GSDRC newsfeed on All Themes

Afghanistan's Parliament in the Making: Gendered Understandings and Practices of Politics in a Transitional Country

Andrea Fleschenberg — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

How can a viable Afghan parliament be developed that will serve citizens� interests and promote peace and reconstruction? What are possible entry points for parliamentary institution-building, particularly regarding female parliamentarians (MPs)? This report from Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung and UNIFEM is based on extensive interviews with Afghan parliamentarians during 2007-2008. Women�s parliamentary participation is of the utmost importance, but is largely dependent on the overall gendered political and security context as well as the progress of and challenges to state- and institution-building. Nevertheless, female MPs� political effectiveness could be increased through mutual cooperation and networking.

Society in State-building: Lessons in Improving Democratic Governance - Synthesis Report

Edward Bell — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

What is the best way to promote democratic governance in fragile and conflict-affected countries? By directing attention to interactions between state and society, this Initiative for Peacebuilding report aims to help external agencies and conflict-affected societies generate a culture of democratic politics. Drawing on analyses of Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Georgia and Pakistan, the paper recommends using the potential that is inherent in all development assistance to improve governance. This includes using the processes for defining development strategies to widen and deepen ownership by society as a whole.

The Legitimacy of the State in Fragile Situations

S. Bellina, D. Darbon, S. S. Eriksen and O. J. Sending — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

What is the nature of state legitimacy in fragile situations? How can legitimacy be fostered in such situations? This report was commissioned by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation and the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. It suggests that legitimacy concerns the very basis for how state and society are linked and by which the state�s authority is justified. Interventions in fragile situations must therefore focus on relations between state and society and must be adapted to context. Neither the same type of legitimacy nor the same type of (end-) state can be established everywhere.

Effective poverty reduction strategies in fragile and conflict-affected countries: lessons and suggestions

Vincent Fruchart, Per Egil Wam, William Webster — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

How can Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRSs) in fragile and conflict-affected countries be made effective? How can the World Bank and other international bodies assist this process? This World Bank paper argues that well-designed PRSs offer the best hope for many countries to move from poverty and conflict to development and stability. Outsiders can promote effective PRSs by supporting five guiding principles: promote a conflict perspective, perform relevant analysis, provide policy support, strengthen national capacities and share examples of effective PRSs.

Do No Harm: International Support for Statebuilding

OECD DAC — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

How can donor interventions hinder or assist statebuilding processes? This report from the OECD's Development Assistance Committee draws on country case-studies to examine five key areas of statebuilding. Donors operating in fragile states need to analyse where their own countries� strategic objectives contradict statebuilding objectives and where statebuilding objectives are themselves at odds. Donors can assist statebuilding by promoting: (1) inclusive political processes; (2) state legitimacy; (3) constructive state-society relations; (4) social expectations that are realistic but push states to do more; and (5) the development of sustainable capacities to carry out state functions.

Topic Guide on Conflict

Huma Haider — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The impact of violent conflict on a country�s society, economy and political governance is devastating and encompassing. The effects can be tangible and visible, including killed and injured civilians, destroyed or derelict bridges and wells, and damaged or inadequate health care and education facilities. They can also be intangible, such as the collapse of state institutions, mistrust in government, the disruption of social cohesion, psychological trauma and pervasive fear. These impacts can be long lasting, hindering the peaceful development of societies. An understanding of the causes and dynamics of violent conflict and the careful design of conflict prevention, conflict management and peacebuilding activities are essential to avoid violence in the first place, or to alleviate its harmful outcomes. This extensive topic guide provides an overview of key topics ranging from the causes, dynamics and impacts of conflict to options for interventions to prevent, manage and respond to conflict.

World Bank Influence and Institutional Reform in Argentina

Maria F. Tuozzo — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

How has the World Bank influenced institutional reforms in Argentina? During the 1990s, the World Bank increasingly promoted the concept of governance reforms. This article from Development and Change looks at governance reforms in Argentina�s judicial sector. The World Bank�s approach to institutional reform has been donor-driven, overly technical and based on restricted forms of decision making. This approach contributed to inadequate initiatives in Argentina and is likely to yield disappointing results elsewhere.

Debt Relief Effectiveness and Institution Building

Andrea Presbitero — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

What effects have recent debt-relief programmes had? Does debt relief promote institutional change? This article from the Development Policy Review provides new evidence on debt-relief programmes in Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs). It shows that debt relief is only weakly associated with subsequent improvements in economic performance and is correlated with increasing domestic debt. But donors are moving towards a more sensible allocation of debt forgiveness, rewarding countries that have better policies and institutions.

Development Assistance, Institution-Building and Social Cohesion after Civil War: Evidence from a Field Experiment in Liberia

James Fearon, Macartan Humphreys, Jeremy M. Weinstein — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Can brief, foreign-funded efforts to build local institutions have a positive effect on governance, cooperation and well-being? This paper from the Center for Global Development reports on a project carried out by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in northern Liberia. This community-driven reconstruction (CDR) project attempted to build democratic, community-level institutions for making decisions about local public goods. The project was successful in increasing social cohesion, with some evidence that it reinforced democratic political attitudes and confidence in local decision-making. Evidence on improved material well-being was weak.

