International Studies Program¹
at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies

The International Studies Program provides academic and technical training, research and technical assistance in support of sound public policy and sustainable economic growth in transition and developing economies. The program is recognized worldwide for its contributions to economic and policy reform programs and training. Experts from the International Studies Program have served throughout the world as senior advisers or project directors for the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, International Monetary Fund, and USAID. Jorge Martinez-Vazquez directs the International Studies Program.

Main highlights for the International Studies Program this year were a joint Fiscal Decentralization & Budgeting Training Program with the World Bank Institute, A three-year contract to continue providing technical advise on fiscal decentralization issues to the government of the Russian Federation, a partnership with An-Najah National University in Palestine, studies on Intergovernmental Transfers in Indonesia and Malawi, and a Memorandum of Understanding with the Institute of Local Government Studies in Ghana.

In This Page

• Projects
• International Program for Policy Training
  • Projects
• Reports

Projects

Russia/USAID - Intergovernmental Fiscal Relations

A consortium of Deloitte & Touche and GSU won a three-year contract (total value $3,000,000) to continue providing technical advice on fiscal decentralization issues to the government of the Russian Federation. With these funds the Russian Center for Fiscal Policy, which took shape under GSU's Russian Federation Fiscal Reform Project with the assistance of GSU, will continue to provide technical assistance to the government of the Russian Federation.

Palestine Grant Partnership

GSU was awarded a seed grant of $100,000 from ALO/USAID to develop a partnership with An-Najah National Univeristy in Palestine.

Fiscal Decentralization in Indonesia

James Alm, Roy Bahl and Jorge Martinez-Vazquez have been working with USAID/Indonesia on various decentralization issues. During 2000, both Professors Bahl and Martinez-Vazquez made numberous research trips to Indonesia.

Indonesia Masters Program

In September, the International Studies Program proposed a non-solicited, 15 month program of masters degree training in economics for Indonesian students who will return to positions of leadership in policy analysis. This program was developed in expectation that the students who complete this program will be eventually drawn to positions in all levels of government, universities, parliament, think tanks, and NGOs. The International Studies Program was awarded money to fund this program in February 2001.

The program will train 29 students with a focused set of courses in economic policy that will draw heavily on the Indonesian economic situation. The program will be tailored to these students, and will feature the use of graduate student tutors, faculty mentoring, a continuing computer lab, and workshops in applied policy analysis.

Other features of the program are a visiting faculty slot for an Indonesian professor, and a Ph.D. fellowship for one Indonesian student. Professors James Alm, Roy Bahl and Jorge Martinez-Vazquez will direct the program and the courses will be taught by senior faculty. Leadership in the various phases of the program will be provided by other faculty, where appropriate. Program cost is $1.9 million for the donor and another $.5 million in Georgia State University cost sharing.

Malawi Intergovernmental Transfers Study

The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) awarded the International Studies Program $50,000 in November 2000 for an intergovernmental transfer study in Malawi. Jamie Boex traveled to Malawi in December 2000 and March 2001 to execute the two stages of the study.

Ghana Institute of Local Government Studies

Jim Alm and Jamie Boex traveled to Ghana in September 2000 to visit the Institute of Local Government Studies in Ghana. After this visit, a Memorandum of Understanding was drawn up with this institute to cooperate on future work.

Uganda Board of Regents Grant

The International Studies Program in collaboration with Kennesaw State Univeristy and the Ugandan Institute of Management was awarde a grant of $25,000 to develop a distance-learning program. This program will be a follow-up to the course we taught in Entebbe, Uganda last year on Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfers and Reform which was sponsored by the World Bank for $500,000. Mark Rider visited Uganda in November 2000 to initiate the program, and a draft of the program is now in preparation. It will be a combination of on-site and distance learning. We have already developed a sample CD to be used as a test case. Jamie Boex made a follow-up visit in March 2001 to further develop the program and discuss the possibility of some Uganda faculty visiting Atlanta.

Nigeria

James Alm received funding from AIM Partners, PLC and Anambra State, Nigeria, in the amount of $98,802 to conduct an examination of Anambra State's fiscal position, May 2000. As part of this, James Alm and Jamie Boex traveled to Nigeria to work with the Governor of Anambra State, Dr. C. C. Mbadinuju on a fiscal analysis of the State, October 2000.

