Urban Institute: International Issues

Too Much of a Good Thing? Own Revenues and the Political Economy of Intergovernmental Finance Reform: The Albanian Case

paffairs@urban.org ( Anthony Levitas ) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Decentralization projects in developing and transitional countries are typically accompanied by efforts to increase the own-revenue powers of local governments. Both the literature of fiscal federalism and the practices of donors and domestic reformers often see the strengthening these powers as critically important to the success of local government reform initiatives. The recent history of Albanian intergovernmental finance reform, however, suggests that there can be too much of a good thing: Placing the enhancement of local government tax powers at the center of decentralization projects can not only crowd outtheoretically and practicallycritically important efforts to develop stable, predictable, and adequate transfer systems, but can also be politically self-blocking. In this paper, we use the Albanian case to illustrate why in developing countries with highly skewed tax bases there are good reasons to focus first on stabilizing transfer systems, and only secondarily on expanding local government own-revenue powers.

Exploring the Measurement and Effectiveness of the Local Public Sector : Toward a Classification of Local Public Sector Finances and a Comparison of Devolved and Deconcentrated Finances

paffairs@urban.org ( Jameson Boex ) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Over the past 10 years, the international development community has often treated decentralization and local governance issues through a narrow lens, focusing exclusively on the devolution of financial resources within the context of elected local governments. This paper seeks to define a more detailed metric of (local) public sector finances, which recognizes that the central authorities in each country interact with residents, civil society, and the private sector in three ways: through the direct or delegated delivery of public services (by central government entities); through deconcentrated departments or jurisdictions; and/or through devolved local governments. Formulating a detailed methodology for measuring local public sector finances will serve as a foundation to better understanding of the production function of public sector outputs and outcomes.

Asset Management: An International Perspective

paffairs@urban.org ( Olga Kaganova ) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

This commentary reflects on a profound impact that the fiscal crisis has on management of public property and overall lack of advanced asset management practices at local governments even though 65-99 percent of the value of the wealth owned on the taxpayers' behalf is concentrated in public land, built-up property and infrastructure.

Asset Management: An International Perspective

paffairs@urban.org ( Olga Kaganova ) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST

In this commentary for The Guardian - online, senior fellow Olga Kaganova discusses how local governments don't usually have advanced asset management practices even though 65-99 percent of the value of the wealth owned on the taxpayers' behalf is concentrated in land, built-up property and infrastructure.

An Assessment of Afghanistan's Municipal Governance Framework

paffairs@urban.org ( Jameson Boex, Grace Buencamino, Deborah Kimble ) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST

One of the international community's overarching strategic objectives in Afghanistan is to promote a more capable public sector that serves the Afghan people. Afghanistan's Constitution and their Sub-National Governance Policy aim to establish a system of elected municipal governments and a framework that allows municipalities to effectively provide public services to their constituents. This will require a major transformation of municipalities from a weak public sector tier to a devoted local governance level. This paper reviews the current state of municipal governance in Afghanistan and discusses the re-orientation required in order for Afghanistan to achieve a more effective and responsive municipal sector.

Local Government Finances and the Status of Fiscal Decentralization in Macedonia: A Statistical Review, 2008-2011

paffairs@urban.org ( Anthony Levitas ) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST

Decentralization in Macedonia was conceived of in two different phases, allowing for an asymmetric allocation of fiscal powers. During the first phase, all local governments were assigned the responsibility to deliver only a few mainly communal local government functions. After fulfillment of specific conditions and approval by the central government, local governments in Macedonia would be allowed to take on their broader functional responsibilities. Using a detailed dataset of local government finances, this study analyzes the evolution of local government revenues and expenditures in Macedonia and highlights the main problems of the country's intergovernmental finance system.

Is Poverty Incompatible with Asset Accumulation?

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EST

Is poverty incompatible with asset accumulation? We examine whether the poor can and do save and whether they are able to build up assets over time. Data are presented from household surveys, as well as from programs targeted at helping families accumulate assets. Presenting and evaluating the state of knowledge provides a new lens on whether the current income-based safety net could better serve poor families by having an asset building component. Conventional thinking is that families that are income poor cannot save. This chapter shows that this thinking is inaccurate; poverty does not have to be incompatible with asset accumulation.

