The impact of public sector reforms on public sector workers

The paper presents some initial findings from a survey of public sector workers, in a number of countries in Europe, Africa, North America, Latin America and Asia, and how they have been affected by policies of liberalisation in relation to wages, working conditions and other forms of socio-economic security

Assessing the potential for knowledge-based development in transition countries. Bruegel Working Paper 2010/01, May 2010

This Working Paper by Bruegel Senior Fellow Reinhilde Veugelers examines the potential for a knowledge-based growth path in transition countries of central and eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia. The paper looks closely at how total-factor productivity, a residual growth factor commonly interpreted as reflecting technological progress, drives growth rates in these economies which exhibit a much lower GDP per capita compared to the EU15 or the United States. By analysing the prerequisites for knowledge-based growth, the author explains why transition countries are at a systemic disadvantage relative to the EU15, US and Japan and have limited potential for knowledge-based growth

The World Bank and children : a review of activities

This paper reviews Bank interventions that supported the welfare of children in the last decade. Though the Bank has always addressed children's development, and protection through its focus of broader economic development, and social protection, it has recently intensified its efforts to directly address children's issues in the context of a broader international effort to improve the general welfare of children and, more specifically, to reduce child labor. This paper focuses on Human Development projects with an objective relating to children, or that are expected to have an indirect, but non-trivial impact on children. In the last decade (FY1990-2000), the Bank financed close to 635 Human Development projects, of which 302 projects, fully or partially supported child welfare, development and protection - and the focus of these interventions is discussed in this paper.Street Children,Health Monitoring&Evaluation,Primary Education,Children and Youth,Youth and Governance

Challenges of the World Trading System For CEE Countries and the FSU

International Relations/Trade,

Agroholdings and clusters in Kazakhstan's agro-food sector

The paper provides an overview of the institutional arrangements on the micro level that have evolved in the agro-food sector of Kazakhstan in the course of transition. Emphasis is laid on more complex arrangements like agroholdings and clusters, hitherto mostly unknown in the agro-food sectors of established market economies. It is shown that agroholdings are concentrated mainly in the northern part of Kazakhstan and to a large extent in the grain sector, while in the south a scattered small scale (individual) farm structure has emerged. Parallel to this market-driven development, the Kazakhstani government tries to promote other institutional arrangements that it deems to be of superior competitiveness, especially agro-food clusters. Refering to Hayek's concept of pretence of knowledge and empirical evidence of cluster facilitation policies of other countries the success of the Kazakhstani cluster initiative is questioned. -- Der Beitrag bietet einen Überblick über die institutionellen Arrangements auf Mikroebene, die sich in der Agrar- und Ernärhungswirtschaft Kasachstan im Laufe des Transformationsprozesses herausgebildet haben. Das Hauptaugenmerk liegt auf komplexere Arrangements wie Agroholdings und Clusters, die bislang in den Agrar- und Ernährungssektoren etablierter Marktwirtschaft wenig verbreitet sind. Es wird gezeigt, daß Agroholdings hauptsächlich im Norden von Kasachstan und da im Getreidesektor konzentriert sind, während im Süden zersplitterte kleinbäuerliche Strukturen vorherrschen. Parallel zu dieser aus dem Spiel der Marktkäfte heraus entstandenen Entwicklung versucht die kasachstanische Regierung andere institutionelle Arrangements zu fördern, insbesondere Clusters, von denen sie glaubt, sie besäßen eine überlegene Wettbewerbsfähigkeit. Unter Rückgriff auf Hayeks Konzept der Anmaßung von Wissen und empirische Ergebnisse von Clusterförderungspolitiken in anderen Ländern wird der Erfolg der Cluster-Initiative in Kasachstan in Frage gestellt.Agroholdings,cluster,Kazakhstan,agricultural policy,institutional change,Agroholdings,Cluster,Kasachstan,Agrarpolitik,institutioneller Wandel

Assessing the potential for knowledge-based development in transition countries

This Working Paper by Bruegel Senior Fellow Reinhilde Veugelers examines the potential for a knowledge-based growth path in transition countries of central and eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia. The paper looks closely at how total-factor productivity, a residual growth factor commonly interpreted as reflecting technological progress, drives growth rates in these economies which exhibit a much lower GDP per capita compared to the EU15 or the United States.  By analysing the prerequisites for knowledge-based growth, the author explains why transition countries are at a systemic disadvantage relative to the EU15, US and Japan and have limited potential for knowledge-based growth.

