This monograph probes the role ofinformation in service delivery by focusing on key sectorsin Kenya and Ethiopia. Findings from comparative studiesdone in 2005-06 in the health, education, and water andsanitation sectors plus public and private partnerships(PPPs) illustrate the significance of information access todelivery of quality services. Linking information access toservice delivery is instructive to deepen institutionalreforms around transparency and governance. This volumecontends that three constraints-governance, trust, andtechnology deficits-impede information flows for servicedelivery in Ethiopia and Kenya. Although these constraintsare formidable, the cases reveal that reforms in thegovernance arena have began to make a difference in thedomain of service delivery. Using local researchers for thisstudy has contributed to the World Bank's vision andmission of strengthening knowledge production by localinstitutions, particularly in Africa, where the low rate ofthe input of indigenous voices in the development debates isa growing concern. Augmenting the corpus of knowledge aboutAfrican issues by Africans also fits into the objective ofcapacity building: providing local experts the opportunitiesto research and highlight experiences on the ground. As morecountries embark on public sector reforms that deepentransparent information mechanisms and better servicedelivery, the need for more of these studies will increase.What the authors of this study have articulated is a richresearch agenda that ties information access and serviceprovision-research that should help advance policy dialoguewith actors involved in public sector and governance reforms.
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