Monitoring of Regional Local Government's Policy Responses to low fertility in Korea

Abstract

This study aimed at review of the low fertility response policies of regional local governments in order to promote more effective policies to the low fertility. Also based on this, we draw up related policy tasks and suggest strategies. Specifically, attention was paid to the promotion and management of policies to cope with the low fertility in the local aspect, the presentation of the role of regional governments as a coordinator, and the creation of a policy environment in various aspects to obtain more effectiveness. This is due to the purpose of improving the organicity between investigation of policy and future task derivation in terms of establishing relationships with the central government and local governments to enhance the effectiveness of policy implementation. The contents of our research are as follows. Demands and resources(conditions for policy implementation) related to the low fertility response policies of regional local governments, such as regional financial conditions, population structure, and demographic change characteristics, were reviewed. The results of monitoring the implementation of policies to counter the low fertility of regional local governments are comprehensively presented. The monitoring method that we intends to take is depth by using aggregated data such as the current status of policy implementation that can be collected and published by region, as well as local population dynamics and socioeconomic characteristics. Also, the policy implementation conditions and policy demand conditions by regional and local governments. geographical specificity of regional governments and the mediating role between the central government and basic local governments, the status of policy implementation was examined. In addition, depth monitoring of the implementation of policies to respond to low fertility in regional local government was discussed. Also, plan to organize functional areas that could more effectively implement policies to respond to low fertility in consideration of various regional population dynamics, such as a decrease in the local population and an aging population. Based on our research results so far, related policy tasks are presented. The policy tasks are largely in the nature of a strategy to promote policies to respond to the low fertilty of regional local governments and to enhance the effectiveness of monitoring. Specifically, management of performance indicators and establishment of feedback system, improvement of policy classification frame for implementation plan, production and management of statistics related to policy benefit by regional and local governments, improvement of public childcare to increase the use rate of daycare centers, consideration of the possibility of using the local extinction response fund, promotion of differential subsidy policy for fertility subsidy finance, establishment of a governance system between the central government and regional governments, reviewing the establishment of the “Low Fertility and Aging Society Response Policy Committee (tentative)”, improvement of communication system between ministries(departments), supplementation of the enforcement Presidential Committee on Ageing Society and Population Policy, various legislative links by regional demographic and socioeconomic characteristics including a local population decline, ways to link to improve the efficiency of implementing policies to respond to low fertility future policy tasks are presented.