Gender and Property Rights : A Critical Issue in Urban Economic Development

paffairs@urban.org ( Carol Rabenhorst, Anjali Bean ) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EST

Gender equality in property rights is a critical human rights issue and a key driver of overall economic development. This paper explores three issues in international development which are not often considered together or in terms of how they relate to each other. These issues are: (1) The rights of women to participate in property use and ownership with full legal and societal protection; (2) the importance to economic development of property rights in urban areas; and (3) the role of women in economic development. The final section offers recommendations for more effective development programming and implementation through the integration of these issues.

Planning for New Libya in Post-Gadhafi Era

paffairs@urban.org ( Jack Goldstone, Charles Cadwell ) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EST

Post-Gadhafi Libya brims with promise, but also with pitfalls. The Urban Institute's Charles Cadwell and George Mason University's Jack Goldstone outline steps Libya should take if it is to make great strides toward democracy and its people are to enjoy their hard-won freedom.

Fiscal Decentralization in Kenya: A Small Step or Giant Leap?

paffairs@urban.org ( Jameson Boex, Roy Kelly ) — Fri, 06 May 2011 00:00:00 EST

The Constitution that Kenyans adopted in September 2010 represents an important step in the process of national reconciliation and an important attempt to make Kenya's public sector more efficient and more accountable through devolution. The new Constitution assigns a prominent role in the public sector to county-level governments, as it transfers detailed functional responsibilities to the county level and provides that at least 15 percent of national revenues are to be shared with county governments. This IDG Policy Brief discusses whether the implementation of the Constitution will bring about a sea-change in intergovernmental fiscal relations and public empowerment in Kenya, or whether the changes in Kenya's intergovernmental structure in practice will represent a smaller and more incremental step towards a more decentralized governance structure.

Democratization in Egypt: The Potential Role of Decentralization

paffairs@urban.org ( Jameson Boex ) — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

Although the timing and fervor of the unrest in Egypt over the past several weeks has come as a surprise to many, the underlying causes of the unrest do not come as a surprise. While the removal of President Hosni Mubarak signifies the achievement of the demonstrators' main demand, merely substituting the president or cabinet will not make Egypt more democratic, nor will a change in the national leadership empower the people over the public sector. Instead, deep structural reforms are needed within Egypt's public sector in order to ensure that the public sector is capable of being responsive to the needs of the people. This Policy Brief highlights the role that decentralization reform could play in that process.

International Experiences on Government Land Development Companies: What Can Be Learned?

paffairs@urban.org ( Olga Kaganova ) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

Governments of all levels in a number of countries have experimented with what can be called a government land development corporation. In the past, experimentations with this instrument of land management intensified, but their generalization and exchange of knowledge on the subject across borders is practically lacking. It reviews ten case studies prepared specially in a unified format and discusses similarities and differences among them, along with positive lessons and potential risks. The paper outlines a conceptual design of a new corporation or some guidance on which policy, governance, and business issues should be addressed before such a corporation is established.

Government Management of Land and Property Assets: Justification for Engagement by the Global Development Community

paffairs@urban.org ( Olga Kaganova ) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

In most countries, central as well as local (municipal) governments own or control large holdings of land and built-up properties and, in addition, have the responsibility to provide public infrastructure services within their respective jurisdictionsfrom roads, streets, water, and sewerage to social services, such as schooling. Management of government-owned property assets, including land, as a distinctive area of public management, is still in its infancy compared with traditional areas like public budgeting or public administration. What are the benefits of asset management for the global development community, including for the clientele of the World Bank and other international development institutions?

An Analytical Framework for Assessing Decentralized Local Governance and the Local Public Sector

paffairs@urban.org ( Jameson Boex, Serdar Yilmaz ) — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

The public sector in developing and transition countries must function more effectively and efficiently in pursuit of development and poverty reduction ambitions. This cannot be done without considering the critical role of the local public sector, since most (pro-poor) public services are delivered at the local level. This paper proposes a comparative decentralization assessment framework which guides a rapid assessment of a country's local public sector, including its political-administrative structures, its system of intergovernmental relations and the financing and functioning of the countrys decentralized local governments.

