The Experience of Brazilian States

Vinuela, Lorena; Zoratto, Laura

The Experience of Brazilian States | Do Performance Agreements Help Improve Service Delivery?

2015

Vinuela, Lorena | Zoratto, Laura

A growing number of states and municipalities in Brazil rely on results-based management, and many other local and state governments are considering adopting the practice. This paper examines the experiences of the Brazilian states that have implemented results agreements linked to variable pay. The analysis compares current with pre-intervention outcomes in the education, health, and security sectors. The changes are examined in relation to regional trends to determine whether the improvements depart in meaningful ways from the overall trend. In addition, a truncated time-series cross-section model is used to control for several additional factors influencing service delivery outcomes. The results suggest that, at least in the short and medium term, the implementation of results agreements is associated with significant and positive changes in outcomes in the security and education sectors. On average, states using team-level targets and performance-related pay have 15 fewer homicides per 100,000 inhabitants than those that do not, all else equal. Similarly, states that have introduced performance agreements and a bonus for teachers and school staff have improved their Basic Education Development Index score for public secondary schools by 0.3 additional points compared with the scores of states with similar characteristics. The conclusions are in line with the findings of in-depth impact evaluations and case study work in the education and security sectors (Bruns, Evans and Luque 2011, Milagres de Assis 2012). The paper does not analyze unit or team level data, which would be necessary to draw more rigorous conclusions about how results-based interventions affect the behavior of civil servants and outcomes over time. Therefore, the results should be interpreted with caution, as some of the assumptions behind the models cannot be examined with the available data.

Show more [+]

AGROVOC Keywords

administration adoption basic education children civil society organizations communication crime data developing countries economic development economic growth gross domestic product health health care health services hospital implementation information information systems information technology institution institutions iron isolation knowledge knowledge management materials measurement monitoring mortality observation open access policies population population density primary education private sector productivity project management public administration public health public services results sanitation secondary education social welfare stress students technology training unions uses violence workforce

Bibliographic information

Publisher

World Bank, Washington, DC

Other Subjects

Performance indicators; Financial management; Political leadership; Policy research; Policy discussions; Child mortality rates; Participatory process; Secondary school; Ministry of education; Educational attainment; Strategic priorities; Security services; Internal change; Innovations; Service provision; Entry point; Domain; Management systems; Inventory; Service providers; Service delivery; Quality management; Family health; Development policy; Health sector; Result; State governments; Quality of service; Legislators; Strategy; Drug trafficking; Prevention; Ministry of health; Internal communication; Policy; Management system; Public policy; Web; Child mortality; Institutional capacity; Public service; Set of goals; Health system; Mortality rate; Social programs; Labor force; Family health services; International comparisons; Intervention; Quality of education; Secondary schools; Targets; Performance; Pdf; Business; Training opportunities; Progress; Time period; Search; Security; Performance measures; Target; School year; Citizen; Health outcomes; Technical assistance; Local governments; Citizens; Policy research working paper; Link; Access to education; Child mortality rate; Mortality levels; Political support; Health care system

Language

English

Type

Working Paper; Text; Working Paper

In AGRIS since: 2016-03-15

Format: AGRIS AP

Data Provider

This bibliographic record has been provided by World Bank

Discover this data provider's collection in AGRIS

Lookup at Google Scholar

If you notice any incorrect information relating to this record, please contact us at [email protected]

FAO AGRIS - International System for Agricultural Science and Technology

Share

The Experience of Brazilian States | Do Performance Agreements Help Improve Service Delivery?

2015

AGROVOC Keywords

Bibliographic information