Public sector employment & pay models: greater rigor and better dialogue concerning reform options

Abstract

The track record of the World Bank in support of public sector pay and employment reforms was lackluster, at best, through the late 1980s and 1990s. This paper reviews the recent development of Public Employment & Pay Models by the World Bank, and illustrates how these have been used (i) to better identify specific weaknesses or problems in employment and pay, and (ii) to promote a rigorous discussion of possible reform scenarios to address those weaknesses. The models form a common basis for dialogue between the World Bank and government analysts and policy makers. The model scenarios are highly context-specific and empirically grounded