John Wallace, team leader of Bangladesh's Managing at the Top 2 (MATT 2) project, identifies lack of accountability as the major challenge to Bangladesh's civil service. Wallace introduces the rationale behind MATT 2 and differentiates it with its predecessor, MATT 1. Whereas the first stage of the MATT project (1999-2002) focused on the training of individuals but not on the culture of the organization itself, MATT 2 (2006-2013) sought to create a critical mass of reform-minded civil servants and enable a reform environment. Wallace says, "It is all about giving skills to senior civil servants, giving them experience with reforms, actual experiences of reforms." He addresses the relationship between the U.K. Department for International Development and the government of Bangladesh, particularly regarding reforms in governance and human resource management. Wallace highlights the need for donor coordination for distribution of resources so as not to duplicate efforts and work at cross-purposes.
Case Study: Energizing the Civil Service: Managing at The Top 2, Bangladesh, 2006-2011
At the time of this interview, John Wallace was team leader of the Managing at the Top 2 (MATT 2) project in Bangladesh. As a consultant with Tribal-HELM, a Northern Irish company, Wallace was charged with the implementation of MATT 2, a project funded by the U.K. Department for International Development to develop and advise civil servants.