Performance-based accountability is appealing because of its potential to improve government service delivery performnace and to ensure the integrity of public operations. But implementation of such an accountability system represents a major challenge for any public sector organization; most such reforms fail as a result of difficulties in design and implementation. This volume provides advice on how to institutionalize performance-based accountability systems. The volume describes how institutions of accountability may be strengthened to combat corruption.
The volume is organized into two parts. The first part deals with public management reforms to ensure the integrity and improve the efficiency of government operations. It outlines an agenda for public management reforms and discusses the roles of e-government and network solutions in performance improvements. The seconc part of the volume provides advice on strengthening the role of representative institutions, such as organs and committeess of parliament, in providing oversight of government programs. It also provides guidance on how auditing and related institutions can be used to detect fraud and corruption. The book highlights the causes of corruption and the use of both internal and provides advice on how to tailor anticorruption programs to individual country circumstances and how to sequence reform efforts to ensure sustainability.
This volume is outcome of a partnership between the Swedish International Development Agency and the World Bank Institute through the Public Expenditure Management and Financial Accountability (PEFA)program. It is hoped that the ideas for reform presented here will aid these institutions' client countries.