extending services to rural areas

Modernizing the State, Connecting to the People: Bihar, India, 2005-2012

Author
Juliette John, Rushda Majeed, Pallavi Nuka
Focus Area(s)
Country of Reform
Abstract

In November 2005, Nitish Kumar became chief minister of one of India’s poorest states. The third-largest state by population, Bihar lagged behind other states in growth and development but scored high in corruption, lawlessness, and dismal service delivery. Mismanagement of financial resources, obsolete methods of data entry and reporting, a low-skilled workforce, insufficient transparency, and scarce accountability hindered service delivery. As head of state government, Kumar launched a series of reforms that applied information and communications technology to streamline operations, boost revenues, and improve the government’s responsiveness to citizens’ needs. By 2012, Bihar had earned national and regional acclaim for its technology-related gains, and the government of India recognized the turnaround through e-governance awards. Kumar’s efforts earned him the nickname Sushasan Babu, or Mr. Good Governance. Still, some reforms did not go far enough, and significant limitations remained: lack of integration among information and communications systems prevented proper coordination across departments; civil servants did not embrace all technology-related initiatives; and lack of electricity and Internet connectivity in many areas prevented citizens from taking full advantage of the services.

 

Juliette John drafted this case study in May 2014 while at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School on leave from the UK’s Department for International Development.  The case study was updated by Rushda Majeed and Pallavi Nuka following interviews conducted by Rushda Majeed in Patna, Bihar in August, 2014.  Three separate ISS case studies—Coalition Building in a Divided Society, Clearing the Jungle Raj, and Reviving the Administration,—outline Nitish Kumar’s broader efforts to build a coalition for reform, improve law and order, and resuscitate Bihar’s administration, respectively.

Associated Interview(s):  Anup Mukerji

Sarah Adebisi Sosan

Ref Batch
D
Ref Batch Number
11
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Graeme Blair
Name
Sarah Adebisi Sosan
Interviewee's Position
Deputy Governor
Interviewee's Organization
Lagos State, Nigeria
Language
English
Nationality of Interviewee
Nigerian
Town/City
Lagos
Country
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract

Sarah Adebisi Sosan discusses the governance plan implemented by Gov. Babatunde Raji Fashola in Lagos State, with special emphasis on the education initiatives in which she was personally involved since the beginning.  In the context of the Nigerian policy of universal education and the challenges raised by service provision in a large metropolitan area, most measures focused on enhancing the inclusiveness of the school system within urban areas and the extension of educational infrastructure into rural areas.  In particular, to address the financial burden faced by parents, the state provided free textbooks, covered fees for national terminal examinations and made transportation and meal arrangements for children with special needs both within the regular school system and at specialized institutions.  A second focus was on infrastructure and equipment, especially concerning laboratories.  A third focus was on capacity building through the school system in a variety of ways: by improving technical and vocational schools, by promoting sporting and science competitions, and by requiring membership in a state-sponsored scout organization aimed at building leadership skills and providing children with teamwork experience.  This approach complemented emphasis on teacher training and awards to incentivize good teaching.  Sosan singles out funding as the main challenge faced by the governance program and in particular by its educational component.  While most of these reforms were facilitated by a significant initial budgetary increase, Lagos state fostered involvement of private actors through programs such as "Adopt a School."  Public support and trust were secured through both follow-up on electoral promises and as a result of increased transparency and access to top officials.  Other areas such as health care and transportation were at the center of similar progress, with Lagos state focusing on visible issues that could enhance public confidence in the government.

Profile

At the time of this interview, Sarah Adebisi Sosan was the deputy governor of Lagos State during the governorship of Babatunde Raji Fashola.  Trained as a teacher, she served as the principal education officer of the Lagos Ministry of Education from 1990 until 1999.  Among other accomplishments, she contributed to maintaining computerization on the ministry's agenda.  She was appointed as deputy governor in 2007. 

Full Audio File Size
30 MB
Full Audio Title
Sarah Sosan - Full Interview