bureaucratic structure and performance: new evidence from africa the united nations university ...
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Bureaucratic Structure and Performance:New Evidence from Africa
The United Nations University
http://www.unu.edu/africa/
Julius Court, Julius Court, Office of the RectorOffice of the Rector
Overview
From: Court, Kristen and Weder, 1999, Bureaucratic Structure and Performance: New Evidence from Africa, UNU Working Paper.
Framework / Literature
African Bureaucratic Structure Survey (ABSS)
Africa Findings
Empirical Analysis
(Country Sheets – to be added)
Simple Framework
Development Performance
Bureaucratic Performance
Bureaucratic Structure
Knack and Keefer, 1995
Evans and Rauch, 1999a
World Bank, 1997 (WDR)
Weber, 1968
Evans and Rauch, 1999b
World Bank, 1993 (EAM)
African Bureaucratic Structure Survey
Rationale - evidence on bureaucratic performance in Africa only based on case studies
Objectives – (i) first systematic data collection on bureaucratic structure and performance in Africa; (ii) expand existing global dataset.
Innovative Methodology - survey of high level bureaucrats using country coordinators
Results – (i) Africa findings; (ii) analysis of extended database on bureaucracy and (for researchers) and (iii) country sheets (for policy-makers and practitioners)
Bureaucracy DatabaseBureaucracy Database“first systematic data on African bureaucracies”“extended global database on bureaucracies”
• Coverage: 50 countries (20 Africa)
• Timespan: c1970-1998
• Sources: Evans-Rauch database, WDR 1997, UNU survey.
http://www.unu.edu/hq/academic/Pg_area4/b-structure.html
Africa ContextAfrica Context
• Political inaction in many countries in Africa.
• Economic and fiscal crises in Africa.
• Structural adjustment and conditionality – emphasis on reducing the size and expense of the state and reducing its responsibility.
• Weak policy formulation capacity and lack of effectiveness.
•Public administrative reform – decentralization, performance contracting, cost recovery, etc.
Policy Formulation in African Bureaucracies
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Many new policies Some new policiesand "filter" role
Implementing policiesformulated in thedomestic political
arena
Implementing policiesformulated outside
the country
% o
f R
esp
on
ses
Bureaucracy-Private Sector Relationship (1 = good)
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Time Period
(1=c
oo
per
atio
n;
6=o
po
nen
ts)
20 years ago
10 years ago
5 years ago
now
Relationship with the Private Sector
0.00
2.00
4.00
6.00
(1=c
oo
per
atio
n;
6=o
po
nen
ts)
20 years ago
10 years ago
5 years ago
now
CorruptionTips and Bribes as % of salary
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
Africa
(20)
Mau
r/Bot
s/Tun
/Nam
Eritre
a
Ugand
a
Nigeria
Kenya
20 years ago
10 years ago
5 years ago
now
Efficiency of Service Provision in Africa,
1988-1998 (1 = very efficient; 6 = very inefficient)
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
Africa
Mau
ritius
Eritre
a
Tanza
nia
Ugand
a
Zimbab
we
Kenya
Mal
awi
South
Afri
ca
Niger
ia
Eff
icie
ncy
Rat
ing
(1=
go
od
)
10 years ago
Now
African FindingsAfrican Findings
• Myth 1 - “Forty years after the first independence, Africa remains bereft of political institutionalization necessary for the emerging of the modern state.” “… the politics of the belly” has “crushed most of the strategies and institutions, in particular … the civil service”
• Myth 2 – African strategies don’t work and countries in the region should look to East Asia for answers.
Empirical Analysis Framework Bureaucratic
Performance
Bureaucratic Structure
Dependent Variables• Bur. Quality• Consultation• Corruption• Efficiency• Implementation
Independent Variables• Agency Power• Autonomy• Career Opportunities• Private Sector Career• Relative Wage
Regression Findings
Bur. Quality
Consult‘n Corrup‘n Efficiency Implemt‘n
Agency power *** *** ** *
Autonomy *
**
Career Opps **
Private Sect Career
*
Relative Wage ***
** ***
Significance * - ten; ** - five; *** - one % level.
Empirical FindingsFindings• The results for the new expanded data set are better than for the original Evans / Rauch database.
• Certain structural issues are associated with cross-country differences in bureaucratic performance.
• Better bureaucratic performance is associated with greater autonomy to formulate policy; good career opportunities; good pay for public servants and no shifting to the private sector.
• African bureaucracies are guided by the same incentives as others.
Country Sheet Framework
Agency power: influence of core economic agencies in formulating new policies.
Autonomy: - do top civil service move when political leadership changes.
Private sector career - normal for officials to spend time in the private sector.
Graduate entrance - entrance via a formal exam and university degrees.
Career opportunities - internal promotion, duration and civil service opportunities.
Relative wage - compares public sector salaries to the private sector ones.
Country Sheets - Botswana
0
10Agency pow er
Resilience
Private sector
Career
Graduate entrance
Relative w age
Botsw ana
Group 600-1000
Government increasingly espouses the goal of cooperating with the private sector in a “smart partnership” to achieve common development objectives.
Botswana over TimeAverage: Not include efficiency.
Now 5 years ago 10 years ago 20 years ago
Relative wage 2,00 4,00 2,00 1,00
Fringe benefits 5,00 5,00 5,00 2,50
Tips and bribes 10,00 10,00 10,00 10,00
Interaction 8,00 6,00 6,00 4,00
Efficiency 6,00 - 6,00 -
Average* 6,25 6,25 5,75 4,38
Country Sheets - Kenya
The relationship between government and the private sector is now more open than 10-20 years ago. Then, the relationship was antagonistic. The one major hindrance to improved relationship is the culture of corruption.
0
10Agency pow er
Autonomy
Private sector career
Career opportunities
Graduate entrance
Relative w age
Kenya
Average all
Country Sheets – South Africa
The strong racial divide between government (Black dominated) and business (White dominated) make South Africa a complex case … An unproductive work ethic, ideological commitment to affirmative action, and inexperience in government are the major constraints currently in the bureaucracy.
0
10Agency pow er
Autonomy
Private sector career
Career opportunities
Graduate entrance
Relative w age
South Africa
Average all
Country Sheets - Tanzania
I witnessed a lot of deterioration in public service discipline and total erosion in integrity and moral behaviour. So much so that now, corruption is an accepted norm in our society… Of recent, the relationship between the private sector and government has significantly improved due to the introduction of economic and political reforms.
0
10Agency pow er
Autonomy
Private sector career
Career opportunities
Graduate entrance
Relative w age
Tanzania
Average all
Country Sheets - Togo
0
10Agency pow er
Autonomy
Private sector career
Career opportunities
Graduate entrance
Relative w age
Togo
Average all
Togo QuotesTogo Quotes
• The Administration in Togo faces serious problems linked to organization, non-existence of a career management, weak remuneration, excessive centralization of policy-making, and political infighting. These factors contribute to a lack of enthusiasm and motivation of the public service.
• I believe that our answers could contribute to the eradication of this gangrene that is corruption and all its surrounding diseases. As for me I note that bureaucracy is too heavy and slow in the execution of entrusted tasks.
• It is due more to a lack of a planning structure than to a lack of political will.
Solving Africa’s development puzzle …
… depends on which pieces you choose.