PADCO recommended fiscal decentralization measures to improve the quality and delivery of social assistance and welfare services to the people of Croatia. For the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (MLSW), PADCO examined fiscal, administrative and political aspects of proposed decentralization of social services to towns and municipalities. One of six contractors hired to assess program reforms at the MLSW, we were ultimately asked to lead and manage all six contracts.
PADCO’s international team analyzed local government capacity, budgets and fiscal mechanisms in relation to the size of towns and municipalities, as well as the types of social welfare services being provided. The team proposed institutional responsibilities and roles, management mechanisms for resource use and service delivery, and recommended a fiscal framework for decentralization. The team also analyzed incentive systems from central to local government to encourage strengthened service delivery, and developed monitoring mechanisms to make local governments more accountable.