The Effects of the Suspension of Serbia's Law on Local Government Finance on the Revenue and Expenditure Behavior of Local Governments: 2007-2009

paffairs@urban.org ( Anthony Levitas ) — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EST

This note examines the revenue and expenditure responses of local governments to the decrease in their revenues caused by the current economic downturn and by the Government of Serbias suspension of the transfer system put in place by the 2006 Local Government Finance Law (LGFL). The fiscal analysis shows that in response to the elimination of the transfer system, local governments significantly raised their own revenues. Most of this growth came from better collection of the property tax from households and better collection of the land use fee from businesses. Not surprisingly, local investment spending plummeted 26 percent between 2007 and 2009 and virtually disappeared among the worst-off local governments.

Localizing the MDGs: Unlocking the Potential of the Local Public Sector to Engage in Development and Poverty Reduction

paffairs@urban.org ( Jameson Boex ) — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EST

Given the vast scale of the global development challenge, it is increasingly clear that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are pursued in a manner that is excessively top-down in nature and that the distance between central government authorities and their citizens is too large for central authorities to effectively empower the people over the public sector. This paper explores to what extent local public entitieswhether in the form of elected local governments or through deconcentrated local departments of the national government-can contribute to achieving poverty reduction and development outcomes.

Using Survey Information To Provide Evaluative Citizen Feedback For Public Service Decisions

paffairs@urban.org ( Ritu Nayyar-Stone, Harry P. Hatry ) — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EST

Public opinion polls or surveys of public opinion are used across the world for many reasons, from estimating election results to citizen report cards. While survey results are reported and shared with the public, they are also used to help make policy decisions about public service delivery. This paper focuses on the use of performance information obtained from citizens to help make decisions about resource allocations and improving service delivery. Special challenges in conducting surveys and uses of survey-based performance indicators are presented. Performance data have little value and remain underutilized if nothing is done with the information. Survey results give information on what is working and what is not. The cost of not getting this feedback and evaluating how services affect citizens far outweighs the cost of conducting surveys.

The Local Government System in Pakistan: Citizens Perceptions and Preferences

paffairs@urban.org ( Ritu Nayyar-Stone, Additional Authors ) — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EST

Since the 2008 elections, there has been a lively debate in Pakistan on the reform of local government. Initially, this debate involved stakeholders from many government levels. Later, other voices joinedacademics and policy analysts, columnists and media commentators, and representatives of civil society organizations. What was missing was a voice for citizens. This report presents the results of an opinion survey on citizens views of local government in Pakistan, carried out in October 2008, by the Urban Institute (UI) and ACNielsen (Nielsen). The survey was carried out at a moment in which all of the provinces in Pakistan were reviewing and reforming their local government systems to improve the delivery of services. The survey is intended to solicit and present the citizens voicewhich needs to be taken into account as provinces and the federal government move forward.

Decentralized local governments as a modality for post-conflict recovery and development: An emerging natural experiment in Northern Uganda

paffairs@urban.org ( Jameson Boex, Deborah Kimble, Juliana H. Pigey ) — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EST

This initial situation analysis compares the features and potential impact of five postconflict interventions in Northern Uganda, including the Government of Ugandas own Peace, Recovery and Development Plan for Northern Uganda and projects funded by the World Bank, USAID, and DfID. Each program aims to promote peace and recovery through improved public services and infrastructure, economic development, and livelihood opportunities, but each relies on local governments in somewhat different ways and to different extents. This natural experiment will allows us to assess how effectively each program engages local governments and how effectively local governments deliver public services post conflict.

The Effectiveness of the State, Intergovernmental Relations, and the Success or Failure of the International Strategy in Afghanistan

paffairs@urban.org ( Jameson Boex, Charles Cadwell ) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 00:00:00 EST

In the run-up and aftermath of President Hamid Karzai's election to a second term in office, increasing attention is being paid to the ineffectiveness and dysfunction of the public sector in Afghanistan. This Policy Brief describes the characteristics of the current intergovernmental system and the burden it places on the delivery of citizen-focused services. Suggestions for steps that donors can take to address the paradox of having excessive central control in a state that is very weak are suggested at the conclusion.

Local Government Finances in Macedonia Today: Possible Reforms for Tomorrow

paffairs@urban.org ( Anthony Levitas ) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST

This study analyzes the funding of local governments in Macedonia today, and whether the current intergovernmental fiscal system provides adequate funding to the local government level. The study relies on a new local government finance database to present a picture of how local government finances have evolved over the last three years, and provides a concrete proposal for initial reforms that would improve the adequacy, efficiency, and equity of intergovernmental financial relations in Macedonia.

