Kazakhstan

More than 8 000 large multi-purpose water infrastructures (MPWIs) around the world contribute to economic development, as well as water, food and energy security, encompassing all human-made water systems including dams, dykes, reservoirs and associated irrigation canals and water supply networks. Focused on the specific case of the Shardara MPWI located in Low Syr-Darya Basin, South Kazakhstan and Kyzyl-Orda oblasts (provinces) of Kazakhstan, this report looks at the choice and design of MPWI investment strategies that ensure a high economic return on investments and potential bankability, based on application of a computer model and lessons learned from 15 international MPWI case studies.

This report assesses how Kazakhstan measures up in the development and application of its national health accounts, delivering a set of recommendations to improve the country’s health care financing information. As Kazakhstan has made significant economic progress over recent decades, health has risen on the policy agenda with a number of sector reforms introduced to modernise the system and improve the health of the population. Informing this agenda and monitoring progress towards health system goals requires accurate, timely and comprehensive information on health care financing and spending. A clear understanding of the resource allocations and drivers in the health sector is a prerequisite to support health system performance in Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan has made significant economic progress over recent decades. Health has risen on the policy agenda with a number of sector reforms introduced to modernise the system and improve the health of the population. This review uses globally recognised frameworks and indicators to evaluate Kazakhstan’s overall health system as well as its primary care and hospital sectors. Data provided by Kazakhstan is used to benchmark the various dimensions of performance with that of OECD countries. While the review points to notable successes, Kazakhstan continues to face challenges to improve the accessibility, equity, and efficiency of health services. To strengthen health system performance, the report points to key actions that Kazakhstan should consider prioritising in the coming years.

This review examines the reforms undertaken by the government of Kazakhstan in the area of public governance and evaluates their impact on the powers and responsibilities of subnational levels of government. It places particular emphasis on finding the right allocation of roles and responsibilities among different levels of government, and on using decentralisation as a means to increase self-reliance, civic participation, accountability, and enhanced capacity at the local level. The report also offers a number of recommendations for further strengthening the role of local executive bodies and democratising some aspects of local government.

This review examines the recent reforms undertaken by the government of Kazakhstan in the area of public governance and evaluates their impact on the effectiveness, strategic capacity and accountability of the state. The review places particular emphasis on strategic planning, policy and programme evaluation, risk management, devolution and functional reviews, privatisation and the oversight of state-owned enterprises – all areas in which the government has taken or considered significant initiatives. The report offers a number of recommendations for further progress towards an effective, strategic and accountable state.

The government of Kazakhstan has shown a strong commitment to enhancing transparency, accountability and participation in the policy-making process, and has taken important steps towards implementing open government. However, further efforts are need to ensure the success and long-term sustainability of Kazakhstan’s open government reforms. This review provides an overview of the cultural, economic, historical and political context for open government reforms. It examines ongoing efforts, identifies the remaining challenges and assesses the measures put in place by Kazakhstan’s authorities to address them in order to translate the reforms into tangible results. Finally, the report looks at the environment for effective citizen engagement and its potential to improve service delivery and policy making. It provides recommendations for concrete actions Kazakhstan can take to fully implement open government reforms.

This report discusses the main results of a project on how to reduce air pollution from urban public transport in Kazakhstan, by providing an analysis for designing a green public investment programme in this sector. This sector represents an opportunity for Kazakhstan to address key objectives in its environmental and climate-related policies as part of the country’s ambitions to transition to a green economic path of development. The investment programme is also designed to support the modernisation of the urban transport fleet in the country and stimulate the domestic market to shift to modern buses powered by clean fuels. The programme is foreseen to be implemented in two phases: the first covers the cities of Kostanay and Shymkent and the second, all major urban centres in Kazakhstan. These investments are expected to result in significant air improvement.

Kazakhstan has made important gains in gender equality over the past decade, but gaps still remain. This OECD Review of Gender Policy Delivery in Kazakhstan comes at a moment when Kazakhstan is developing a new Gender Equality and Family Policy up to 2030 which seeks to enable equality of rights, benefits, responsibilities, and opportunities for men and women in all areas of social life, and eliminate all forms of gender discrimination. This review examines the institutional, policy-making and accountability frameworks for advancing and sustaining gender equality and mainstreaming initiatives. It provides actionable policy recommendations based on international good practice and the highest standards of performance, with a view to supporting Kazakhstan’s new policy.