Learning to Improve: Approaches to Improving Local Government Services

Both Conservative and Labour government reforms of the past 25 years have implied an understanding of organizational change and learning. The contexts, changes and sharing of good practice in local government during this period are discussed in general and through an analysis of the Beacon Council Scheme. The scheme has many achievements to celebrate. Its progress, however, depends on the generic need in public service change to develop an holistic framework which embraces all forms of learning, improvement, innovation and change so that sustainable long-term value can be gained for all stakeholders.     

地方政府应退出城市法人银行机构股权

2005年是河南省辖内城市法人银行业机构改革发展的攻坚年。随着一系列改革攻坚措施的实施,河南省辖内城市法人银行业机构基本实现了不良贷款下降、资本充足率提高、法人治理结构改善、整体风险减轻的良好目标。尽管目前辖内城市法人银行业机构改革发展攻坚初显成效,但要真正实现脱胎换骨式的发展,下一步还必须下大力气着重解决好普遍存在的政府“一股独大”、股权结构失衡的问题,坚持以市场化原则重构城市法人银行业机构。     

创业板期待临门一脚

随着<首次公开发行股票并在创业板上市管理暂行办法>在2009年3月31日公布并将于2009年5月1日施行,2009年4月17日监管部门就<中国证券监督管理委员会发行审核委员会办法>和<证券发行上市保荐业务管理办法>发布修改意见,并公开征求市场意见,至此酝酿了十年的创业板市场终于有了清晰的轮廓,似乎是指日期待了.各方传出的消息和市场的普遍预期是可能在2009年8月创业板市场将正式推出.     

Corporate Governance in China: a Step Forward

Recently, the presumed benefits of corporate governance have become one of the most contentious issues especially for emerging markets in Asia where institutional settings are quite different from other parts of the world. Using an internationally accepted benchmark (OECD's Principles of Corporate Governance, OECD, 2004 ), this study evaluates the progress of corporate governance practice of Chinese listed companies. A corporate governance index (CGI) is constructed to measure the quality of corporate governance practices of the 100 largest listed firms in China during 2004‐2006. The results show that Chinese companies have been making progress in the corporate governance reform. The findings also show a positive relation between market valuation and overall corporate governance practices, as measured by the CGI, among these Chinese listed companies. Additional investigation reveals that the rights of shareholders are the main driver in the relationship.     

Implementation Mode and Local Government Performance Measurement: A Norwegian Experience

This study explores how implementation approaches affect implementation success of performance measurement. A theory is developed using case studies of four projects from Norwegian local government in the period 1983–98. `Implementation mode' is defined as to what extent a system is coupled to organisational objectives during the implementation process. An implementation mode which decouples performance indicators (PIs) from organisational objectives seems to further implementation success. This paradoxical theory of implementation mode gives new insights both relative to classical implementation theory as in MBO, and to theories of loose coupling in implementation and reforms common in the New Institutionalist Theory.     

地方政府财政风险绩效评估研究

财政风险绩效评估是财政绩效评估的一个组成部分。本文从地方财政显现风险和地方财政或有风险两个方面设立地方财政风险一级指标和十四个二级指标,建立地方财政风险评估体系,并采用因子分析法,对我国17个省2010年地方财政风险绩效进行评估。     

Role of Internal Audit in Australian Local Government Governance: A Step in the Right Direction

While the functions of local government are many and varied, the primary role is to provide effective performance which arguably will coincide with good governance for its municipality. Internal audit and relevant controls play a key role in ensuring that good governance. The introduction of accrual accounting in local government certainly has added complexity and additional risks, with cases of fraud, corruption and high risk investments in several Australian local councils being reported periodically by the media. Those cases have been accompanied by proposed governance reforms including the introduction of an internal audit function to address the issues raised. Although seen as an essential part of the governance process, the results here suggest there is still some confusion as to the role of the internal audit and its perceived effectiveness in Australian local government.     

地方政府金融监管绩效评估体系及实证研究

通过构建地方政府金融监管绩效评估指标体系,运用模糊多属性评价方法,客观评估地方政府金融监管绩效发现:地方政府金融监管的独立性不强,责任性有待提高,地方政府及其相关金融监管机构在外部监管治理上整体水平不高。为此,必须逐步深化金融监管体制改革,健全合理的外部治理结构,依法提高金融监管的独立性。     

2012年中国保险业发展回顾与2013年展望

2013年是十二五规划实施的关键年,保险业需要抓住国内经济形势逐步转好的机遇,继续促进行业转型,在加强风险防范,拓宽服务领域、创新营销模式、优化资产配置、规范市场体系等方面做出不懈努力     

