Lives in the Balance (English, Charles C. Griffin | David Ferranti | Courtney Tolmie)

Product description About the Author "Charles C. Griffin is senior adviser to the vice president for Europe and Central Asia at the World Bank and former senior fellow in Global Economy and Development at Brookings Institution.David de Ferranti is president of the Results for Development Institute and a former World Bank vice president.Courtney Tolmie is a senior program officer for the Transparency and Accountability Program, a project of the Results for Development Institute.Justin Jacinto, Graeme Ramshaw, and Chinyere Bun all have conducted research for Brookings."Charles C. Griffin is senior adviser to the vice president for Europe and Central Asia at the World Bank and former senior fellow in Global Economy and Development at Brookings Institution.David de Ferranti is president of the Results for Development Institute and a former World Bank vice president.Courtney Tolmie is a senior program officer for the Transparency and Accountability Program, a project of the Results for Development Institute.Justin Jacinto, Graeme Ramshaw, and Chinyere Bun all have conducted research for Brookings.Charles C. Griffin is senior adviser to the vice president for Europe and Central Asia at the World Bank and former senior fellow in Global Economy and Development at Brookings Institution.David de Ferranti is president of the Results for Development Institute and a former World Bank vice president.Courtney Tolmie is a senior program officer for the Transparency and Accountability Program, a project of the Results for Development Institute.Justin Jacinto, Graeme Ramshaw, and Chinyere Bun all have conducted research for Brookings.Charles C. Griffin is senior adviser to the vice president for Europe and Central Asia at the World Bank and former senior fellow in Global Economy and Development at Brookings Institution.David de Ferranti is president of the Results for Development Institute and a former World Bank vice president.Courtney Tolmie is a senior program officer for the Transparency and Accountability Program, a project of the Results for Development Institute.Justin Jacinto, Graeme Ramshaw, and Chinyere Bun all have conducted research for Brookings. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Lives in the BalanceImproving Accountability for Public Spending in Developing CountriesBy Charles C. Griffin David de Ferranti Courtney Tolmie Justin Jacinto Graeme Ramshaw Chinyere BunBrookings Institution PressCopyright © 2010 Brookings Institution PressAll right reserved.ISBN: 978-0-8157-3289-1Chapter OneThe process of government accountability-an anecdote and an agenda In a study of the effectiveness of education spending programs, the National Center for Economic Research (CIEN) in Guatemala looked at why increased school spending was not being converted into improved education results. Only half of school-age Guatemalan children complete primary school, and reading and math skills are at dismally low levels. Several problems immediately became clear as researchers surveyed parents and primary school students and teachers. Some 62 percent of head teachers reported that textbooks had not arrived in time for the start of the 2008 school year, disrupting student learning. And 73 percent of school boards surveyed reported that the school meals program did not provide enough food for students who needed it. Rather than simply write a report, CIEN researchers decided to use their results to promote changes that would make school spending more effective. Armed with policy recommendations based on their interviews and findings, the team worked with leaders from the Ministry of Education, convincing them to shift the start of the school year from January to February so that it no longer coincided with the start of the fiscal year, a major cause of the delays in the delivery of resources. CIEN also worked with students, teachers, and parents to encourage them to monitor government performance using CIEN's findings as a baseline. While the full impact of the policy shift and community monitoring efforts will not become clear for several more years, the changes encouraged by CIEN are important steps toward improving the effectiveness of school spending-and ultimately education achievement-in Guatemala. * * * This book addresses the challenge of achieving efficient and equitable use of public resources in developing countries in such sectors as education and health. The way stakeholders in the international arena think about economic and social development has changed considerably in recent years. Multilateral organizations and donors now have an array of tools for evaluating problems and introducing potential solutions in public expenditures. Improved transparency and understanding of public spending have accompanied the global trend toward democratization, which has also created space for traditionally voiceless groups-poor people, excluded ethnic and religious groups, women, and others-to become more involved in devel