Public Personnel Management
Economic Commission for Africa
Public Sector Management Reforms in Africa
Economic Commission for Africa
ECA/DPMD/PSM/TP/03/1
Public Sector Management Reforms in Africa: Lessons Learned
Development Policy Management Division (DPMD) Addis Ababa, Ethiopia December 2003
For this and other publications, please visit the ECA website at the following address: http://www.uneca.org or contact: Publications Economic Commission for Africa P.O. Box 3001 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Tel.: 251-1-44 31 68 Fax: 251-1-51 03 65 E-mail: ecainfo@uneca.org All rights reserved First Printing August 2004 Material from this publication may be freely quoted or reprinted. Acknowledgment is requested, together with a copy of the publication. The views expressed are those of its authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the United Nations. Edited and designed b ECA’s Communication Team. Printed by the ECA Documents Reproduction and Distribution Unit (DRDU).
iii
CONTENTS
FOREWORD PREFACE LIST OF ACRONYMS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. THE POLITICAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONTEXTS 1.1 Major Political Changes in Africa 1.2 Major Socio-economic Policies and Programmes since the 1980s 2. THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK 2.1 Good Governance and Public Sector Management Reforms 2.2 New Public Management 3. ORGANIZATIONAL MECHANISMS FOR PUBLIC SECTOR REFORMS 3.1 Interorganizational Mechanisms 3.2 Interorganizational Strategies 4. NEW PUBLIC MANAGEMENT: SELECTED APPLICATIONS 4.1 Decentralized Management 4.3 Cost Recovery: User Fees and Charges 4.4 Performance Contracting 4.5 Accrual Accounting 4.6 Commercialization 4.7 ICTs in Public Service Delivery 4.8 Public Reporting 4.9 Citizens Charter 5.1 Institutional Capacity 5.2 Multiple Accountability v vii ix xi 1 1 2 5 5 6 9 9 12 15 15 18 20 21 22 24 27 28 31 33
5. CHALLENGES TO PUBLIC SECTOR MANAGEMENT REFORMS 31
5.3 Declining Public Service Ethics 5.4 Access to ICTs 6. STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING PUBLIC SECTOR PERFORMANCE 6.1 Total Quality
Public Sector Management Reforms in Africa
Economic Commission for Africa
ECA/DPMD/PSM/TP/03/1
Public Sector Management Reforms in Africa: Lessons Learned
Development Policy Management Division (DPMD) Addis Ababa, Ethiopia December 2003
For this and other publications, please visit the ECA website at the following address: http://www.uneca.org or contact: Publications Economic Commission for Africa P.O. Box 3001 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Tel.: 251-1-44 31 68 Fax: 251-1-51 03 65 E-mail: ecainfo@uneca.org All rights reserved First Printing August 2004 Material from this publication may be freely quoted or reprinted. Acknowledgment is requested, together with a copy of the publication. The views expressed are those of its authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the United Nations. Edited and designed b ECA’s Communication Team. Printed by the ECA Documents Reproduction and Distribution Unit (DRDU).
iii
CONTENTS
FOREWORD PREFACE LIST OF ACRONYMS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. THE POLITICAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONTEXTS 1.1 Major Political Changes in Africa 1.2 Major Socio-economic Policies and Programmes since the 1980s 2. THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK 2.1 Good Governance and Public Sector Management Reforms 2.2 New Public Management 3. ORGANIZATIONAL MECHANISMS FOR PUBLIC SECTOR REFORMS 3.1 Interorganizational Mechanisms 3.2 Interorganizational Strategies 4. NEW PUBLIC MANAGEMENT: SELECTED APPLICATIONS 4.1 Decentralized Management 4.3 Cost Recovery: User Fees and Charges 4.4 Performance Contracting 4.5 Accrual Accounting 4.6 Commercialization 4.7 ICTs in Public Service Delivery 4.8 Public Reporting 4.9 Citizens Charter 5.1 Institutional Capacity 5.2 Multiple Accountability v vii ix xi 1 1 2 5 5 6 9 9 12 15 15 18 20 21 22 24 27 28 31 33
5. CHALLENGES TO PUBLIC SECTOR MANAGEMENT REFORMS 31
5.3 Declining Public Service Ethics 5.4 Access to ICTs 6. STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING PUBLIC SECTOR PERFORMANCE 6.1 Total Quality
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