This review shows that the challenges and potential of rural areas are spatially differentiated and therefore require a place-based policy approach. The Mexican government has had significant success in framing a multi-sector rural policy. Some of these accomplishments can provide examples of best practice for other OECD countries. The continuity and institutionalization of these advances are a priority. In addition, efforts should be devoted to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of rural development programmes and to guaranteeing coherence with other major sectoral policies. This will contribute to addressing the country's major territorial and individual inequalities and will transform rural regions into sources of national development.
Rather than pursuing e-government as an end in itself, the Netherlands is seeking to use ICT tools to reduce administrative burdens and improve service delivery. Internationally, the Netherlands is at the forefront of administrative burden reduction, which is a major political priority and an important justification for e-government development. This volume examines questions such as whether the goal of reducing administrative burdens is sufficient in itself for e-government to transform public administrations. Further, how can the public sector build partnerships across levels of government to deliver ICT-enabled end-to-end services that simplify the relationship with citizens and businesses? This report is in English only. However, a French translation of the Assessment and Proposals for Action has been included in this volume.
Dieser Prüfbericht befasst sich mit den Herausforderungen und Chancen ländlicher Räume in Deutschland. Nach wie vor besteht ein erhebliches Ost-West-Gefälle, und dieses hat eindeutig auch ländliche Dimensionen. Auch Faktoren wie GAP-Reformen, Bevölkerungsalterung und Migration werden wichtige Auswirkungen auf ländliche Räume haben. Dieser Bericht konstatiert, dass Deutschlands derzeitiger Ansatz im Bereich der ländlichen Entwicklung und der Politik für ländliche Räume in erster Linie sektorbezogen ist und daher weder der Vielfalt der ländlichen Regionen voll gerecht wird noch die Entwicklung von Programmen fördert, die auf die Bedürfnisse der jeweiligen Orte zugeschnitten sind.
This report is a review of Kazakhstan’s legal and institutional framework for fighting corruption, in accordance with the framework provided by the Anti-Corruption Network for Transition Economies, based at the OECD. The review examines: (1) national anti-corruption policy and institutions currently in place in Kazakhstan; (2) national anti-corruption legislation and preventive measures to ensure integrity of civil service; and (3) effective financial control.
The review process is based on the OECD practice of mutual analysis and policy formulation. The main input for the review was the self-assessment report prepared by the government of Kazakhstan. An international group of peers then provided an expert assessment and draft recommendations. Finally, a review meeting (attended by national governments, international organisations, civil and business associations) discussed the report and its expert assessment, and endorsed the recommendations for Kazakhstan.
This publication contains all the recommendations, as well as the full text of the self-assessment report provided by the government of Kazakhstan. Thus, it provides an important guide for the country as it develops its anti-corruption actions, and it will serve as a useful reference for other countries reforming their anti-corruption policies, legislation and institutions.
While these recommendations are not legally binding, they represent Kazakhstan’s commitment to fighting corruption. Implementation of these recommendations will also help the country meet its legally binding obligations under the United Nation’s Convention on Corruption and the Council of Europe’s Criminal Law Convention on Corruption. The results of this review will also be used to regularly monitor Kazakhstan’s progress in implementing the recommendations.
Public works contracts mean big business. From road-building to high-tech communication infrastructure, public procurement averages 15% of GDP in OECD countries--substantially more in non-OECD economies--and it is a major factor in the world trade of goods and services. Given the growing complexity of bribe schemes in today’s globalised markets, the problem is how to identify corruption in public procurement so governments can work toward effective prevention and apply sanctions if necessary. This report provides insights on all three fronts. Based on contributions from law enforcement and procurement specialists, the report describes how bribery is committed through the various stages of government purchasing; how bribery in public procurement is related to other crimes, such as fraud and money laundering; and how to prevent and sanction such crimes. The typical motivations and conduct of the various actors engaging in corruption are also highlighted, as well as ten case studies.
The days when it was thought that the development process could and should be managed by governments alone are long past. The challenge today is how to involve other parts of society such as the private sector and NGOs. This book details the activities of the private sector in developing and emerging economies and demonstrates how these activities are inter-related with government policies. Understanding these activities and public-private interactions is indispensable for the private sector to play its full role in a nation's development process. To this end, several case studies provide concrete examples from Africa, Asia and elsewhere.
