Comrades or Culprits? Donor Engagement and Budget Transparency in Aid Dependent Countries

Budget transparency has come to be considered a key aspect of governance. Over the past decade, donors have invested increasing resources in strengthening processes through which budget transparency in developing countries can be enhanced. According to the 2008 Open Budget Index (OBI) Report, however, aid dependency and budget transparency appear to be inversely correlated. This article looks at the role of donor agencies in promoting or preventing budget transparency in aid dependent countries. It analyzes data for a sample of 16 aid-dependent countries included in the OBI, to test some preliminary hypotheses and select six countries for which more detailed findings are then presented. All of these countries have implemented reforms aimed at enhancing budget transparency, with substantial donor support. These, however, often had only limited success, partly because they were not well adapted to the local context, and partly because donors put limited emphasis on improving public access to budget information. Donor efforts were also often offset by other characteristics of donor interventions, namely their fragmentation, lack of transparency, and limited use of program aid modalities such as budget support and pooled sector funding.

La Gestió europea de les ajudes d’estat durant la recent crisi financera i la seva adequació al sistema comunitari de defensa de la competencia

En un context de crisi, els Estats es troben en un trade-off entre “relaxar” el sistema de control d’ajudes d’Estat per reduir l’impacte de la recessió, o mantenir-lo i evitar així distorsions competitives. Es tracta d’un cas especial de trade-off entre el curt i el llarg termini. La present recerca investiga com la política europea ha gestionat la demanda d’ajudes públiques durant la recent crisi financera. Es diferencia entre “llei” i “procediment”, i es determina que mentre la primera s’ha adaptat al nou context de crisi per donar cabuda a mesures de rescat, una sèrie d’evidències suggereixen que el segon s’ha “relaxat”, i que pot haver estat una estratègia second best per reduir el risc moral associat als rescats i una estratègia necessària per a mantenir el propi sistema de control d’ajudes d’Estat

Recursos web i metadades: informe del projecte

El projecte Recursos web i metadades, que ha comptat amb una ajuda econòmica de la Divisió V per a projectes de recerca, es plantejà amb l'objectiu principal de comprovar les dificultats d'aplicació del sistema de metadades DC a la descripció de les pàgines d'un lloc web universitari i l'efectivitat d'aquestes metadades tant per a la descripció de recursos web com per a la seva ulterior cerca i recuperació. Per al desenvolupament del projecte s'han adaptat i desenvolupat una sèrie d'eines de les quals també es vol comprovar l'eficàcia. En aquest informe s'explica el desenvolupament del projecte, el seu estat el novembre de 2001 i també les eines desenvolupades

Análisis de la concentración de los Fondos Estructurales por Comunidades Autónomas

En este trabajo se analiza la distribución en España de las ayudas estructurales comuni- tarias del FEDER por Comunidades Autónomas y para dos períodos quinquenales, el primero correspondiente a los años 1989-1993 y el segundo entre 1994 y 1999. En concreto se obtienen medidas de concentración para destacar las diferencias en el FEDER per capita asignado a las poblaciones elegibles por la Unión Europea. Los indicadores que se presentan derivan del diagrama de Lorenz. Por un lado, la superficie que separa la recta imaginaria de equidistribución de la curva es una buena medida de concentración de la variable, y por otro, en la misma representación surgen distancias de interés que reflejan la desigualdad en el reparto de los fondos FEDER per capita de la población asignada por los objetivos 1, 2 y 5b. Las curvas teóricas de concentración que se utilizan en este estudio (modelo de Kakwani-Podder, modelo de Kakwani y modelo de Gupta) se estiman a partir de los datos de la variable económica. Con las estimaciones se calculan las medidas de desigualdad que permitirán el cálculo cuantitativo de la concentración de los fondos comunitarios.

Privatization, cooperation and costs of solid waste services in small towns

This paper analyzes the cost implications of privatization and cooperation in the provision of solid waste services for a sample of small municipalities. In conducting this empirical analysis, a survey is first designed and administered to municipalities in the Spanish region of Aragon, and then an estimation of the determinants of service costs is undertaken, considering the possible endogeneity of delivery choices. Our findings indicate that cooperation is more effective than privatization in saving costs. Both production forms can enable small municipalities to cut costs by exploiting scale economies. However, the fact that inter-municipal cooperation involves lower transaction costs and is less likely to be affected by competition problems would seem to account for the fact that it is a more effective way of reducing costs.

Why do municipalities cooperate to provide local public services? An empirical analysis

Intermunicipal cooperation is being increasingly adopted in various countries as a part of local service delivery reforms. This paper draws on survey data from Spain’s municipalities to examine the reasons underpinning the decisions of local governments to engage in intermunicipal cooperation and privatisation. Our empirical analysis indicates that small municipalities prefer to rely on cooperation for reducing costs, while their larger counterparts prefer to privatise the delivery of services. By cooperating, scale economies can be achieved with lower transaction costs and fewer concerns for competition than is the case via private production.

Choosing hybrid organizations for local services delivery : An empirical analysis of partial privatization

The empirical literature about factors explaining local government delivery choices has traditionally focused the attention on the public or private production dilemma. However, hybrid organizational forms such as mixed public-private firms are increasingly used in several European countries. This paper makes use of survey data from Spanish municipalities to examine motivations of local governments for engaging in hybrid organizational forms. Data refer to two very relevant local services: water distribution and solid waste collection. The empirical analysis indicates that the use of mixed firms emerge as a type of pragmatically based ‘third way’ between pure public and pure private production. Indeed, local governments make use of mixed firms when cost considerations (scale economies, transaction costs and soon), financial constraints and private interests exert contradictory pressures. On the contrary, political and ideological factors do not play any significant role on the local government decision of engaging or not in joint ventures with private partners.