Assessing the potential for knowledge-based development in the transition countries of Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia

Transition economies that formerly were within the Soviet Union’s political and economic sphere had on the eve of the crisis much lower GDPs per capita than the EU15 or the United States, despite exhibiting higher growth. In part, increasing total-factor productivity (TFP), a ‘residual’ growth factor commonly interpreted as reflecting technological progress, was behind higher growth rates. This paper zooms in on this TFP contribution to growth in the transition countries of central and eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia, in order to identify which countries have established a knowledge-based growth path or have the potential to develop one in the near future. We start by looking at how the transition countries covered by the working paper measure up according to traditional innovation input and output indicators. But the major part of our analysis focuses on identifying countries’ potential for future knowledge-based growth. Few transition economies have highly-developed innovation profiles. Analysis of the prerequisites for knowledge-based growth indicates that transition countries are at a systemic disadvantage relative to the US, EU15 and Japan, and have limited potential for knowledge-based growth

The cluster-based development strategy in Kazakhstan's agro-food sector: A critical assessment from an Austrian perspective

This paper challenges the uselfullness of the cluster-based development strategy to diversify and increase the competitiveness of Kazakhstan's economy, regarding the case of the country's agro-food sector. For this it refers to insights of the Austrian Market Process Theory. It is argued that already the theoretical foundations of the cluster concept suffer from severe difficiencies, because it widely neglects the function of competition as a discovery procedure with alert entrepreuneurs as the driving force. Moreover, it ignores the knowledge requirements and limitations in a modern market economy for any outside third party to identify and promote successful industry structures. The closer examination of the implementation of the cluster development program in Kazakhstan's agro-food sectors shows that cluster facilitation in practice turned out to be another form of social engineering and picking winners. In the light of the Austrian understanding of the market system as an entrepreneurial discovery process the paper suggestes as alternative policy option to concentrate on the establishment of a stable institutional framework for the whole economy that stimulates the entrepreneurial discoveries of profitable businesses. Yet, such an Austrian approach is politically less appealing, for it might bring no quick results due to the prevalence of conflicting informal institutions which in the short run might be difficult to change. -- G E R M A N V E R S I O N: Der Beitrag diskutiert die Eignung der Clusterförderungspolitik zur Diversifizierung und Verbesserung der Wettbewerbsfähigkeit der Volkswirtschaft Kasachstans am Beispiel der Agrar- und Ernährungswirtschaft des Landes. Dazu wird auf Erkenntnisse der Marktprozeßtheorie der Österreichischen Schule zurückgegriffen. Es wird argumentiert, daß allein schon die theoretische Fundierung der Clusterförderungspolitik fraglich ist, weil sie die Funktion des Wettbewerbs als eines Entdeckungsverfahrens mit findigen Unternehmern als treibende Kraft vernachlässigt. Darüber hinaus unterschätzt sie die Anforderungen an das Wissen, das staatliche Akteure und beratende Ökonomen haben müßten, um erfolgversprechende Industrie- und Unternehmensstrukturen identifizieren und fördern zu können. Die Analyse der Umsetzung der Clusterförderungspolitik in Kasachstans Agrar-und Ernährungswirtschaft zeigt, daß sie praktisch nichts anderes ist als eine weitere Form von staatlichem Konstruktivismus und einer Politik der picking winners. Ausgehend vom Verständnis der Österreichischen Schule des Marktsystems als eines von findigen Unternehmern getragenen Entdeckungsverfahrens schlägt der Beitrag als alternative Strategie vor, sich auf den Aufbau von verlässlichen institutionellen Rahmenbedingungen zu konzentrieren, die für alle Sektoren der kasachstanischen Volkswirtschaft gleichermaßen gelten und die geeignet sind, den unternehmerischen Entdeckungsprozeß zu fördern. Aus politischen Gründen dürfte jedoch diese österreichische Politikoption wenig attraktiv sein, da sie langfristig angelegt ist und kurzfristig nicht zuletzt aufgrund des Konflikts zwischen formalen und informalen Institutionen keine sichtbaren Resultate erwarten lässt.Cluster,Kazakhstan,industrial policy,institutional change,Cluster,Kasachstan,Industriepolitik,institutioneller Wandel

Continuing professional development for library and information science - Case study of a network of training centres

Purpose – The paper aims to describe a network of training centres (TCN-LIS) to support continuing professional development (CPD) of library and information specialists in countries of Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia, funded by the Open Society Institute (OSI). It also aims to draw some general lessons for CPD in the library/information sector. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews the development and activities of the training centre network, and reflects on issues raised and lessons learned. Findings – The paper finds that TCN-LIS has been effective in raising standards of professional competence among library and information specialists in the countries of the OSI region. General conclusions can be drawn about good practice for CPD, in issues including the most appropriate topics to be covered, most appropriate methods for teaching and learning, situation of CPD training centres, and relations between CPD and formal education. Research limitations/implications – The study is based on a network of training centres in 23 countries between 1999 and 2006. Originality/value – This is the only paper describing TCN-LIS, and the library/information training activities supported by OSI. It provides a unique perspective for considering library/information CPD issues

CHALLENGES OF AGRICULTURAL AND RURAL FINANCE IN CEE, NIS AND BALTIC COUNTRIES

Initially, we explore the attitudes and perceptions of farmers and low farm profitability as potential constraints to rural financial intermediation and investment in agriculture. As part of this discussion we consider what is factual about the "access to credit problem." Second, we summarize recent changes in agricultural finance and credit conditions in the CEE, NIS, and Baltic countries. The focus here is on observed financing patterns, sources of credit, and the set of constraints which are thought to affect the level of rural financial intermediation. Third, we consider how banks are adapting to the new farming structures. Fourth, we review the primary modes of government intervention in financial markets and the role of government in dealing with the bad loans problem by providing "soft credits" via the banks. We conclude by suggesting the means by which governments can foster development of effective rural financial markets.Agricultural Finance,