Michal Rutkowski
Encyclopedia
Michał Rutkowski is a Polish
economist
and director for human development
(education
, health
and social protection
) in the South Asia
region of the World Bank
. He is the highest-ranked Polish official at the World Bank headquarters in Washington, DC, and also a former director of the Office for Social Security Reform in the Government of Poland (1996-97), as well as a co-author of the design of the new Polish pension system. A graduate of the Warsaw School of Economics
(MSc 1982, PhD 1987), with post-graduate studies at the London School of Economics
(1989-90) and Harvard Business School
(1999). Before joining the World Bank in 1990 Rutkowski was an assistant professor at the Warsaw School of Economics and did research work in the area of labor economics, macroeconomics, education, business development and productivity in the Centre for Labour Economics and the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics. As a member of the secretariat of the Consultative Economic Council to the Polish government he also advised on early issues of economic and social transition to a market economy in Poland. He was also involved in interdisciplinary development endeavors as a member of the Polish Association for the Club of Rome
and the British Association for the Club of Rome.
In the World Bank in the period 1990-96, he initially worked on public finance issues in Tanzania and economic and social consequences of mass migration in China. From 1992 onwards he focused, however, on economic and social transition to a market economy in Central and Eastern Europe and former Soviet Union, with a particular emphasis on labor market adjustments and social security system reforms. Before joining the Polish government on leave from the World Bank in 1996, he was closely associated with early work on pension reforms in the Baltic States
, Ukraine and Bulgaria, as well as with the reforms of the fiscal federalism
in the Russian Federation (see "Federal Transfers in Russia and their Impact on Regional Revenues and Incomes", with Ph. Le Houerou, Comparative Economic Studies, 1996 (vol. XXXVIII), No. 2/3 (Summer/Fall), pp. 21-44).
In the period 1996-97, Rutkowski led the team of Polish reformers (i.a. Marek Góra, Wojciech Misiąg, Aleksandra Wiktorow, Andrzej Bratkowski, Krzysztof Pater, Agnieszka Chłoń-Domińczak, Ryszard Petru) that prepared a path-breaking pension reform package in Poland. The reform entailed a move away from a traditional pay-as-you-go defined-benefit pension system towards a modern and self-sustainable system based on principles of defined-contributions and partial pre-funding. With strong support of the Plenipotentiaries for Pension Reform (Andrzej Bączkowski and Jerzy Hausner
) and ministers of finance (Grzegorz Kołodko and Marek Belka
) the first laws of the reform package were passed in 1997, and the second batch in 1998 (with Ewa Lewicka as the Plenipotentiary, Leszek Balcerowicz
as the minister of finance, and Marek Góra as Rutkowski's successor as director of the Office for Social Security Reform) to clear the way for the new pension reform to start on January 1, 1999.
From 1998-2004, back in the World Bank, as sector manager for social protection
, Rutkowski led a team of professionals working on pensions, labor markets and social assistance reforms in 28 countries of Central and Eastern Europe
and former Soviet Union
, as well as in Turkey
. During this period a wave of social security reforms swept Central and Eastern Europe, including reforms in Latvia, Estonia, Slovak Republic, Bulgaria, Croatia, Rumunia and Turkey.
In the period 2004-08 Rutkowski was director for human development in the Middle East and North Africa region of the World Bank
with his team focusing closely on education reforms, strengthening health systems and expanding and modernizing social security coverage in a volatile region.
Rutkowski has edited and authored books and articles on subjects of social security and labor markets, including a first comprehensive review of labor markets in transition economies "Labor Markets: Wages and Employment" (with R. Jackman) [in:] "Labor Market and Social Policy in Central and Eastern Europe", Oxford University Press
1994, as well as e.g. World Development Report
1995 on labor markets (member of the core writing team), "Pension Reform in Europe: Progress and Process" (with R. Holzmann and M. Orenstein), World Bank 2003, and "Pensions" (with N. Barr) [in:] "Labor Market and Social Policy in Central and Eastern Europe", World Bank 2005. His current public policy
reform interests include social security coverage, political economy
of social reforms and managing public policy change.
