Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Report Forum for Next Week

Next week we will be discussing the report Public Sector Reforms - What works and Why? and its background paper.

Here's a backgrounder on the report.

Related Multimedia;
IEG Public Sector Reform: What Works and Why? ;
Francis Fukuyama, renowned author and external advisory group member for the report, presented his concerns regarding the public service reform project. Fukuyama highlighted four issues, including the use of CPIA scores, quantitative analysis, report results, and the demand for good governance. Concerning the projects results, Fukuyama presented a theory on ineffective reforms, proposing that no amount of time will result in change because public sector dysfunctions are deeply rooted in political and social structures.

Finally, Robert Klitgaard, author and President of Clairmont Graduate University, explained that more public service reform data and theory were needed. Klitgaard said that in order to eliminate corruption, the gap between “what the state says and what it does must be closed”. He then explained that the Bank has its own challenges regarding its credibility and perceptions and recommended working more with professional organizations, the eradication of internal violations and the continuation of supply-side work. Moving forward, Klitgaard asked the audience whether it’s time for the World Bank to step-back or step-up even further concerning the fight against corruption.

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