Local privatization, intermunicipal cooperation, transaction costs and political interests: Evidence from Spain

Several empirical studies have analyzed the factors that influence local privatization. Variables related to fiscal stress, cost reduction, political processes and ideological attitudes are the most common explanatory variables used in these studies. In this paper, we add to this literature by examining the influence of transaction costs and political factors on local governments’ choices through new variables. In addition to this, we consider the role of additional aspects, such as intermunicipal cooperation as a potential alternative to privatization in order to exploit scale economies or scope economies. We consider two relevant services: solid waste collection and water distribution. Results from our estimates show that privatization (that is, contracting out to a private firm) is less common for water distribution than for solid waste collection. Higher transaction costs in water distribution are consistent with this finding. Furthermore, we find that municipalities with a conservative ruling party privatize more often regardless of the ideological orientation of the constituency. This shows that those political interests able to influence local elections are more important in determining the form of delivery than is the basic ideological stance of the constituency. Finally, we find that intermunicipal cooperation is an alternative to local privatization.

As grandes linhas da política externa brasileira

Incluye Bibliografía

Rede social e papéis de gênero de casais ribeirinhos de uma comunidade amazônica

Este estudo descreve as redes sociais de dois casais de uma comunidade ribeirinha (Rio Araraiana, Município de Ponta de Pedras, Ilha do Marajó/Pará). Os dados foram coletados com um inventário sócio-demográfico, um inventário de rotina e diários de campo e, analisados pelo mapa de rede de Sluzki. Constatou-se que os vínculos dos casais são baseados em alianças de ajuda econômica e de trabalho, companhia para lazer ou atividade religiosa. Verificou-se que as relações são marcadas por padrões de gênero que delimitam os ambientes das atividades cotidianas, definem o status ocupado na família e condicionam a formação de vínculos na rede social.

Hêliconias como alternativa econômica para comunidades amazônicas

Reservas extrativistas (RESEX) são espaços territoriais destinados à exploração sustentável e conservação dos recursos naturais renováveis, por populações extrativistas. Além disso, tem como finalidade implantar alternativas de renda que contribuam para a melhoria das condições de vida das famílias locais. Dentre as variadas possibilidades de renda pelas comunidades que compõem as RESEX, destacamos neste trabalho o uso das helicônias. As espécies de Heliconia são um dos mais vistosos grupos de plantas herbáceas das florestas tropicais. Entretanto seu uso como fonte de renda é desconhecido pelas comunidades que compõem a RESEX. Registramos 11 espécies de Heliconia na RESEX do Baixo Juruá com uso potencial como plantas ornamentais: H. acuminata, H. densiflora, H. hirsuta, H. lasiorachis, H. stricta, H. chartacea, H. juruana, H. marginata, H. psittacorum, H. spathocircinata e H. tenebrosa. Atualmente o mercado de plantas ornamentais está em expansão no Brasil, mas a Amazônia parece não estar acompanhando este processo, demonstrando falta de iniciativa política. A economia na forma do extrativismo praticada dentro das reservas florestais na Amazônia, mesmo acarretando alguns impactos diretos sobre a fauna e a flora, ajuda a manter as funções ecológicas originais da floresta evitando perdas futuras de biodiversidade regional. Adicionalmente, garante a continuidade das populações tradicionais no campo, com efeito direto na economia local e regional.

Uma análise sobre IDH, ajuda externa, crescimento econômico e volatilidade

O propósito deste trabalho é examinar os impactos de ajuda externa no crescimento econômico de médio e longo prazo e sua volatilidade nos países recebedores, uma vez que recursos dessa natureza visam acelerar a melhora do nível de bem-estar nas economias de baixa renda. Adicionalmente, também é objetivo deste trabalho avaliar os possíveis efeitos do IDH (Índice de Desenvolvimento Humano) em uma mudança de nível do influxo de ajuda, por meio da escala qualitativa do IDH. A partir dos dados de ajuda externa entre 1999 e 2003 e crescimento econômico entre 1999 e 2008 do Banco Mundial, do IDH apresentado pelo Relatório de Desenvolvimento Humano de 1998 e de algumas varáveis de controle, este estudo se utiliza da técnica de Regressões Descontínuas (RDD) com Variável Instrumental (VI) e do Método de Mínimo Quadrados Dois Estágios (MQ2E) para inferir tanto o impacto do IDH sobre ajuda externa, como deste no crescimento econômico e sua volatilidade.

Análise da sustentabilidade econômica e social na produção extensiva de ostras em uma região subtropical

Pós-graduação em Aquicultura - FCAV

Planejamento de uma obra em atendimento às exigências da caixa econômica federal

Currently the Brazilian construction market is growing like gangbusters and every day grows its competition. With this Brazilian scenario, the government is supporting the construction companies and offering resources for real estate projects. To acquire resources Caixa Econômica Federal requirements you must meet in planning the work, as the development of budgets, timelines and memorials. This study aimed to planning a work according to the requirements of Caixa Econômica Federal, which was done with the aid of two softwares . First the methods and tools that are used to perform a planning were discussed. Then, based on the theory and observing the requirements of the financing bank budgets, memorials and schedules with the help of software were performed. At the end of the project, it was possible to observe the importance of using theoretical methods and software to facilitate and improve the timelines and budgets made , and thus the planning itself, which every day becomes more common in construction companies, because with the increase of competition and market requirements, is critical to reducing the loss and time, thus maintaining customer satisfaction and company