Development beyond the Central City: Eco-Infrastructure in Ulcinj, Montenegro

paffairs@urban.org ( Gretchen Mikeska, John Tabor ) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST

The principal objectives and scope of the current study are to examine how eco-infrastructure can be sustained within a multiuse area of a municipality in a transition economy in a way that protects habitat, ensures public access, and is adequately funded and managed. The case of Ulcinj, Montenegro, is presented for this purpose. The methodology employed reviews the available literature and best practices to identify possible models, and then considers them in the context of Ulcinj for their relevance and feasibility. The comparative analysis identifies six examples of nature preserves that successfully protect habitat, ensure public access, and operate sustainably with adequate funding and management. The examples are taken from California, Croatia, Chile, Bolivia, Costa Rica, and Guatemala.

Low Income Shelter Finance in Slum Upgrading

paffairs@urban.org ( Sally R. Merrill, Ajay Suri ) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST

This report summarizes findings from the USAID-sponsored project on models of financing for slum upgrading in India, undertaken on behalf of SPARC, a prominent NGO involved in slum upgrading in India and internationally for over two decades, and the National Housing Bank of India (NHB), one of whose main goals is enhancing housing finance for low-income households. In preparing the recommendations, the Urban Institute and SDS India have worked together with USAID and an Advisory Group formed for this project. In addition to SPARC and NHB, the Advisory Group includes banks, housing finance companies (HFCs), foundations, microfinance institutions (MFIs), builders, and Indian research institutions addressing shelter and microfinance.

Fiscal Decentralization and Intergovernmental Finance Reform as an International Development Strategy

paffairs@urban.org ( Jameson Boex ) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EST

Decentralization and intergovernmental finance have been a common element in international development efforts for many years. However, the success of fiscal decentralization as a development strategy is decidedly unclear, and there is growing skepticism about the effectiveness of (fiscal) decentralization as an international development strategy. This short essay explores the current state of knowledge with respect to fiscal decentralization and assesses the relevance of fiscal decentralization to the wider international development agenda, using the fiscal aspects of decentralization as an entry-point into the broader discussion of decentralization.

Microfinance for Housing: Assisting the "Bottom Billion" and the "Missing Middle"

paffairs@urban.org ( Sally R. Merrill ) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EST

UN-HABITAT has calculated that one-sixth of humanity1 billion peoplecurrently live in slums. In the next 30 years, this figure could rise to over 31 percent of the world's population. The vast majority of these households will never be able to afford, nor have access to, formal mortgage finance. Thus, increasing the availability of microfinance for housing (MFH) to help provide adequate shelter and sanitation will become increasingly important.

Condominium Housing and Mortgage Lending in Emerging Markets--Constraints and Opportunities

paffairs@urban.org ( Carol Rabenhorst, Sonia Ignatova ) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EST

International experience suggests that there is a strong causal link between housing demand, housing finance, financial sector development and economic growth. Yet, a housing market cannot flourish without mortgage finance, which allows all but the poorer segments of the population to purchase, expand or improve their homes, or to use the equity in their homes for other purposes, such as major purchases, college education, travel or investment. There is now growing recognition of these connections among policy-makers in developing and transition countries, and among international development donors who wish both to strengthen financial markets and to improve the economic well-being of citizens in their client countries. This paper provides an overview of the constraints and opportunities for condominium housing and mortgage lending in emerging markets.

Foreign Aid: Essential to Security, but Money Alone Is Not Enough : IDG Working Paper

paffairs@urban.org ( Charles Cadwell ) — Thu, 14 May 2009 00:00:00 EST

As President Obama and the 111th Congress prepare to assume office, Urban Institute (UI) experts offer their advice on evidence-based policymaking and the policy issues facing the country. Charles Cadwell, Director of UIs Center on International Development and Governance (IDG) argues that foreign aid and a renewed emphasis on international development are essential to national security and international stability, but that money alone will not achieve the desired policy outcomes. Policies and institutions, not resources, pose the greatest constraints and require the most work ahead.

