Governments across OECD countries and beyond are constantly innovating in the provision of public services, by improving the effectiveness of policy design and the efficiency of delivery, and by partnering and working directly with citizens. These continuous efforts are necessary to meet growing citizen expectations and to ensure access to services for all - regardless of income levels, location and other social and economic factors – as a key lever to achieve more inclusive growth.

The Dominican Republic is divided into 31 provinces and the “Distrito Nacional”, where the capital, Santo Domingo, is situated. The provinces are political and administrative units that facilitate delegation of the authority of the central government at intermediate level.

Despite experiencing sustained macroeconomic growth for many years, levels of poverty and inequality remain high in the Dominican Republic. Promoting inclusive growth is therefore a priority for the government, as reflected in its key document, the National Development Strategy.

In line with the four strategic objectives, each with multiple objectives, of the National Development Strategy for 2010-2030 to: 1) foster a society where equality of opportunity and access to essential services fosters inclusive growth; and 2) create an efficient, transparent, and results oriented public administration that delivers for its citizens, this OECD Review focuses on improving access to quality and timely services for citizens as a means to facilitating inclusive growth in the Dominican Republic.

This chapter introduces the contextual factors influencing the delivery of public services in the Dominican Republic. An overview of recent economic performance is provided, together with a discussion on the challenges for inclusive growth in the country. The role of public services – a key lever for inclusive growth - is then discussed, followed by a description of key challenges that the government faces in enhancing access, quality and reach of public services. Issues relating to citizen satisfaction, demographic dynamics, fiscal constraints and public sector capacity are also discussed. The chapter concludes by providing a brief introduction to the rest of the review.

This chapter introduces the governance arrangements that guide and shape the delivery of public services in the Dominican Republic and that set the foundation for other policy levers to be fully effective, such as digital government, public innovation and administrative simplification. It describes the current institutional framework governing the provision of services and the numerous reforms that have been undertaken in the past 50 years. The challenges to realise the full potential of the current institutional setting are discussed, including those relating to whole-of-government co-ordination and coherence and the integration of existing information systems, such as those that collect feedback and experience from users and beneficiaries; capacity building; and administrative structure. The role of the Ministry of Public Administration (MAP) as a natural institutional leader is also discussed. The chapter concludes with recommendations to improve the governance underpinnings of service delivery in the Dominican Republic.

This chapter introduces the governance arrangements that guide and shape the delivery of public services in the Dominican Republic, and that set the foundation for other policy levers to be fully effective, such as digital government, public innovation and administrative simplification. It describes the current institutional framework governing the provision of services in the Dominican Republic and the numerous reforms that have been undertaken in the past 50 years. The challenges to realise the full potential of the current institutional setting are discussed. On the one hand, the challenges related to whole-of-government co-ordination and coherence, and on the other hand, the integration of existing information systems, including those that collect feedback and experience from users and beneficiaries, capacity building and administrative structure. The role of MAP as a natural institutional leader is also discussed. The chapter concludes with recommendations to improve the governance underpinnings of service delivery in the Dominican Republic.

This chapter assesses the potential of digital government to improve service delivery and support inclusive growth in the Dominican Republic. It assesses digital governance as a way of building a whole-of-government approach to the use of digital technologies. It then looks at how to improve the access and uptake of digital public services, as well as participatory approaches in service design, delivery and evaluation. Untapped potential in alternative service delivery channels, such as social media and mobile devices, and open government data to support user-driven service delivery and public value creation, are addressed. Finally, this chapter assesses the potential of digital technologies and data to foster public sector productivity and the institutional competitiveness of the Dominican public sector. It ends by formulating recommendations that seek to reinforce public sector intelligence of the Dominican government for evidence-based policy making and more tailored service design and delivery.

This chapter analyses the context of public sector innovation in the Dominican Republic, following the OECD public sector innovation framework. It provides a general overview of the complex policy scenario the Dominican Republic must face in the coming years, and the importance of fostering innovation in its public sector to tackle these issues. The chapter considers the institutional context for public innovation, starting with the necessary technical and co-ordination role from the Ministry of Public Administration (MAP). It also addresses the tension between the need for stability and regulatory control of public sector activities, and the necessary room for civil servants to innovate and reduce red tape. Issues relating to the flow of data and knowledge across the public sector, and the strategic management of human resources as a key innovation-driving factor, are considered. Finally, the chapter provides a number of policy recommendations that aim to reinforce the environment of public sector innovation.