GDN and GRADE will co-host the launch of the book ‘Improving Access and Quality of Public Services in Latin America’
| Date | : | 15/06/2017 |
|---|---|---|
| Hour | : | 9:00 am - 1:00 pm |
| Area/s | : | State reform and public institutions |
In a much awaited event, with several high level policymakers in attendance, Global Development Network (GDN) and GRADE, will co-host the launch of the book, ‘Improving Access and Quality of Public Services in Latin America: To Govern and To Serve’ on Thursday the 15th of June, 2017.
GDN’s Guillermo Perry (Board member) and Ramona Angelescu Naqvi (Director of Programs) have edited this book, which captures lessons from governance and public service delivery experiments in Latin America. The book is based on results from a 30-country study of education, roads and water services. Contributing authors present insights on education, roads, and water through case studies.
In his foreword to the book, GDN’s President, Pierre Jacquet, says the book is important because it reflects a “successful attempt to approach governance issues from a concrete, local and empirical, instrumental perspective.” He emphasises that this is an essential component of poverty reduction and inclusive growth strategies.
Three successful elements of governance emerge from the book: better information for users, increased accountability through paid services, and an enabling political culture. The variety of case-studies examined in the volume focus on wider political economy questions, on the intricacies of political competition and governance reform, and on public spending efficiency in countries as varied as Colombia, Peru, Chile and Uruguay.
According to Miguel Jaramillo, Executive Director of GRADE, improving public services is critical to making sustainable the gains of recent economic growth in the region and to consolidating democracies. He says the book is an excellent contribution to address this crucial task. “What kind of governance structures are required to provide quality services to citizens? Which public policy instruments best serve this purpose? Are some of the key questions that this book addresses in an original and fruitful way.”
The book has already received critical acclaim from experts and scholars working in the area of governance and public service delivery. Ariel Fiszbein, Senior Fellow & Program Director, Education, Inter-American Dialogue, USA, says in his review of the book:
“This volume is a valuable contribution to the literature on service delivery in developing countries. Its combination of empirical analyses and insights from country experiences deepens our understanding of how institutional, political and social factors affect the quality of services. It provides a nuance perspective of the role played by information and governance arrangements in affecting the behaviors of providers, decision makers and users of services.”
The event will also provide the opportunity to discuss forthcoming research, knowledge and data needs in this area, with a variety of stakeholders.
The book can be ordered via Palgrave-MacMillan or Amazon. Use this special discount token to receive 20% off your copy at palgrave.com (valid for one month).
For further information, please contact Patricia Daquino on pdaquino@grade.org.pe