Unsustainable subsidies are pervasive in the industry, agriculture, transport and energy sectors of most OECD countries. They are expensive for governments and can have harmful environmental and social effects. Eliminating these supports requires comprehensive approaches which are supported by top political leadership, transparent in their potential effects on all parties, consistent over the long-term, and often accompanied by transition supports. This volume uses sectoral case studies to illustrate that achieving change in structural policies such as subsidies depends largely on good governance practices.
Of all government activities, public procurement is most vulnerable to corruption. In OECD countries, bribery by international firms is more pervasive in public procurement than in utilities, taxation, or judiciary. Most international efforts to fight corruption have focused exclusively on the bidding process. But this is only the tip of the iceberg. Recent corruption scandals have spotlighted grey areas throughout the whole public procurement cycle, including in needs assessment and contract management. Reform efforts have also often neglected exceptions to competitive procedures such as emergency contracting and defence procurement. This book offers practical insights into how the profession of procurement is evolving to cope with the growing demand for integrity, drawing on the experience of procurement practitioners as well as audit, competition and anti-corruption specialists. It provides, for the first time, a comparative overview of practices meant to enhance integrity throughout the whole procurement cycle, with examples from both OECD and non-OECD countries.
Achieving sustainable development depends on good governance practices, particularly the effective implementation of national sustainable development strategies which integrate government decision-making in the economic, environmental and social spheres. This volume contains recommendations for the true “institutionalisation” of sustainable development. Institutionalisation will embed the concept in government operations for the long-term and will reduce the vulnerability of sustainable development aims to shorter-term political objectives.
Economic globalisation and the subsequent intensification of inter-city competition have profoundly changed urban governance. This is particularly evident in the field of urban spatial development. The change is often described as a shift from a managerial mode of governance to a more entrepreneurial mode, strongly characterised by risk-taking, innovation, a strong orientation toward the private sector and a strategic approach which focuses on economic growth. This study reviews the challenges that urban entrepreneurialism must overcome to maintain and strengthen its relevance in the 21st century. Urban policy planners are expected to address an increasingly wide range of objectives, including social, environmental and cultural issues as well as economic ones.
The Randstad is a poly-centric urban area in western Netherlands, comprising Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht and several smaller cities. It is one of the most densely populated areas in the OECD, and has developed into an advanced urban economy with many leading sectors, such as logistics, horticulture and financial services. The Randstad has one of the lowest unemployment rates in all OECD countries, and it is one of the most attractive metropolitan areas for FDIs.
However, even though the Randstad had high growth rates over the 1990s, it performed less well in the 2000s. In particular, the Randstad has witnessed relatively low labour productivity growth over the last decade - much lower than cities such as Munich or Stockholm for instance.
This Review aims to provide a detailed diagnosis and solutions for improving the competitiveness of the Randstad. The Randstad does not seem to exploit well the proximity of its four large cities, and therefore it does not represent an integrated functional urban system. Key recommendations are: improve internal accessibility within the area; facilitate knowledge transfers to the private sector; increase flexibility in housing and labour market; and strengthen the coordination of the economic specialities of its cities, such as higher education and tourism. Changing the governance framework is a key condition of success: individual city-regions within the Randstad should be granted more responsibilities, and a Randstad agenda should be created, prioritising improvement of regional public transport.
This Territorial Review of the Randstad is integrated into a series of thematic reviews of metropolitan regions undertaken by the OECD Territorial Development Policy Committee. The overall aim of these case studies is to draw and disseminate horizontal policy recommendations for national governments.
A trend toward decentralisation has meant that sub-national governments increasingly find themselves responsible for providing a host of public goods and services. Rarely, however, can they "go it alone". Co-ordination among levels of government is imperative. This book offers a unique analytic framework for assessing multi-level governance arrangements, which is subsequently applied to five case studies of regional development policy: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. The book reveals the importance of contractual arrangements for customised management of interdependencies, for clarifying responsibilities among actors, for dialogue, and for learning.