Other

Missions, bureaus and officers from the U.S. Agency for International Development can access the technical assistance and training services provided by the International Studies Program (ISP) at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies either directly or through a number of USAID Indefinite Quantity (IQC) Contracts. The ISP has extensive experience managing and implementing projects for USAID and maintains regular contacts with USAID field officers.

Strategic Policy and Institutional Reform (SPIR) IQC. The DAI Team. This IQC provides services to support strategic policy and institutional reform that strengthens accountability, transparency, and effectiveness. The contract is designed to assist host country institutions and organizations and USAID in addressing policy and institutional reform issues through democratic processes. The contract addresses the frequently fatal gap between broad policy pronouncements and the tough challenges of effective institutional reform. Through the SPIR IQC, the DAI/AYSPS team can assist with programs that cut across a variety of sectors and across governance subsectors, for example, fiscal decentralization reform, local government reform, legislative strengthening, and anti-corruption in the public sector.

Sustainable Urban Management (SUM) IQC. PADCO Consortium. The SUM IQC provides advisory services, technical assistance, and training in support of USAID's goal of well-managed urbanization, and the Environment Center's strategic support objective of improved management of urbanization in targeted areas. Managed by the Office of Environment and Urban Programs, the SUM IQC delivers services in these four functional areas: expanded and equitable delivery of urban services and shelter; more effective, responsive and accountable local governments; reduced urban pollution; and credit program monitoring.

Fiscal Reform and Development in the ENI Region IQC. Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Consortium. At a time when governments in emerging economies and donor agencies must achieve greater results with fewer resources, proven consulting ability is essential to cost-effective, successful development efforts. Working in partnership with donors, governments, enterprises and local communities, the International Studies Program and Deloitte's Emerging Markets Group have achieved positive results on technical assistance projects around the world.

Support for Economic Growth and Institutional Reform (SEGIR) Financial Services IQC. Chemonics Consortium. Under the Finacial Services IQC (USAID/Global Bureau), the International Studies Program is able to help developing and transition countries develop the policies, markets, financial instruments, and institutional linkages necessary for a well-functioning financial sector.

Proposals Under Review

Submitted Expression of Interest to the Ministry of Local Government in Uganda to be shortlisted for a vareity of World Bank sponsored projects. These projects consist of Capacity Building for the Ministry of Local Government, Local Developemnt Program and Implementation of Support Services, Urban Planning, Development and Management, and the preparation of a Local Government Inspection Manual, a Monitoring and Evaluation Manual and an Information Communication System for Local Governments.

Wrote a proposal for the Russian Federation Regional Fiscal Technical Assistance Project, World Bank, Loan 4528-RU for development of federal and regional legislation on interbudgetary relations and sub-federal finances in December 2000. The International Studies Program teamed with the Gaidar Institute and Center for Fiscal Policy in Russia. The total budget requested for this proposal is $5 million.

Wrote a proposal for the Central Asia Republics (CAR) Regional Business & Economics Education Project for Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, and Uzbekistan funded by USAID/Kazakhstan. The budget requested for this proposal was $3 million. (November 2000).

Wrote a proposal for Technical Assistance for Policy for Decentralized, Participatory, and Effective Local Government and Capacity-Building in Local Government Participatory Medium-Term Planning in September 2000 and submitted to USAID. The International Studies Program teamed with PADCO Inc. and requested a budget of $2 million.

Wrote a Proposal for Intergovernmental Fiscal Relations work in the Republic of Georgia. This proposal was submitted on the Eastern Europe IQC with Deloitte and Touche IQC contract and a budget of $2 million was requested. (March 2000).

International Program for Policy Training (IPPT)

The International Program for Policy Training has designed a variety of seminars, courses, and study tours to address important policy and technical reform issues. Each program is developed with substantial input from government and industry practitioners, academic experts and representatives from sponsoring agencies. Programs are also delivered under co-sponsorship arrangements, such as the 'Fiscal Decentralization Training Program,' which is delivered in collaboration with the World Bank Economic Development Institute. The IPPT has developed a series of comprehensive training modules that can be delivered at its facilities in Atlanta, or at locations abroad. The following list highlights the range and appeal of subjects that can be selected from the course offerings: Fiscal Policy, Intergovernmental Fiscal Relations, Fiscal Analysis and Forecasting, Local Government Finance, Tax Administration, Public Policy and Administration, Central Bank Policy, Banking and Finance, Revenue Forecasting, Budgeting, Macroeconomic Policy Coordination and Train-the-Trainer. Jorge Martinez-Vazquez and Jamie Boex direct the International Program for Policy Training.

