World Bank Group What can (and should) be measured? Rotterdam 1 March 2007 Peter Ladegaard World Bank Group Challenges on Cutting Red Tape
Context Regulatory stock (not flow) Well-functional institutional infrastructure Commitment (and need) to do more Targets work!
What gets measured gets done … Two possible implications: 1.Do it all! (comprehensive cba) 2.Keep going! (admin burdens) Both wrong: 1.Can ’ t compare, rarely actionable 2.Decreasing return on reform efforts
Guiding principles Better proxies, not absolutes Measurements must be –Communicational –Comparable –Actionable
Beyond admin burdens: Stay targeted and pragmatic Be selective Rely on business input (capture annoyance) Include and incentivize all levels of gov ’ t Focus on direct compliance costs (benefits?) Build on SCM infrastructure and methodology Exclude business-as-usual costs Set credible baseline (data availability, causalities) New 25% target for compliance costs reductions by 2011 Criteria to guide policy chioices
World Bank Group Thank you