An Assessment of Institutional Capacity for Social Sector Reform in Argentina

Abstract

The study explores the interactive clash
 resulting from reforms, and institutional capacity at the
 provincial level, as the main element to explain current
 limitations, and to suggest recommendations conducive to
 further social reform. To understand the framework for past
 reforms, the study reviews the economic, political, and
 institutional context within which such reforms were
 implemented, and examines the national government's
 reform policy - within the implementation strategy - and, as
 well, the provincial governments' capacity to manage
 change - i.e., in three provinces, Catamarca, Cordoba and
 Salta. The study focuses mainly on education, and health
 reforms, significantly different in both design, and
 formulation: health reform only introduced administrative
 hospital autonomy, merely a partial aspect of a broad health
 system reform; whereas, the education reform consisted of a
 total educational system change. The result was that the
 health reform was supported basically by interested
 syndicates, who envisaged compensatory benefits, whereas,
 the actual beneficiaries - the patients - were poorly
 informed. Conversely, educational reforms were limited by
 weak capacity at the provincial level, and as well, limited
 information. An improved educational reform implementation
 design is recommended, based on institutional capacity
 building to improve the quality of education, and, suggests
 a broader health reform within a strategic framework based
 on public awareness, but which includes the ministries,
 medical profession, and provincial health workers.