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Efficiency of Pro-Poor Public Spending: Does the Quality of the Public Financial Management (PFM) System Matter? A Cross-Section Study

Grundström, Malin LU (2013) NEKN01 20131
Department of Economics
Abstract (Swedish)
Pro-poor public spending is an important tool used for promoting development and poverty reduction. Yet, it has been hard to find evidence that public spending actually translates into desired outcomes. Public financial management (PFM) systems have been pointed out as one vital factor affecting public spending efficiency, but this has yet not been confirmed in any empirical research. By using new data available from two indexes assessing the quality of the PFM system, this thesis assess whether the quality of the PFM system increases efficiency of public spending within the health- and education sectors. Efficiency of public spending within the two sectors is measured as child (under-5) mortality and education attainment. The results do... (More)
Pro-poor public spending is an important tool used for promoting development and poverty reduction. Yet, it has been hard to find evidence that public spending actually translates into desired outcomes. Public financial management (PFM) systems have been pointed out as one vital factor affecting public spending efficiency, but this has yet not been confirmed in any empirical research. By using new data available from two indexes assessing the quality of the PFM system, this thesis assess whether the quality of the PFM system increases efficiency of public spending within the health- and education sectors. Efficiency of public spending within the two sectors is measured as child (under-5) mortality and education attainment. The results do not give any support to the assumed positive relationship between the quality of the PFM system and public spending efficiency. Due to limitations related to data, such as small sample sizes, the hypothesis should yet not be ruled out. No general conclusion is therefore drawn and the advices from this, first study assessing the PFM systems importance, is to analyze the presumed relationship further. Recommendations are to use a more comprehensive set of data and dependent variables which are more closely linked to public spending efficiency. (Less)
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author
Grundström, Malin LU
supervisor
organization
course
NEKN01 20131
year
type
H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
subject
keywords
Public financial management, Public spending, Child mortality, Education attainment
language
English
id
4016795
date added to LUP
2013-09-17 16:43:17
date last changed
2013-09-17 16:43:17
@misc{4016795,
  abstract     = {{Pro-poor public spending is an important tool used for promoting development and poverty reduction. Yet, it has been hard to find evidence that public spending actually translates into desired outcomes. Public financial management (PFM) systems have been pointed out as one vital factor affecting public spending efficiency, but this has yet not been confirmed in any empirical research. By using new data available from two indexes assessing the quality of the PFM system, this thesis assess whether the quality of the PFM system increases efficiency of public spending within the health- and education sectors. Efficiency of public spending within the two sectors is measured as child (under-5) mortality and education attainment. The results do not give any support to the assumed positive relationship between the quality of the PFM system and public spending efficiency. Due to limitations related to data, such as small sample sizes, the hypothesis should yet not be ruled out. No general conclusion is therefore drawn and the advices from this, first study assessing the PFM systems importance, is to analyze the presumed relationship further. Recommendations are to use a more comprehensive set of data and dependent variables which are more closely linked to public spending efficiency.}},
  author       = {{Grundström, Malin}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Efficiency of Pro-Poor Public Spending: Does the Quality of the Public Financial Management (PFM) System Matter? A Cross-Section Study}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}