Contract Plans And Public Enterprise Performance

Contract plans help clarify goals, increase managerial autonomy, and open a dialogue between management and government -- but their benefits have been oversold.

The Institutional Dimension.

Discussion on public enterprise management and operations in developing countries.

This book sets out in some detail the mechanisms for determining enterprise performance and a framework for assessing enterprise productivity accross the board.

In many parts of the world public enterprise is in crisis. Privatisation programmes are being widely touted as the solution to many of the problems of inefficiency and slow rates of growth associated with public enterprise. This book discusses the underlying causes of those problems, and critically examines some of the solutions that have been adopted. Its geographical coverage is wide and it cuts across the political spectrum. The experiences of countries in four continents are analysed in an attempt to shed light on current dilemmas. Recurrent patterns are found; problems are frequently seen to be political as much as economic, and bureaucracy and administrative confusion is often found to be at the heart of poor financial performance.Yet since political aims, economic environment, and administrative and managerial capabilities vary so widely, universal solutions remain more difficult to define than universal problems.

On 6 December 1996, the public consultation committee Talking About Saskatchewan Crowns (TASC) and the University of Regina held a one-day conference to examine the historic role of Saskatchewan Crown corporations and the future of public enterprise in a new world economy. The conference brought together renowned academic, business, and labour leaders, all contributing their input to a major review of Saskatchewan Crowns. The conference was divided into four sections: "Public Enterprise Developments: An International Perspective"; "Changing Attitudes and Expectations Regarding Public Ownership and Investment"; "Public Enterprise: In Whose Interest?"; and "Government Control: Ownership, Regulation, or Market Pressure?" The papers from the conference are included in this publication.

How can the Bank refine its help to countries embarking on reform of public enterprises?