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Transforming Public Service Delivery to advance Gender Equality Some points for consideration…. Structure of the Presentation . I. Locating it in the Larger Political-Economic Context. a. The fiscal policy space in our countries for public expenditure
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Transforming Public Service Delivery to advance Gender EqualitySome points for consideration…
I. Locating it in the Larger Political-Economic Context a. The fiscal policy space in our countries for public expenditure b. Priority for social sector in public expenditure c. From Outlays to Outcomes– how efficient and how effective?
a. Fiscal Policy Space for Public Expenditure Note: All country values are for the year 2010, except for Argentina (2009), OECD Avg. (2009), China (2009), Mexico (2009) and India (2009-10). Source: Oxfam India Working Paper Series, 2013
b. Priority for Social Sector in Public Expenditure Source: Human Development Report, 2013, “The Rise of the South : Human Progress in a Diverse World”, pg 162-163
Outlays (E.g. Funds for School Education) Outputs/ Services (Schools, Teachers, Textbooks, Scholarships) Outcomes (Higher Enrolment Rates, Lower Drop out Rates) c. From Outlays to Outcomes“Getting Development from Development Expenditures”
1. Institutional Constraints (not necessarily linked to gender): • d. Gaps in Infrastructure Next
a. Quantity: Unrealistically Low Unit Costs– Apathy for the poor? • Integrated Child Development Scheme • National Rural Health Mission
Budget Utilization:a. The Utilisation part of the story Utilisation of Funds in across Major Components of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) Source: CBGA, Budgeting for Change Series
Transfers of funds skewed across quarters of Fiscal Year Quarterly Break up of Expenditure in UP (2007-08) Budget Utilization:b. Quality of Utilisation Source: CBGA, Budgeting for Change Series
Conditional Cash Transfers: Too many conditions and too small transfers Long list of documents required! Back Source: Ladlis and Lakshmis: Financial Incentive Schemes for the Girl Child, EPW April 2012
c. Understaffing Vacancies in skilled service providers Chattisgarh Source: CBGA, Budgeting for Change Series
Back Understaffing …(contd). Vacancies in skilled service providers Uttar Pradesh Source: CBGA, Budgeting for Change Series
d. Gaps in Infrastructure • In UP, 80% of required Sub Centres are functional and 48% of Community Health Centres are functional • About ½ of the Sub Centres in Chattisgarh and 2/3rd in UP did not have buildings as of March 2010 • Besides brick and mortar, other basic amenities also lack such as electricity, water supply, medical instruments, staff quarters, etc. • Ambulances were found but patients still using private vehicle as no budget for a driver! (now things have improved with dial 108 service). Back Source: CBGA, Budgeting for Change Series, National Rural Health Mission
2. Gender Concerns d. Gaps in Budgets e. Gaps in Institutions
3. Governance Relates Issues • Transparency, Accountability and Participation of People Recognizing that how a service finally gets delivered is a political issue where power equations negotiate.
b. Public Private Partnerships: the default option for public service delivery? Presented as a one stop solution to all woes in delivery of public services; an innovative model to plug in governance deficit. • What about Accountability?-- Who monitors PPP? (In India resistance to include PPPs under Right to Information) b. What about Equity?– Making citizens into consumers who must “purchase” public service? c. What about Gender and PPPs?
c. Austerity Drives in Financial Crisis: Who bears the price? • Cuts in services hit the least well off • Public Spending on education and health services has reduced significantly (Romania, Latvia, Greece, Portugal) • Spending on VAW support services has also gone down • In the UK the funding to VAW services from local authorities was cut by 31% in 2011/12 • In Greece austerity measures have stopped local government funding for women’s shelters 2. Cutback in care services • In Greece and Portugal public kindergartens have been closed down. • In the Czech Republic more than 30,000 children were refused in state preschool institutions in 2011, this year the number is expected to be even higher. • Savings are being made by limiting the hours of kindergartens and primary schools (Italy)
3. Childcare has become more expensive: • In the Netherlands and UK, as of January 2012 most parents have received a smaller proportion of their childcare costs back from the tax agency • Care services for the elderly and other dependents have suffered. (Ireland) • Public beds in nursing homes have been reduced • In the Netherlands programmesfor disabled persons have been cut down. 4. Changes in statutory leaves and care related benefits Cuts in maternity and paternity benefits (Romania, Macedonia, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Czech Rep, Slovenia etc) (Source: The price of Austerity: EWL, 2012) • From economic crisis to crisis in care?