Latest Documents

Complexity is a core feature of most policy issues today and in this context traditional analytical tools and problem-solving methods no longer work. This report, produced by the OECD Observatory of Public Sector Innovation, explores how systems approaches can be used in the public sector to solve complex or “wicked” problems . Consisting of three parts, the report discusses the need for systems thinking in the public sector; identifies tactics that can be employed by government agencies to work towards systems change; and provides an in-depth examination of how systems approaches have been applied in practice. Four cases of applied systems approaches are presented and analysed: preventing domestic violence (Iceland), protecting children (the Netherlands), regulating the sharing economy (Canada) and designing a policy framework to conduct experiments in government (Finland). The report highlights the need for a new approach to policy making that accounts for complexity and allows for new responses and more systemic change that deliver greater value, effectiveness and public satisfaction.

This assessment provides an evidence-based analysis of the ongoing decentralisation reforms in Jordan from the perspective of the principles and practices of open government. It covers topics such as enhancing the role of the centre of government in driving reform, enabling effective public service delivery at the local level, and the potential and expected impact of the country’s decentralisation reforms on Jordan’s open government agenda.

Brazil’s Federal Court of Accounts, the Tribunal de Contas da União (TCU), is seeking to go beyond its traditional oversight role and help improve policy formulation, implementation and evaluation. This report identifies ways TCU can achieve this by applying principles of good governance to areas such policy coherence, strategic and long-term budgeting, internal control and risk management, and monitoring and evaluation. It suggests concrete steps TCU can take to adapt its own strategies, approaches and audit programming to provide valuable insight and foresight to policy makers in the centre of government. In this way, it can help ensure that policies and programmes are forward looking and based on evidence.

As countries are increasingly concerned with the future of globalisation and industry and their role in global production networks, defining and implementing policies for economic transformation that deliver on the competitive, social, and environmental goals has become paramount. The complex and fast-changing global economic landscape calls for a better understanding of the ongoing technological and industrial re-organisation, to enable policy makers to better plan and act for the present and the future. The Production Transformation Policy Reviews (PTPRs) are the policy tool for assessment and guidance on strategies for economic transformation. Developed within the framework of the OECD Initiative for Policy Dialogue on Global Value Chains, Production Transformation and Development, the PTPRs provide a guiding framework to inform policy choices on competitiveness.

This document clarifies the rationale for the PTPRs as a policy assessment and guidance tool, presents the conceptual framework, clarifies the value proposition, and provides information about the review process.