Projects

Andrew Young School - World Bank Institute
Fiscal Decentralization and Subnational Government Budgeting Training Program, July - August 2000

The Fiscal Decentralization and Subnational Government Budgeting Training Program was a comprehensive training program designed for central and local government officials and policy makers from developing and transition countries as well as their counterparts with international donor agencies. The training program, held on GSU's campus, was a joint effort between the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies (GSU) and the World Bank Institute. The program was directed by Professor Jorge Martinez-Vazquez, AYSPS Director of International Studies. This year's program consisted of two two-week courses: Subnational Budgeting for Poverty Reduction (held from July 24 - August 4, 2000) and Fiscal Decentralization in Developing and Transition Economies (held from August 7-18, 2000). Based on the success of this year's program, the School expects to formalize its partnership with the World Bank Institute by making the training program an annual event.

The Subnational Budgeting for Poverty Reduction Training Program (coordinated by Professors Katherine Willoughby and Ross Rubenstein) focused on enhancing government officials' knowledge of public budgeting systems and formats, as well as financial management practices such as cash and debt management, performance-based budgeting and capital budgeting. Participants received hands-on training in applying financial analysis tools, resolving financial management problems and assessing local government fiscal capacity.

As part of the budgeting training course, several World Bank experts presented lectures from Washington, D.C., through the World Bank's Global Distance Learning Network. The participants also had a panel discussion with the Tax Commissioners of three Atlanta counties (Arthur Ferdinand from Fulton County, Tom Scott from DeKalb County, and Kathleen Sherrington from Gwinnett County). During the second week of training, participants visited the Offices of King and Spalding to gain practical knowledge on bonding and debt management, and the East Lake Meadows housing development where Dana Williams and Douglas Faust from the Atlanta Housing Authority introduced participants to the workings of one of Atlanta's largest public housing projects.

The Fiscal Decentralization Training Program (coordinated by Dr. Jamie Boex**) provided a detailed overview of the theoretical and applied dimensions of intergovernmental fiscal relations, including expenditure assignments, revenue assignments, transfers, and subnational borrowing. The course also included an intensive computer modeling component with particular emphasis on techniques for simulating the assignment of expenditure responsibilities, revenue sources and intergovernmental transfer schemes.

In addition, the fiscal decentralization course reviewed a number of fiscal decentralization policies in developing and transition economies. Additional lectures focused on specific fiscal policy issues, such as sharing responsibilities for education between different levels of government, revenue opportunities for subnational governments, and stimulating regional economic growth through tax incentives and subsidies. The participants further had the opportunity to visit the DeKalb Country Tax Assessor's Office (hosted by Mr. Bob Wilson) and the Georgia Department of Revenue (hosted by Mr. Jim Dempsey), and participated in several video-conference presentations by World Bank experts. In addition, Mayor Gabor Demszky (Mayor of Budapest, Hungary) presented participants with a first-hand account of successful local government reforms in the context of fiscal decentralization through the World Bank's Global Distance Learning Network.

The training program included participants from every continent and several donor agencies, including officials from Bulgaria, Eritrea, the Former Soviet Republic of Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda. Six public sector specialists from Indonesia attended the training program through a special arrangement with USAID/Jakarta. The group further included donor agency officials from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), and the World Bank.

Reports

International Studies Program Working Papers

International Studies Program Lecture Series

Distinguished Visiting Professor Richard Bird, Professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto and Adjunct Professor and Director of the International Tax Program at Rotman School of Management, presented his International Monetary Fund working paper, "Rethinking Subnational Taxes: A Look at Tax Assigment" on April 6, 2000; presented "Dual and State VATs: Can They Work?" on April 12, 2000; and "Improving Local Business Taxes" on April 17, 2000.

Dr. Galina Kourliandskaia, Chief of Party for the Andrew Young School's Russian Federation Fiscal Reform Project in Moscow, and former senior Russian expert on the GSU Fiscal Decentralization Issues in Russia project, presented on current issues in regional-local intergovernmental fiscal relations in the Russian Federation on April 13, 2000.

1. For a complete listing of AYSPS Active Research Sponsored Grants from CY2000, see the Appendix: Report on External Funding, which can be found at the end of this annual report.