This review analyses the Swedish institutional framework for better regulation. In recent years Sweden has made a remarkable recovery, benefiting from deregulation efforts undertaken in the early to mid 1990s. Sweden places a strong emphasis on high standards of social welfare and a strong governance framework, which foster consensus. To preserve its ambitious social and environmental goals, Sweden needs to maintain its strong economic performance. A number of challenges should be addressed, such as the labour market, the performance of the public sector and the strengthening of competition. Entrepreneurship also should be stimulated, and further efforts have to be made to reduce administrative burdens. To create momentum for reform, Sweden needs to promote a strategic vision, improve the process for impact assessment, and strengthen co-ordination between national and local levels of government. The benefits of reform need to be more widely understood by all stakeholders and citizens. Regulatory reform will help Sweden take advantage of globalisation and technological innovation, and meet the demands of citizens for high-quality public services.
Sweden is one of many OECD countries to request a broad review by the OECD of its regulatory practices and reforms. This review presents an overall picture, set within a macroeconomic context, of regulatory achievements and challenges including regulatory quality, competition policy, and market openness. Its special focus is on regulatory governance across levels of government as well as environmental policy.
In the same series:
Canada
Czech Republic
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Korea
Mexico
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Russia
Spain
Switzerland
Turkey
United Kingdom
United States
The Baltic Sea Region is rapidly becoming one of the world’s more competitive regions. The region is capitalising on its strengths and making the most of its diversity to stimulate innovation, build a strong pool of skilled labour and foster entrepreneurship. A deep spirit of co-operation and integration has led the Baltic Sea countries to set up ambitious governance frameworks to pursue economic development objectives jointly from Oslo to St. Petersburg. Yet major challenges at the local level lie ahead for the Eastern shores of the Baltic, where economic transition still needs to be accompanied by more innovative strategic planning, new forms of governance and dynamic civic entrepreneurship. Policies will need to be made more adaptable and capacities will need to be strengthened if prosperity and living standards are to increase on the Baltic Rim.
Fortunately, the Baltic Sea Region includes some of the world’s most innovative countries. From Denmark to Finland, the Region possesses a breadth of experience in facilitating policy co-ordination, adjusting policy to local conditions and involving business and civil society in shaping policy measures. There is a great deal that other countries can learn from this experience in setting up partnerships, regional strategic frameworks and other forms of governance. The learning process has already started, with the Baltic Rim becoming a unique laboratory for governance. This book analyses the new governance developments in the Baltic States and Northwest Russia and provides suggestions on how to speed up this progress. It is essential reading for all stakeholders in the Baltic Sea Region and for those elsewhere wishing to apply emerging lessons to their region of the world.
Ces Principes directeurs de l’OCDE à l’intention des entreprises multinationales sont des recommandations à l’intention des entreprises multinationales sur la conduite de leurs activités dans des domaines comme le travail, l’environnement, la protection des consommateurs et la lutte contre la corruption. Ces recommandations émanent des gouvernements qui ont souscrit aux Principes directeurs et se sont ainsi engagés à les faire respecter, même si elles n’ont pas un caractère contraignant. Ce rapport annuel dresse un état des mesures prises entre juin 2005 et juin 2006 par les 39 gouvernements adhérents pour renforcer la contribution des Principes directeurs à un meilleur fonctionnement de l’économie mondiale. L’un des faits marquants de la période couverte aura été l’achèvement du travail de formulation d’orientations à l’intention des entreprises opérant dans des zones à faible gouvernance. Cet outil vise à aider les entreprises qui investissent dans des pays où les gouvernements ne peuvent pas ou ne veulent pas assumer leurs responsabilités. Il propose des réflexions relatives à des domaines comme le respect de la loi et l'observance des instruments internationaux, les activités politiques, la connaissance des clients et des partenaires commerciaux, et la dénonciation des actes illicites.
En quoi le nouveau paradigme consiste‑t‑il ? Il a pour principales caractéristiques de mettre l’accent sur les contextes locaux, et non plus sur des secteurs d’activité, ainsi que sur l’investissement et non plus sur les subventions. Le rapport met en évidence les défis nombreux et difficiles que doivent relever les zones rurales. Il montre quel est leur potentiel inexploité et pourquoi les mesures sectorielles ne permettent pas de mettre celui‑ci en valeur. Cet ouvrage récapitule également les principales tendances socio-économiques observées dans les zones rurales des pays de l’OCDE. Enfin, il évoque les besoins qu’engendre cette nouvelle approche transsectorielle de la politique rurale en termes de gouvernance.