GOVERNANCE AND INSTITUTIONAL REFORM

Over the past few decades, governance and institutional reform have received significant attention across the world from governments, civil society organizations, international organizations, and international development agencies. The motivations and pressures vary across countries and regions. In many places, including the developed and other developed countries, there is an increased demand for more efficient government, greater accountability and better performance. In fact, these demands have pushed reform efforts, even as those reforms have followed different paths. However, many countries have witnessed that there are substantial gaps between announced reform programs and what is actually implemented, as well as between promised improvements and the results in reality. As a result, successive reform efforts have become an enduring part of the political and administrative landscape. In particular, in many low-income countries and emerging economies, donors and international financial institutions (IFIs) have demanded for better service delivery through governance reforms, and governments announce initiatives in everything ranging from civil service reform to anti-corruption to improvements in financial management and public service delivery. In reality, such reforms are difficult to implement and often languish as little more than rhetoric, face opposition, or are not given the resources needed to succeed. Furthermore, there are debates about the relationship between governance and development and the priority to be given to particular reforms, as well as dilemmas around the role of external actors and the “models” they urge on partner countries.

Given this context, this course primarily attempts to analyse these reforms and reform experiences. It looks at approaches to broad public sector reform and focuses on reforms aiming to improve performance, accountability, and participation. It draws on the experiences of developed and developing countries; there will be particular attention given to issues of governance and development and the challenges of governance reform in developing countries.

In the course, teaching will be based on both theory and practice and will use examples and cases from a variety of countries and reform experiences. It is appropriate for students of public service administration, public management, international development, or international affairs and is aimed at those interested in governance, designing and implementing governance reforms, political analysis of reform, and the role of development cooperation.