Romania : Local Social Services Delivery Study, Volume 1. Summary Report

Abstract

The study seeks to identify
 institutional, and procedural factors which may facilitate,
 or hamper the effectiveness of social services, and
 inter-governmental fiscal arrangements. Based on existing
 research on decentralization, the success of decentralized
 service delivery depends on factors, that include the
 quality of intergovernmental institutions, a stable fiscal
 framework, and a well established civil society, and social
 structure. The study focuses on public social services,
 where local governments play the greatest role, and,
 throughout the report, the greatest emphasis is on social
 assistance benefits, and services, addressing those cash
 benefits which are delivered, and financed by local
 governments, including national programs such as birth
 grants, emergency assistance, and the main poverty
 alleviation program. In education, the study focuses on
 compulsory, and secondary education, though it does not
 address specialized secondary education, which is under the
 purview of central ministries. The study comprises two
 volumes: volume 1 provides an overview of the issues,
 summarizes major findings, and presents policy options;
 volume 2 includes the detailed discussion, and analysis, and
 presents the empirical underpinnings of the report. The
 study finds that fiscal decentralization of poverty
 alleviation benefits, has undermined its effectiveness, and
 eroded social safety nets; thus the government is preparing
 the Minimum Income Guarantee Program Law to centralize
 financing of social assistance cash benefits. And, education
 seems to be the policy area with greatest potential for
 further decentralization, suggesting a careful capacity
 evaluation to decide whether to attain complete autonomy.