Civil service reform

Case studies

Many of the references cited elsewhere in this topic guide are a rich source of case study material. Some additional case studies are cited below.

• Ethiopia
• Ghana
• Tanzania
• Bangladesh
• India

Ethiopia

Mengesha, G. H. and Common, R., 2007, ‘Public Sector Capacity Reform in Ethiopia: A Tale of Success in two Ministries?’, Public Administration and Development, vol. 27, no. 5, pp. 367-380
How successful has Public Sector Capacity reform been in Ethiopia? This article from Public Administration and Development assesses the outcomes of the Public Sector Capacity reform in the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MOTI) and the Ministry of Education (MoE). It finds a remarkable transformation of service delivery in both organisations. The introduction of business process reengineering (BPR) brought high levels of user satisfaction and spectacular improvements in performance. However, the government will need to maintain the momentum of reform and extend it. Incentive schemes and a monitoring system could prevent regression.
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Ghana

Roberts, J. and Andrews, M., 2005, 'Something Funny Happened on the Way to Reform Success: The Case of Budget Reform Implementation in Ghana', International Journal of Public Administration, vol. 28, p. 291–311.
Why did budget and management reforms in Ghana eventually falter after an initial period of progress? This article from the International Journal of Public Administration examines the development of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) in Ghana between 1998 and 2002. A number of factors may explain why reform implementation was derailed, including reform ownership and political will, organisational integration and organisational incentives, and strategic capacity. All of these factors are commonly presented as influences on reform implementation. The Ghanaian experience provides detail as to how such influences could work.
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Antwi, K.B. et al., 2008, ‘Public Sector Reform in Sub-Saharan Africa: What Can be Learnt from the Civil Service Performance Improvement Programme in Ghana?’, Public Administration and Development, Volume 28, pp. 253-264.
This Public Administration and Development article examines the Ghana Civil Service Performance Improvement Programme. Findings suggest that Public Sector Reform (PSR) needs to focus on developing public officials who are talented professionals and responsive to public concerns. Successful PSR should consider three broad issues: critical success factors such as political and bureaucratic leadership commitment; public scepticism of government institutions and its operatives; and the country-specific context.
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Owusu, F., 2006, 'On Public Organizations in Ghana: What Differentiates Good Performers from Poor Performers?' African Development Review, vol. 18, no. 3.
Are there significant differences in the characteristics of poor and good performing public organisations? What are the implications for public sector reform policy in Africa? This paper from the Department of Community and Regional Planning at Iowa State University uses Ghana as a case study to provide guidance to policymakers on ways of creating effective and efficient public sector reform strategies.
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Tanzania

Bana, B. and McCourt, W., 2005, 'Institutions and Governance: Public Staff Management in Tanzania', Management in Development Working Paper Series, no. 14, February, Institute for Development Policy and Management, Manchester.
How do institutional arrangements affect the way public servants are managed? This paper from the Institute for Development Policy and Management (IDPM) looks at the post-independence institutional framework in Tanzania. Excessive presidential powers and centralised staffing authority have resulted in the duplication of functions between central and line agencies. A climate of corruption and favouritism has reduced confidence in civil service staffing. Institutions need to be realigned to serve development needs.
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Morgan, P. and Baser, H., 2007, 'Building the Capacity for Managing Public Service Reform. The Tanzania Experience', Discussion Paper, no. 57Q, European Centre for Development Policy Management, Maastricht.
The Government of Tanzania has made genuine progress in building capacity to design and manage public service reform. So how did Tanzania achieve this institutional and organisational change? This case study prepared for the European Centre for Development Policy Management by the African Capacity Building Foundation examines this process, focusing on the role of the President’s Office - Public Service Management (PO-PSM) unit as a change manager within the public service
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Bangladesh

Jacobs, C., 2009, ‘How to Bring About Change in the Bangladesh Civil Service? Attempts to Change Mindsets, Behaviours and Practice’, Public Administration and Development, vol. 29, no. 3, pp. 218-227
What is the way forward for civil service reform in Bangladesh? This article from Public Administration and Development looks at the role that the Bangladesh civil service might play in enabling pro-poor reform and growth. It explores how a senior leadership programme, such as Managing at the Top (MATT2), can create a critical mass of reform minded civil servants. Developing leaders, reforming their attitudes and providing practical skills are all critical aspects of enabling change. However, a single programme is unlikely to be successful. Furthermore, while an incremental approach to reform may be realistic it should not fall into an acceptance of the current status-quo.
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India

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