Experience in Implementing Social Benefits Monetization Reform in Russia; Literature Review
The present paper is an integral part of the "Preparation of the strategy for social benefits monetization reform in Ukraine" project, co-financed by the 2008 Polish aid programme of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland and carried out by CASE in 2008. The paper was prepared as background material aimed at obtaining a better understanding of the main bottlenecks in reforming a vast in-kind benefits system typical for many countries of the Former Soviet Union (FSU). The paper focuses on the following issues: aims and motives of monetization reforms in Russia; expected outcomes of the reform; description of the implementation process; changes of the roles of various actors and agencies; compensation of housing and communal services (HCS) expenses in the course of HCS and monetization reforms; and the major gains and failures of the reform. The paper concludes with lessons that can be derived from the Russian monetization experience for the planned Ukrainian monetization reform. The paper is based on extensive research on the monetization reform in Russia and literature published by leading Russian independent research centers including the Independent Institute for Social Policy (IISP), the Institute for Urban Economics, the Centre for Economic and Financial studies (CEFIR), and the Institute for the Economy in Transition (IET).
Russian Patrimonial Capitalism and the International Financial Crisis
The international financial crisis brought Russia's run of economic growth to a halt and has given a greater sense of urgency to President Medvedev's calls for modernization. This, however, does not mean that crisis has changed Russia or its political economy. Russia's economic system is a form of patrimonial capitalism, a particular form of patrimonialism created when patrimonial systems reform under the influence of global economic forces. Russian patrimonial capitalism developed in the 1990s and stabilized under Putin. This type of capitalism is hard to change and does not tend to promote economic modernization or diversification. The crisis has so far not fatally wounded this system, and this will make future reform harder to secure.
Client Satisfaction with Russia's Housing Allowance Program
It is widely appreciated that clients’ experiences during the intake process for social programs can affect participation rates and satisfaction with services received. Even so, little attention has been paid to this critical element of program administration in transition economies. This article presents information on this experience for applicants for assistance under Russia’s housing allowance program in five cities. A wide variation in clients’ ratings is observed across cities as are differences in waiting times, numbers of visits the client had to make to the program office, and other factors. Regression results show that worse ratings are associated with longer times spent in the housing allowance office (HAO), more HAO visits made, greater efforts in collecting documents to verify eligibility, and denial of benefits. Regression analysis also relates specific elements of clients’ experiences, for example, waiting time, to factors under the control of municipal