Rutkowski is a son of Jerzy Rutkowski
(1914-89), an officer of Polish Home Army and a manager of the largest covert printing house (TWZW) during Nazi occupation and Warsaw Uprising
, 1940-44. He lives in Washington, DC with his wife and daughter.
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
economist
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
and director for human development
Human development (humanity)
Human development in the scope of humanity, specifically international development, is an international and economic development paradigm that is about much more than the rise or fall of national incomes. People are the real wealth of nations...
(education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
and social protection
Social protection
Social protection, as defined by the United Nations Research Institute For Social Development, is concerned with preventing, managing, and overcoming situations that adversely affect people’s well being...
) in the South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
region of the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
. He is the highest-ranked Polish official at the World Bank headquarters in Washington, DC, and also a former director of the Office for Social Security Reform in the Government of Poland (1996-97), as well as a co-author of the design of the new Polish pension system. A graduate of the Warsaw School of Economics
Warsaw School of Economics
Warsaw School of Economics is the oldest economic university in Poland.The Warsaw School of Economics was founded in 1906 as a private school under the name August Zieliński Private Trade Courses for Men. On 30 July 1919 it became a separate legal entity and was granted the status of an...
(MSc 1982, PhD 1987), with post-graduate studies at the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
(1989-90) and Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
(1999). Before joining the World Bank in 1990 Rutkowski was an assistant professor at the Warsaw School of Economics and did research work in the area of labor economics, macroeconomics, education, business development and productivity in the Centre for Labour Economics and the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics. As a member of the secretariat of the Consultative Economic Council to the Polish government he also advised on early issues of economic and social transition to a market economy in Poland. He was also involved in interdisciplinary development endeavors as a member of the Polish Association for the Club of Rome
Club of Rome
The Club of Rome is a global think tank that deals with a variety of international political issues. Founded in 1968 at Accademia dei Lincei in Rome, Italy, the CoR describes itself as "a group of world citizens, sharing a common concern for the future of humanity." It consists of current and...
and the British Association for the Club of Rome.
In the World Bank in the period 1990-96, he initially worked on public finance issues in Tanzania and economic and social consequences of mass migration in China. From 1992 onwards he focused, however, on economic and social transition to a market economy in Central and Eastern Europe and former Soviet Union, with a particular emphasis on labor market adjustments and social security system reforms. Before joining the Polish government on leave from the World Bank in 1996, he was closely associated with early work on pension reforms in the Baltic States
Baltic states
The term Baltic states refers to the Baltic territories which gained independence from the Russian Empire in the wake of World War I: primarily the contiguous trio of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania ; Finland also fell within the scope of the term after initially gaining independence in the 1920s.The...
, Ukraine and Bulgaria, as well as with the reforms of the fiscal federalism
Fiscal federalism
As a subfield of public economics, fiscal federalism is concerned with "understanding which functions and instruments are best centralized and which are best placed in the sphere of decentralized levels of government"...
in the Russian Federation (see "Federal Transfers in Russia and their Impact on Regional Revenues and Incomes", with Ph. Le Houerou, Comparative Economic Studies, 1996 (vol. XXXVIII), No. 2/3 (Summer/Fall), pp. 21-44).
In the period 1996-97, Rutkowski led the team of Polish reformers (i.a. Marek Góra, Wojciech Misiąg, Aleksandra Wiktorow, Andrzej Bratkowski, Krzysztof Pater, Agnieszka Chłoń-Domińczak, Ryszard Petru) that prepared a path-breaking pension reform package in Poland. The reform entailed a move away from a traditional pay-as-you-go defined-benefit pension system towards a modern and self-sustainable system based on principles of defined-contributions and partial pre-funding. With strong support of the Plenipotentiaries for Pension Reform (Andrzej Bączkowski and Jerzy Hausner
Jerzy Hausner
Jerzy Hausner is a Polish politician and economist. He is a Member of the 4th Sejm of the Republic of Poland....