Local Government Revenue, Land Use, and Economic Development Policies in Serbia: The Case of Nis : IDG Working Paper

paffairs@urban.org ( Anthony Levitas ) — Thu, 14 May 2009 00:00:00 EST

The purpose of this note is to help both local and national government officials think through possible strategies for addressing one of the fundamental issues facing Serbian municipalities today: How do Serbian local governments increase the revenues they need to improve their public infrastructure while simultaneously creating an environment favorable to private investment and local economic development? This is a dilemma that local governments face throughout the world but which is particularly pressing in many developing and transition countries where local governments must address huge deficits in urban infrastructure without at the same time over taxing their business communities upon which their future growth depends. It is also of particular importance in Nis, the third largest city in Serbia and the economic engine of the southern and least developed part of the country.

What Determines the Quality of Local Financial Management? The Case of Tanzania : IDG Working Paper

paffairs@urban.org ( Jameson Boex, Matitu C. Muga ) — Thu, 14 May 2009 00:00:00 EST

For the public sector to deliver public services and achieve its policy objectives, it is critical that public finances are managed well. Critics of decentralization point out that local governments are often administratively weak, and that poor local financial management can negate the potential benefits from decentralization. While the available research suggests that local financial management outcomes are influenced by more than a local governments financial management practices, little is known in the literature about the determinants of effective local financial management in developing and transition economies. The empirical analysis in this paper uses data for local government authorities in Tanzania in order to explore the relationship between local financial management performance on one hand, and local management practices, local governance, and other local characteristics on the other hand.

Aid Effectiveness in the Infrastructure Sector: Final Report

paffairs@urban.org ( Harry Garnett, Ritu Nayyar-Stone, Sarah Polen ) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST

In response to the challenges posed by the Millennium Development Goals, the key stakeholders in international development set out a new agenda to improve the effectiveness of aid. This agenda, embodied in the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, articulates a series of commitments reflected by the following tenets: ownership, alignment, harmonization, managing for results, and mutual accountability. The goal of this study was to identify lessons learned from the application of the Paris Declaration tenets in the infrastructure sector and, specifically, to determine whether the unique characteristics of this sector result in unique challenges and opportunities for implementing the tenets. This report, submitted to the Steering Committee by The Urban Institute, presents detailed findings on the Study on Aid Effectiveness in the Infrastructure Sector.

Integrating Public Property in the Realm of Fiscal Transparency and Anti-Corruption Efforts

paffairs@urban.org ( Olga Kaganova ) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 00:00:00 EST

The area of government property asset management is relatively new in public management. Most public wealth is concentrated in public property, and expenses associated with it constitute a substantial part of public budgets. The chapter ventures into two international "hot topics": practical enhancement of public financial resources through better management of property asset and curbing corruption in the historically corrupt area of government-owned property. The chapter provides a conceptual and methodological framework for governmental decision-makers and their advisors and ends by formulating and discussing a number of issues that require further professional and public debate.

Introducing More Transparent and Efficient Land Management in Post-Socialist Cities : Lessons from Kyrgyzstan

paffairs@urban.org ( Olga Kaganova, Abdirasul Akhmatov, Charles Undeland ) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 00:00:00 EST

The Urban Institute worked with five cities in post-Soviet Kyrgyzstan to apply better management practices through the development of Strategic Land Management Plans. UI worked with local governments to make an inventory of municipal land, publicize the results, and develop a strategy that articulated principles for land management. This led to several improvements including proper registration of parcels and proactive policies to lease and sell land through open competition. It also established a model for determining public policy that countered corruption and public deliberation of costs and benefits in the use of local assets. Donor involvement was also critical to success.

Legislating-for-Results Municipal Action Guides

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST

The Urban Institute and National League of Cities developed this series of 10 guides for city and county elected officials, and their staffs, to help them obtain and use information about the results of their governments' services in helping their citizens. The Guides address such issues as: improving strategic planning; improving budgeting decisions; reviewing programs throughout the year; helping motivate their government's employees and contractors; and two-way communications with citizens on what citizens are getting for their money. Specific actions are suggested, and examples are provided.

The Broader Movement: Nonprofit Environmental and Conservation Organizations, 1989-2005

paffairs@urban.org ( Baird Straughan, Thomas H. Pollak ) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST

This study, the first comprehensive look at IRS data on more than 26,000 environmental and conservation organizations 8,000 of which had revenues of $25,000 or more reveals a core of prominent national organizations and a larger, more rapidly growing universe of regional, local, and other specialized groups. Taken as a whole, the environmental movement expanded in number of organizations, members, and in total revenues almost every year since 1960. It focused less on advocacy than on projects and education, and was younger, more densely networked, and more dependent upon grants and contributions than was the nonprofit sector in general.

