Krishna Devkota

Training Adviser, Revenue Administration Report Project
Danish International Development Agency
Focus Area(s)
Civil Service
Interviewers
Andrew Schalkwyk
Country of Reform
Nepal
Town/City
Kathmandu
Country
Nepal
Date of Interview
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Abstract

Krishna Devkota provides a history of numerous attempts to reform Nepal’s civil service since the 1950s. All of them, including the most recent donor-instigated initiative, have either not been implemented, or only partially implemented. As a contracted consultant to international donors funding the most recent effort, Devkota describes both the aim and design of the reform effort and his opinion about why implementation of most of the reform efforts failed.  He cites political and civil conflict and tensions in the country, a lack of political will or commitment to the reforms by top leaders, the short time horizons of donors, corruption that diverted donor funds from their intended use and resistance to change by civil servants because they did not sense any possibility for reward or promotion.    

Full Interview

71MB
Krishna Devkota Interview
Profile
At the time of this interview, Krishna Devkota was training adviser to the Danish International Development Agency’s Revenue Administration Report Project. While he pursued his university training in the early 1970s, he worked at the Agricultural Project Services Center, a Nepali autonomous semi-government consulting organization. In 2000, he became a freelance consultant to international donor organizations in Nepal, including the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development, the Asian Development Bank, the U.N.’s Food and Agricultural Organization and the U.N. Development Programme.
Keywords
training
technical assistance
Reform sequencing
promotion
performance management
downsizing
decentralization
capacity building
Not specified