Local Government Audit Committees: A Behaviour Framework for Effective Audit Committee Performance

Stakeholders will always be more receptive to the creation of structured and credible systems that pull participants towards good governance outcomes which serve to remove temptation rather than systems that attempt to push or otherwise coerce people into a state of compliance. This paper uses behavioural theory as an interpretative lens to explain the actions and effectiveness of public sector audit committees. Financial probity, independence to avoid conflicts of interest and conformance to ethical practices are the tenets of effective governance. Audit committees can be one of the mechanisms to monitor the risks of the public sector and the executive management team especially where ‘self‐interest’ conflicts with the governance requirements of legislation, societal norms and community expectations. An effective audit committee can provide behavioural oversight of governance processes, although one cannot legislate for integrity and honesty. The presence of an effective and contributing audit committee in local government negates a councillor from listening or subverting positive actions and provides a signal to external stakeholders of organisational risks.     

晋升博弈、政绩考核与地方政府债务扩张

通过动态最优化模型的证明,发现宏观经济政策仅是地方政府债务扩张的决定因素之一。在地方政府债务扩张的过程中,地方官员政绩考核机制起着关键作用。因此,要杜绝地方政府债务的盲目扩张,最根本的出路还是要进行地方官员政绩考核长效机制的建设,从而保证国民经济的长期稳定发展。     

乍暖还寒蛰伏蓄势--2012年寿险市场盘点及2013年展望

2012年,寿险行业举步维艰,遭遇了近年来最为严峻的挑战。受宏观经济下行、监管政策紧缩等多种因素叠加影响,寿险承保和投资业务双双承压,依靠营销人员外延式扩张和银保业务助推规模高速增长的局面均面临较大困难。虽然整个行业结合市场实际,扎实工作,开拓进取,各项工作都取得了一定成绩,但在旧会计准则下,行业全年规模保费同比增速预计仅约为3%,增速继续走低并明显低于GDP增速。随着宏观经济发展格局的进一步稳定,货币政策趋向宽松,以及2013年寿险行业密集出台的利好政策影响,加之2012年同比基数较低,预计2013年行业发展趋势总体会有所转好。种种迹象显示,行业发展最为低迷、最为困难的时期终将逐步过去。     

论地方政府负债与公共经济绩效评价

近些年来,我国地方政府负债数额大大增加,大到有风险了,对这一现象如何认识,不仅牵涉到财政体制的问题,还对政府的公共经济管理绩效有较大影响。本文根据中央和地方财政支出比重的22年数据说明增加的程度,然后从几个方面剖析地方政府负债猛增的原因,评价地方政府负债这一公共支出对公共经济绩效正反两面的影响,提出对地方政府负债要合理利用和管理,促进公共经济绩效提升。     

区域金融发展与地方政府行为之间的相关性分析

本文主要通过时间序列分析法,运用回归模型和格兰杰因果检验对我国区域金融发展与地方政府行为关系进行了实证分析,结果发现我国四大区域金融发展与各地方的政府行为存在着一定的相关性;四大地区的金融发展与地方政府行为均存在着单向因果关系,其中东、西地区金融发展与政府行为之间存在正向因果关系,而中部与东北地区存在着制约关系。     

破解地方政府融资难问题探析--基于对某省的走访调查

当前我国部分地方政府存量债务偿还压力大、偿债能力弱,尤其是县级政府收支矛盾突出,新增债务接续难度大,政府投融资平台融资渠道窄、资金成本高。其成因除了历史体制因素和政策环境变化外,主要在于地方政府金融运作意识有待提高、融资平台市场化运作能力偏低、社会资本参与地方建设积极性较弱。为此,在地方政府积极创新融资模式的同时,省级政府应主动统筹施策,建立三级融资平台互通共济机制、成立省级纾困基金、规范PPP模式、发挥省级政府机构的组织协调作用、推进融资平台分类管理与市场化运作改革、构建金融专才调配机制、定期评估地方政府债务风险,以有效增强地方政府的融资能力。     

Council Leaders in the 'New Britain': Looking Back and Looking Forward

This is an interesting time to review the attitudes and expectations of some leading figures in local government as the old age of despair is drawing to an end and a new dawn seems to be brightening the horizon. This article reports the view of half a dozen local government leaders. Early indications are that the Labour Government is serious about restoring at least some of local government's lost powers and functions. These interviews suggest that Ministers will find a ready and eager response when they do so, for example the enthusiasm with which the best value scheme has been greeted. In other areas, including tax capping and the introduction of regional government, the future is less certain but the more radical proposals being canvassed are likely to command support from senior councillors if Ministers have the nerve to proceed with them.