Reforming public management in Ukraine
Ascertains the viability of adapting the American university‐based public service concept to countries of the former Soviet Union. Toward this end, a heuristic model is presented. The model for university‐based public service and outreach shows initial viability in the Ukrainian examples. While the range of administrative and societal problems facing the Ukraine and other countries of the former Soviet Union is formidable, it appears that university‐based public service activities can play a part in reform activities aimed at their amelioration.
Market-based health care reforms in Central and Eastern Europe: lessons after ten years of change
After 1989, all Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries implemented large-scale health care reforms. The changes differ among CEE countries, depending very much on the specific conditions present at the start of and during the processes. However, there are some common issues—most notably, the introduction of several market-based instruments, including introducing health insurance financing systems to replace general taxation-based models, privatization and the introduction of private payments and co-payments. Much was expected as the outcome of the changes. However, recent evidence indicates that many expectations from the ‘marketization’ of health care were not fulfilled. Such failures confirm that the transformation processes in CEE countries cannot be based just on the simple transfer of western good practice. The success of the implementation of new approaches has been a function of the effective combination of western and local expertise and the respecting of the specific local environment. One must be able to predict (as much as possible) the impact of new mechanisms in specific transitional conditions. The inability to do this has come at great cost to the citizens of the region.
Civil service reform and retraining in transitional economies: Strategic issues and options
Centrally planned and erstwhile centrally-planned economies in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America are variously reforming their systems of production and exchange, sometimes in response to a breakdown in or declining performance of existing models and sometimes in consequence of the need to meet the challenges of a changing global economic environment. The developments that are taking place pose great challenges for governments in managing the process of transition as well as for donors in supporting the bold endeavours of the former. State institutions are also undergoing change, usually as a consequence of the economic reforms underway. This article reviews the experience of Eastern Europe, CIS and selected countries in other regions in three critical areas: policy making capacities and coordination, civil service legislation and reform and civil service training and retraining. Lessons are drawn from international technical cooperation projects being undertaken by both bilateral and multilateral donors in a variety of national contexts.