Conclusion: New Approaches to Social Policy Reform in Latin America

Abstract

The chapters presented in this volume cover labour, education, health and general social policies and programmes in Chile, Mexico, Bolivia, El Salvador, Argentina and Colombia. Of particular interest is how market-enhancing reform such as demand-based provision, social policy targeting, leasing-out and privatization, and financial and administrative decentralization respond to issues of equity, social exclusion, social citizenship¹ and quality. In several of the cases presented, policies have moved beyond the stage of market-enhancing reform, to second-generation reform in which elements such as risk adjustment (in the case of health insurance in Chile, Argentina and Colombia), equality and quality-enhancing education reforms (Chile) and stakeholder approach to pension and decentralization reforms and social programmes (Bolivia) have been introduced. Also, a number of chapters analyse social programmes which have, with varying degrees of success, taken a more interactive approach. Examples are the female labour programmes PMJH and some primary health care programmes in Chile. Overall, therefore, we find evidence of responses to the market-enhancing reforms in Latin America.