Unemployment and Unemployment Protection in Transition

paffairs@urban.org ( Vera Brusentsev, Wayne Vroman ) — Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 EST

This paper examines developments in aggregate income and the labor market of the 28 countries from Central and Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union (CEE-FSU) in the period from 1990 to 2006. Income, employment, unemployment and labor market support services are examined in tabulations and time series regressions. Comparisons are made with developments in major countries from other regions of the world.

An Urban-Rural Focus on Food Markets in Africa

paffairs@urban.org ( Clare Romanik ) — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST

Africa's cities purchase much more food domestically than the continent imports or exports; they represent economic hope if rural and peri-urban producers learn to meet their particular food demands, including more meat, dairy, and processed foods. Increased efficiency will come with more onsite processing, contract enforcement, and distribution centers. Best practices from South Africa include the Johannesburg Fresh Produce Market and Thohoyandou Spar Supermarket requiring their agents to purchase a share of their fresh vegetables from small growers. Efforts to strengthen regulation and raise standards must remember that the urban poor depend on public markets, the informal sector and "inferior" products.

Stabilizing Future Fiscal Policy : It's Time to Pull the Trigger

paffairs@urban.org ( Rudolph G. Penner, C. Eugene Steuerle ) — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 EST

Fiscal policy is out of control. Programs, such as Social Security and Medicare, have design features that push up spending faster than the growth of revenues. It is time to change the course of the automatic pilot driving these programs. To do so, policymakers can develop triggers that automatically curb spending. Triggers will level the playing field between programs that have large automatic growth and those where growth or even maintenance of effort cannot be obtained without new legislation. The paper examines triggers employed to reform Social Security in other advanced democracies and explores design options for an optimal trigger.

Replacement Rates and UC Benefit Generosity

paffairs@urban.org ( Wayne Vroman ) — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:00:00 EST

This report presents an actuarial framework for examining the costs of unemployment compensation (UC) programs. The framework, derived in Section 1, emphasizes three factors: (1) the unemployment rate, (2) the recipiency rate (the share of the unemployed who collect UC benefits) and (3) the replacement rate (weekly benefits relative to weekly wages). Sections 2 and 3 examine replacement rates in 20 high income countries from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Section 2 examines empirical replacement rates while Section 3 compares the empirical estimates from Section 2 with estimates published by the OECD. The two estimates differ substantially, and analysis of the cause(s) of the differences is recommended.

Comprehensive Services for Survivors of Human Trafficking : Findings from Clients in Three Communities

paffairs@urban.org ( Laudan Y. Aron, Janine M. Zweig, Lisa C. Newmark ) — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 00:00:00 EST

Many humans are trafficked across international borders for the purposes of labor or sexual exploitation. The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) developed the Services for Trafficking Victims Discretionary Grant Program - Comprehensive Services Sites. The program provides direct services, such as legal and crisis counseling to assist victims once they are identified until they are certified to receive other federal benefits. Urban Institute researchers conducted face-to-face interviews with survivors and with key service providers in three evaluation sites. The in-depth interviews document victims service needs, their experiences using OVC-funded services, and barriers to services. They also provide a unique opportunity to listen directly to the voices of the victims.

Univ. of Maryland's Charles Cadwell Is Appointed Director of Urban Institute's International Activities Center

paffairs@urban.org ( Urban Institute ) — Thu, 17 May 2007 00:00:00 EST

Charles Cadwell, a University of Maryland expert on the political economy of reform in developing nations, the relationship of institutions to economic development, and the implementation of legal and judicial reforms, has joined the Urban Institute as the director of its International Activities Center.

Five Questions For Everett Henderson

paffairs@urban.org ( Everett Henderson ) — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 00:00:00 EST

Everett Henderson, a research associate in Urban Institute's Center on Labor, Human Services, and Population, is an expert on immigrant populations and the U.S. labor market. He is an author of the two-part "A Profile of Immigrants in Arkansas," which finds that Arkansas is home to the nation's fastest-growing Hispanic population.

Real Estate 101 for Government

paffairs@urban.org ( John J. Hentschel, Olga Kaganova ) — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 00:00:00 EST

This Baltimore Examiner commentary explains how government agencies and elected officials can make informed decisions about when or whether to sell property and how to set a fair price.

