Measuring financial performance in infrastructure : an application to Europe and Central Asia

Unintentional implicit subsidies (hidden costs) to public utilities can be considered an illegitimate claim on public resources. This paper examines the role and sources of hidden costs in the energy and water sectors in the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region. It reviews available data and introduces a model-the Hidden Costs Calculator-that can be used to quantify the burden on governments of infrastructure policy and implementation decisions. This simple-to-apply model provides insight into three key components of hidden costs that affect infrastructure-poor bill collection rates, excessive losses due to inefficient operations or theft from the networks, and tariffs set below cost-recovery rates. The major advantage of this model is that, using existing data, it can provide a single measure for hidden costs that can be easily calculated, tracked, and reported. Therefore it can monitor and benchmark trends across sectors and countries without extensive or costly data collection. The model compares the difference between actual revenues and revenues that could be anticipated in a well-functioning system operating with cost-covering tariffs, bills paid, and losses normative for networks of a certain age and design. The underlying premise is that quantifying the order of magnitude of each component of hidden costs has potential for strengthening infrastructure policy dialogue and influencing decisionmakers who allocate scarce budgetary resources.Town Water Supply and Sanitation,Energy Production and Transportation,Water Use,Economic Theory&Research,Infrastructure Regulation

Austria in the COVID-19 Pandemic - Citizens' Satisfaction with Crisis Measures and Communication

Background: We assess satisfaction about various aspects of the 2020 COVID-19 crisis for a representative sample of 1798 respondents living in Austria. Survey questions were added to a previously planned data collection, based on concrete questions discussed at a BKA Clearing Board meeting (Tuesday, 14.04.2020: Subarbeitsgruppe Psycho-Soziale-Effekte im Rahmen von "COVID-19 / Future Operations"). Findings: Overall, people living in Austria are satisfied with the various crisis management elements of the COVID-19 pandemic, as answers are mainly at the positive side of the response scale that ranges from -3 (Very unsatisfied) to +3 (Very satisfied). Citizens are most satisfied with how well they implement the measures of the federal government themselves (and/or their employer) to overcome the Corona crisis, and about how they are able to comply with these measures. In contrast, they are least satisfied with how national media report on the measures (Newspapers, TV, etc.). Splitting-up satisfaction evaluations for gender, age, region, level of education, occupation, or sector of employment does show no or some small (but no substantial) differences for particular subgroups. We can observe an age effect for satisfaction on how others deal with the government's COVID-19 measures. This means: the older people are, the more satisfied they are about how others comply with the COVID-19 measures. Self-employed respondents are least satisfied with how the government is dealing with the crisis and communicating the measures. Students are most satisfied about that. However, it has to be noted that this data is from 17 April to 29 April (2020), which is just before loosening, in a second round, many of the restrictions on small businesses

An Ecological Study of the Prairie and Sedge Meadow Communities of Richardson Wildlife Foundation

ID: 8259; Issue date not indicated on report.INHS Technical Report prepared for Terry Moyer, Richardson Wildlife Foundatio

PUSHing Core-Collapse Supernovae to Explosions in Spherical Symmetry: Nucleosynthesis Yields

Core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe) are the extremely energetic deaths of massive stars. They play a vital role in the synthesis and dissemination of many heavy elements in the universe. In the past, CCSN nucleosynthesis calculations have relied on artificial explosion methods that do not adequately capture the physics of the innermost layers of the star. The PUSH method, calibrated against SN1987A, utilizes the energy of heavy-flavor neutrinos emitted by the proto-neutron star (PNS) to trigger parametrized explosions. This makes it possible to follow the consistent evolution of the PNS and to ensure a more accurate treatment of the electron fraction of the ejecta. Here, we present the Iron group nucleosynthesis results for core-collapse supernovae, exploded with PUSH, for two different progenitor series. Comparisons of the calculated yields to observational metal-poor star data are also presented. Nucleosynthesis yields will be calculated for all elements and over a wide range of progenitor masses. These yields can be immensely useful for models of galactic chemical evolution.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figures, poster presentation to appear in the proceedings of the 14th International Symposium on Nuclei in the Cosmos (NIC-XIV), Ed. S. Kubono, JPS (Japan Physical Society

Territorial reforms in Europe: effects on administrative performance and democratic participation

Territorial reform is the most radical and contested reorganisation of local government. A sound evaluation of the outcome of such reforms is hence an important step to ensure the legitimation of any decision on the subject. However, in our view the discourse on the subject appears to be one sided, focusing primarily on overall fiscal effects scrutinised by economists. The contribution of this paper is hence threefold: Firstly, we provide an overview off territorial reforms in Europe, with a special focus on Eastern Germany as a promising case for cross-country comparisons. Secondly, we provide an overview of the analytical classifications of these reforms and context factors to be considered in their evaluation. And thirdly, we analyse the literature on qualitative performance effects of these reforms. The results show that territorial reforms have a significant positive impact on functional performance, while the effects on participation and integration are indeed ambivalent. In doing so, we provide substantial arguments for a broader, more inclusive discussion on the success of territorial reforms

The Learning for English Academic Proficiency and Success Act: Ensuring Faithful and Timely Implementation

During the 2014 legislative session, lawmakers passed the nation's most comprehensive legislation in support of English Learners (ELs). The law has three principal goals for all EL students: a) academic English proficiency, b) grade-level content knowledge, and c) multilingual skills development. Chief among the mandates is the requirement that all teachers be skilled in teaching ELs. Delivering these goals will require action at every level of the educational system: state agencies and the Board of Teaching, teacher preparation programs at institutions of higher education, school districts and charter schools, and classroom teachers and school staff.This brief examines the LEAPS (Learning for English Avademic Proficiency and Success) legislation in Minnesota, and includes the knowledge of nearly 40 experts from across Minnesota and its diverse communities who were called on to share their thoughts on how state agencies, school districts, charters, and colleges of education can rise to meet the ambitious challenge set by LEAPS

The Partisan-Professional-Dichotomy revisited: Politicization and Decision-Making of Senior Civil Servants

Politicization has an ambivalent reputation among public administration scholars. While considered an effective instrument to safeguard political control over ministerial bureaucracy, partisanship of senior civil servants is likewise associated with patronage and deemed detrimental to professionalism and meritocracy. To scrutinize this contradiction, the article examines how a party-political background of senior civil servants influences their decision-making behavior. Two theoretically derived conceptions of loyalty are put therefore to the test: responsiveness and responsibility. Effects are captured by using vignette technique in 40 in-depth interviews with former senior civil servants from ministerial departments at federal and state level in Germany. The results are surprising insofar as they reveal that politicized senior civil servants neither act more responsive nor less responsible than their non-politicized peers. These findings challenge common assumptions and call for a more refined analysis of the conditions under which politicization leads to negative effects