) and ministers of finance (Grzegorz Kołodko and Marek Belka
Marek Belka
Marek Marian Belka is a Polish professor of Economics, a former Prime Minister and Finance Minister of Poland, former Director of the International Monetary Fund's European Department and current Head of National Bank of Poland.- Biography :...
) the first laws of the reform package were passed in 1997, and the second batch in 1998 (with Ewa Lewicka as the Plenipotentiary, Leszek Balcerowicz
Leszek Balcerowicz
Leszek Balcerowicz is a Polish economist, the former chairman of the National Bank of Poland and Deputy Prime Minister in Tadeusz Mazowiecki's government...
as the minister of finance, and Marek Góra as Rutkowski's successor as director of the Office for Social Security Reform) to clear the way for the new pension reform to start on January 1, 1999.
From 1998-2004, back in the World Bank, as sector manager for social protection
Social protection
Social protection, as defined by the United Nations Research Institute For Social Development, is concerned with preventing, managing, and overcoming situations that adversely affect people’s well being...
, Rutkowski led a team of professionals working on pensions, labor markets and social assistance reforms in 28 countries of Central and Eastern Europe
Central and Eastern Europe
Central and Eastern Europe is a term describing former communist states in Europe, after the collapse of the Iron Curtain in 1989/90. In scholarly literature the abbreviations CEE or CEEC are often used for this concept...
and former Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, as well as in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. During this period a wave of social security reforms swept Central and Eastern Europe, including reforms in Latvia, Estonia, Slovak Republic, Bulgaria, Croatia, Rumunia and Turkey.
In the period 2004-08 Rutkowski was director for human development in the Middle East and North Africa region of the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
with his team focusing closely on education reforms, strengthening health systems and expanding and modernizing social security coverage in a volatile region.
Rutkowski has edited and authored books and articles on subjects of social security and labor markets, including a first comprehensive review of labor markets in transition economies "Labor Markets: Wages and Employment" (with R. Jackman) [in:] "Labor Market and Social Policy in Central and Eastern Europe", Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
1994, as well as e.g. World Development Report
World Development Report
The World Development Report is an annual report published since 1978 by the World Bank. Each WDR provides in-depth analysis of a specific aspect of economic development. Past reports have considered such topics as agriculture, youth, equity, public services delivery, the role of the state,...
1995 on labor markets (member of the core writing team), "Pension Reform in Europe: Progress and Process" (with R. Holzmann and M. Orenstein), World Bank 2003, and "Pensions" (with N. Barr) [in:] "Labor Market and Social Policy in Central and Eastern Europe", World Bank 2005. His current public policy
Public policy
Public policy as government action is generally the principled guide to action taken by the administrative or executive branches of the state with regard to a class of issues in a manner consistent with law and institutional customs. In general, the foundation is the pertinent national and...
reform interests include social security coverage, political economy
Political economy
Political economy originally was the term for studying production, buying, and selling, and their relations with law, custom, and government, as well as with the distribution of national income and wealth, including through the budget process. Political economy originated in moral philosophy...
of social reforms and managing public policy change.
Rutkowski is a son of Jerzy Rutkowski
Jerzy Rutkowski
Jerzy Rutkowski was a Polish political activist and resistance soldier. During World War II, he joined Polish resistance and was the head of the underground press operation, the Tajne Wojskowe Zakłady Wydawnicze, throughout its operations, from 1940 to 1945...
(1914-89), an officer of Polish Home Army and a manager of the largest covert printing house (TWZW) during Nazi occupation and Warsaw Uprising
Warsaw Uprising
The Warsaw Uprising was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance Home Army , to liberate Warsaw from Nazi Germany. The rebellion was timed to coincide with the Soviet Union's Red Army approaching the eastern suburbs of the city and the retreat of German forces...
, 1940-44. He lives in Washington, DC with his wife and daughter.