This working paper explores avenues to improve public sector efficiency in Latvia, a catching-up and ageing economy where spending needs are large. Ensuring that spending allocated to core services (e.g. education, healthcare) is adequate to achieve convergence of policy outcomes to OECD upper...

I estimate the causal effects of demand shocks, stemming from government procurement, on the growth of small firms in Ecuador. I assemble a unique dataset using several new administrative sources and, as identification strategy, exploit a governmental procurement process that allocates public...