Russia : Bank assistance for public sector management and governance

Since the Russian Federation joined the Bank in 1992, the assistance strategy with respect to public sector management has evolved considerably. In the early years, fiscal management, capacity building, and institutional development in the public sector, as well as good governance received little attention by the Bank, adversely affecting its potential contribution to Russia's transition. A number of critical areas such as civil service reform, expenditure planning, and governance were either bypassed or understudied. However, there has been a noteworthy shift in the Bank's attitude, particularly since the 1998 financial crisis. The Bank began to see its involvement in Russia from a longer perspective. A stronger emphasis was given to capacity building in the public sector. Issues such as reform in public administration, civil service, judicial system, revenue and expenditure management, and governance have received a higher level of attention