The International Charitable Nonprofit Subsector : Scope, Size, and Revenue

paffairs@urban.org ( Janelle Kerlin, Supaporn Thanasombat ) — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 00:00:00 EST

This brief provides an overview of the report, The International Charitable Nonprofit Subsector in the United States. It provides a snapshot of the international subsector through an analysis of trends in their size, resources, and scope from FY 2001 to FY 2003 in three major areas of operation: international development and assistance, international understanding, and international affairs. The brief confirms the central role of private support and financing for foreign aid and provides a window into the financial health of these organizations. It also gives an overview of the geographic concentrations and the depth of U.S. international nonprofit activities and enumerates the importance of small organizations.

40 Percent of U.S.-Based International Nonprofits Ran Deficits in 2003

paffairs@urban.org ( Urban Institute ) — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 00:00:00 EST

A new report from the Urban Institute shows that despite widespread public concern in recent years about the plight of people in foreign lands, 40 percent of U.S.-based international nonprofits ran deficits in 2003.

The Right Way to Sell Off Public Assets

paffairs@urban.org ( Olga Kaganova, Marilee A. Utter ) — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 00:00:00 EST

With more cities and states looking to reap new funds from the sale or lease of assets, two experts discuss strategies governments can use to get the most out of each deal.

U.S. Government Funding of International Nongovernmental Organizations

paffairs@urban.org ( Janelle Kerlin ) — Tue, 30 May 2006 00:00:00 EST

Since the 1970s, U.S. government funding of international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs) has risen dramatically, however, there is little research examining this trend. This analysis of U.S.-based INGOs uses the Urban Institutes National Center for Charitable Statistics/GuideStar National Nonprofit Database to provide new insight into the government funding of these organizations. Analysis finds that despite a steady increase, government funding is still limited to a relatively small percentage of INGOs and federal dollars only contribute about a fifth of the overall revenue for the sector. Also, government funding varies across different types of INGO activities and regions. Findings additionally show that changes in foreign policy after 2001 affected foreign assistance funding for INGOs.

Assessing the Impact of Devolution of Healthcare and Education in Pakistan

Fri, 05 May 2006 00:00:00 EST

The conceptual and legal framework for the development of an effective system of local governance in Pakistan was created in July 2001, and a review of the Local Government Ordinance of 2001 reveals that the rules and procedures to govern the process have been set in place. Yet, four and a half years into devolution, political decentralization has not been followed by adequate administrative and fiscal decentralization to ensure quality service delivery to the public. This report assesses the progress and challenges of effective and efficient service delivery in the health, education, and water sectors, local fiscal roles and responsibilities, and local government accountability and citizen participation under devolution. Conclusions presented in the report focus on "governance" issues impeding successful devolution. Many of the recommendations are aimed at donor organizations and several are already being addressed by ongoing USAID projects.

New Book Surveys International Experiences in Managing Public Property Assets

paffairs@urban.org ( Urban Institute ) — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 00:00:00 EST

National, regional, and local governments are by far the largest owners of real property; even Western governments may control a third or more of all property assets. A new book from the Urban Institute Press -- Managing Government Property Assets: International Experiences, edited by Olga Kaganova of the Urban Institute and James McKellar of the Schulich School of Business at Toronto's York University -- comprehensively examines the management of these assets from an international perspective.

An International Conference on Social Security Reform in Selected OECD Countries

paffairs@urban.org ( Urban Institute ) — Fri, 24 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST

The conference examines Social Security reforms in a number of OECD countries that have moved far ahead of the United States in dealing with the budget pressures associated with the aging of their populations.

The International Charitable Nonprofit Subsector in the United States : International Understanding, International Development and Assistance, and International Affairs

paffairs@urban.org ( Elizabeth Reid, Janelle Kerlin ) — Fri, 20 Jan 2006 00:00:00 EST

This report describes the capacity of U.S. nonprofits to mobilize in international development and assistance, promotion of international understanding, and international affairs. It is the first systematic national study of international nonprofits using descriptive statistics and data on charitable nonprofits obtained from the National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS) at the Urban Institute. Findings confirm the central role of international nonprofits in supporting foreign causes and distributing aid around the world. Government's increasing reliance on non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to carry out foreign aid programs is also detailed.