national development | Innovations for Successful Societies

When Prime Minister Najib Razak took office in April 2009, he aimed to set Malaysia on a new course. The nation’s economy was stagnating in the wake of the global financial crisis, and citizen discontent with government performance had led to the worst election results for the ruling coalition since independence from the United Kingdom in 1957. To turn the country in a new direction, Najib created a new post in the Cabinet—Minister for National Unity and Performance Management—and appointed Koh Tsu Koon, president of a party in the ruling coalition, to the position. Koh assembled a team and proposed a series of Cabinet workshops to determine leadership priorities. The team reached out to an economic council tasked with piloting the country to higher levels of economic growth and engaged diverse members of Malaysian society in substantive discussions. During a two-year period, the team’s findings evolved into a national transformation strategy. Strong leadership from the top combined with data- and research-driven approaches helped streamline priorities and generate buy-in. The strategy helped improve government performance and increase private investment. Nonetheless, public reaction was mixed, and critics charged that the entire undertaking was too narrow in scope. This case offers insights about how to design a consultative strategy development process in a country with a diverse population.

Elena Lesley drafted this case study based on interviews conducted in Kuala Lumpur in March 2014. For more information about the delivery unit charged with implementing Malaysia’s national transformation strategy, see the Innovations for Successful Societies companion case study "Tying Performance Management to Service Delivery: Public Sector Reform in Malaysia, 2009–2011.” This case study was funded by the Bertelsmann Stiftung Reform Compass. Case published in August 2014.

Sonja Licht

Read more about Sonja Licht

Ref Batch

C

Focus Area(s)

Strategy

Ref Batch Number

2

Country of Reform

Serbia

Interviewers

George Gavrilis

Name

Sonja Licht

Interviewee's Position

Director

Interviewee's Organization

Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence (BFPE)

Language

English

Town/City

Belgrade

Country

Serbia and Montenegro

Date of Interview

Thu, 05/22/2014 - 12:00 pm

Reform Profile

Yes

Keywords

EU accession

Serbian European Integration Office (SEIO)

International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY)

national development

Europeanization

Abstract

In this interview, Sonja Licht speaks about how the political climate in Serbia since 2007 has impacted the country’s Europeanization process. Licht indicates first that the elections in 2007 did little to change the pro-EU policies in government and sentiments of the people. Licht describes how Serbia’s involvement with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) heavily dictated the direction and progress the country was able to make in its EU-accession efforts. She notes that pro-EU sentiments increased among the Serbian public in response to the ICTY extradition process, probably because the people felt that being incorporated into a European family would allow the country to overcome its challenges and prosper. Furthermore, Licht points out that their support was based in a desire to escape the economic crisis they had fallen into and their shock at the declaration of the independence of Kosovo.

Licht explains that Boris Tadic and Milica Delevic played an important role in furthering the EU-accession process after 2008. She also describes the exceptionality of SEIO in furthering Serbia’s Europeanization—particularly because of the spirit and passion of those working in the office and the office’s inclusiveness and professionalism. She points out that the 2008 government had the European Integration Council in which representatives from the government, civil society, academia, etc. would advise the administration on how to move the EU-accession process forward. Though the 2008 administration did not heed much of the advice given by the Council, Licht says that they faired better than the 2012 administration that refused to convene the Council. She lauds the early development of Serbia’ National Program for Integration (NPI) for sending a message to the EU that Serbia was ready for the accession process. She also indicates that the EU-accession process is a state building process, particularly for ministries of Finance, Energy, Justice, and others. Licht describes efforts to reform Serbia’s judiciary. She explains the political challenges faced in the Serbian government, particularly in its ability to set priorities for national development and Europeanization. Licht concludes by highlighting the success of incorporating civil society organizations into the discussion on Europeanization by setting up the European Convent in Serbia.

Case Study: Forging a National Strategy Through EU Accession: Serbia, 2007-2012

Transcript

C2_NS_GG_Licht_Final.pdf

C2_NS_GG_Licht_Final.txt

Headshot

20140623-26-kashi-osf-london-board-orientation-staff-sonja-licht-410-081.jpg

Profile

At the time of this interview, Sonja Licht was the president of the Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence (BFPE), which she founded. She was also the president of the Foreign Policy Council at the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the chair of the executive committee of the International Center for Democratic Transition, a board member of the Council of the European Cultural Foundation, a member of the advisory board of the Geneva Center for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces and of the Geneva Center for Security Policy. Previously, she worked as the president of the Open Society Fund and served as a member of the managing board of Politika AD. She received the French Legion of Honor and the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity award. Vreme magazine also named her the 2007 Person of the Year.

Born and raised in Serbia, Licht received her Bachelors degree in sociology and Masters degree in socio-cultural anthropology from the University of Belgrade Faculty of Philosophy.

Full Audio Title

Audio Unavailable

Improving Consultation and Cooperation to Create a National Strategy: Drafting Estonia 2020

Read more about Improving Consultation and Cooperation to Create a National Strategy: Drafting Estonia 2020

Type

Case Studies

Author

Elena Lesley

Keywords

national development

strategic planning

government transformation

inter-ministerial coordination

Focus Area(s)

Core Challenge

Country of Reform

Full Publication

Abstract

After achieving independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 and liberalizing markets, Estonians saw their economy grow and their standards of living rise. But in 2008, a global financial crisis exposed weaknesses in Estonia’s competitiveness and prompted a reevaluation of policies. In 2010, the government saw an opportunity to frame a new national development strategy as part of its participation in the European Union’s 2020 bid to promote growth and jobs. It turned to its own Strategy Unit, which had been created four years earlier, to harmonize priorities and goals and to pay special attention to the policy challenges posed by an aging and shrinking workforce. To frame a coherent set of priorities, the unit had to increase cooperation and consultation among ministries that usually worked independently of each other. The unit consulted with civil servants, experts, and key stakeholders. Less successfully, it also sought to engage the general citizenry. Because of the country’s small population, which fell from 1.57 million to 1.3 million from 1990 to 2012, and its relatively close-knit society, leaders felt social pressure to reach agreement on priorities and policy initiatives. Although the resulting list of 18 national priorities was lengthy, the Estonia 2020 competitiveness strategy provided the country with an effective vehicle for articulating long-term national policy goals.

Elena Lesley drafted this case study based on interviews conducted in Tallinn, Estonia in May 2014. This case study was funded by the Bertelsmann Stiftung ReformCompass. Case published September 2014.

Associated Interview(s): Katrin Höövelson