Legitimacy and Context: Implications for Public Sector Reform in Developing Countries

Christine Andrews — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

How can successful public sector reform be achieved in developing countries? This article from Public Administration and Development argues that understanding the interplay between public institutions and the surrounding social context is fundamental to developing a reform strategy. Poorer and socio-economically stratified countries face greater reform challenges owing to public institutions' lack of legitimacy. Reforms should focus on areas of governance that impact on poverty and inequality.

Armed Violence Reduction: Enabling Development

OECD-DAC — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Integrated, comprehensive and inclusive armed violence reduction (AVR) programmes are an emerging and growing area of development practice around the world. This paper, published by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, discusses the components of a multi-level AVR approach. Adopting integrated AVR programmes requires understanding of the multi-faceted, multi-level nature of armed violence, application of rigorous diagnostics of local situations and incorporation of local ownership at all levels of programme design and implementation.

Public Sector Capacity Reform in Ethiopia: A Tale of Success in two Ministries?

Getachew Hailemariam Mengesha, Richard Common — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

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.

How to Bring About Change in the Bangladesh Civil Service? Attempts to Change Mindsets, Behaviours and Practice

Colin Jacobs — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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.

Citizen Mobilisation in Nepal: Building on Nepal�s Tradition of Social Mobilisation to Make Local Governance more Inclusive and Accountable

C. Jha, S. Prasai, M. Hobley and L. Bennett — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

How can citizen mobilisation be supported to make local governance more inclusive and accountable in Nepal? This report from the Local Governance and Community Development Programme (LGCDP) analyses social mobilisation in Nepal. Transformational mobilisation processes are needed to build peoples� capacity to actively participate in their own governance. Lessons learned include providing evidence of change in the 'capability to demand' and addressing obstacles in processes that target the disadvantaged by engaging the elites as �champions of the poor�.

Pakistan State-Society Analysis

Marco Mezzera, Safiya Aftab — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

What is the impact of deep structures, formal and informal institutions, and current events on the nature of the state in Pakistan and its relations with society? This report from The Initiative for Peacebuilding analyses the causes of weak state-society relations in Pakistan and explores the complex power dynamics that underpin them. Despite the bleak picture that emerges, a better understanding of the context can help the international community to engage with Pakistan on a constructive and long-term basis, with the overall objective of supporting genuine democratisation and building substantive citizenship.

Nigeria: The Political Economy of Reform - Strengthening Incentives for Economic Growth

Pat Utomi, Alex Duncan, Gareth Williams — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

How does reform take place within the constraints of political and economic processes? What has driven recent policy and institutional reforms in Nigeria, and how can Nigeria's reform process be sustained and extended? This briefing paper from the Policy Practice argues that the failure to achieve sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction in Nigeria is linked to institutional and incentive problems. Efforts are needed to strengthen incentives for economic growth and public accountability in Nigeria. All stakeholders must recognise the realities and risks to sustainable reform, as well as the long time-scale required.

Community-based Approaches to Peacebuilding in Conflict-affected and Fragile Contexts

Huma Haider — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The �community� has often been resilient in conflict-affected and fragile contexts, providing survival and coping mechanisms for violence, insecurity and fragility. Growing attention has thus been paid to the adoption of community-based approaches to help address the extensive needs in these contexts. This paper from the GSDRC explores the principal aims of community-based approaches and key challenges and considerations in designing and implementing such approaches, particularly in environments of conflict and fragility.

Political Economy

World Bank — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

What hinders growth-supporting policy reform in Ghana, and how can these obstacles be addressed? In recent years, Ghana has experienced relative macroeconomic stability and growth. However, accelerating and sustaining growth requires significant policy change across a range of areas. This extract from the World Bank�s Country Economic Memorandum of Ghana examines the political incentives of policymakers to pursue such change. Clientelism undermines progress in pro-growth reforms. Reform should focus on: education; improving the collection of and access to government information; and ensuring that policy does not favour particular ethnic groups.

The Role of Scholars and Scholarship in Economic Development

Mary Shirley — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

What is the role of scholars and scholarship in institutional change? How do shared beliefs shift so that self-enforcing and persistent institutions change radically? This chapter from Institutions and Development, published by Edward Elgar, argues that the impetus for changing institutions must come from within a society. When leaders believe that their present policies cannot cope with an economic shock or an external threat, local scholars can act as institutional entrepreneurs by devising and disseminating a new conceptual model of how the world works and a related set of policy reforms. Under the right circumstances the initial reforms institute a persistent and gradual transformation of institutions.

Democratic Dialogue: A Handbook for Practitioners

Bettye Pruitt, Philip Thomas — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

What is dialogue and how can it respond to the need for wider participation in the public sphere? The first section of this handbook from CIDA, International IDEA, OAS and the UNDP outlines the need for dialogue and how it can make a difference in pursuit of peace, development and democratic governance. The number of dialogue processes taking place around the world has increased, as has the need for a greater understanding of effective dialogue.