patronage

Jay Wysocki

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Focus Area(s)
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3
Country of Reform
Interviewers
David Hausman
Name
Jay Wysocki
Interviewee's Position
Local Governance Adviser
Interviewee's Organization
United Nations Development Programme, Vietnam
Language
English
Nationality of Interviewee
American
Town/City
Hanoi
Country
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract
Jay Wysocki talks about civil service reforms in Vietnam.  The main impetus for the reforms was the Thai Binh riots involving corrupt government officials and land appropriation.  Other factors included the inflow of foreign direct investment that required political and administrative changes, the need for a growing economy to absorb the rising number of people in the job market, and the improvement of public services.  The reforms focused on institutions, performance, staffing and organizational structure.  Wysocki explains the capacity-building programs at the National Academy of Public Administration.  He also discusses decentralization and the privatization or “socialization” of services like education and healthcare.  The reform process was affected by corruption and lack of empirical data, which complicated program evaluations. 
Profile

At the time of this interview, Jay Wysocki was the United Nations Development Programme's local governance adviser in Vietnam. He first came to Vietnam in 1995 to participate in a British project run by Oxfam. He later designed a project to improve the quality of public administration training at the National Academy of Public Administration. He also served as the project’s chief technical adviser.  

Full Audio File Size
99.4MB
Full Audio Title
Jay Wysocki Interview

Obadiah Mailafia

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H
Focus Area(s)
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7
Critical Tasks
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Itumeleng Makgetla
Name
Obadiah Mailafia
Interviewee's Position
Director
Interviewee's Organization
Center for Policy and Economic Research
Language
English
Nationality of Interviewee
Nigerian
Town/City
Abuja
Country
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
Yes
Abstract

Obadiah Mailafia recounts his experiences as the deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, where he was responsible for monetary policy, statistics, economic analysis and relations with regional and international institutions.  His governorship came at a time of financial flux in the country, and Mailafia participated and led a number of progressive reforms.  The three that he emphasizes were the consolidation of the banking system, the establishment of a policy support instrument in conjunction with the International Monetary Fund, and the negotiations with the Paris Club for debt relief.  These reforms, in particular the consolidation and overhaul of the banking system, met strong and sometimes violent resistance, but reformers attempted to maintain public support by maintaining openness and transparency, engaging with the press along the way.  The reform was nonetheless slow and was susceptible to cults of personality, corruption and changes in government that left efforts vulnerable to backfire or failure.  Mailafia also identifies areas of the Nigerian civil service that require training and capacity building, particularly information technology and statistics services as well as leadership training.  He credits much of the central bank's success to the open and team-like community he cultivated with his employees, whom he describes as the brightest in the civil service.

Profile

At the time of this interview, Obadiah Mailafia was the director of the Center for Policy and Economic Research, a Nigerian macroeconomics and public policy think tank that he founded.  Mailafia studied economics at the Institut International d’Administration Publique (of l’École Nationale d’Administration) in France, and went on to earn his doctorate in economic development and international relations at Oriel College of Oxford.  He taught at the American University of London and at Regent’s Business School before he joined the African Development Bank, first in Côte d’Ivoire and then Tunisia.  He received the Mamoun Beheiry Award for distinguished service to the ADB Group.  In 2005, Mailafia was invited back to his native Nigeria to serve as the deputy governor of the central bank, a post that he held until 2007.  He was briefly a senior policy adviser to the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with the rank of Minister of State.  After this interview, Mailafia was appointed chief of staff at the Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States in Brussels.

Full Audio File Size
66 MB
Full Audio Title
Obadiah Mailafia Interview

Jairo Acuña-Alfaro

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M
Focus Area(s)
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1
Country of Reform
Interviewers
David Hausman
Name
Jairo Acuña-Alfaro
Interviewee's Position
Policy Adviser
Interviewee's Organization
United Nations Development Programme
Language
English
Nationality of Interviewee
Costa Rican
Town/City
Hanoi
Country
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract

Jairo Acuña-Alfaro discusses Vietnam’s past and, at the time of the interview, ongoing and future efforts to reform the civil service. He discusses the Vietnamese public sector’s shortcomings, including corruption, nepotism, politicization, low salaries, and a lack of clear job descriptions. He describes what Vietnam is doing to modernize its civil service by introducing merit-based considerations in recruitment and promotions; to encourage professionalism by restructuring and formalizing the civil service and improving performance management; to improve service delivery through decentralization, consolidation, and the establishment of one-stop shops; and to curtail corruption by enacting pay reform and monetizing benefits. He also discusses challenges specific to Vietnam, including the politicization of civil service through the single-party system, rigid hierarchism and the consequent lack of initiative from subordinates, and other cultural factors. Finally, Acuña-Alfaro emphasizes the establishment of best practices as key to reforming a country’s civil service.    

Case Study:  Measuring Citizen Experiences: Conducting a Social Audit in Vietnam, 2009-2013

Profile

At the time of this interview, Jairo Acuña-Alfaro had been working for the United Nations Development Programme since 2007. Prior to that, he had worked with the UNDP in Costa Rica; with the World Bank in Washington, D.C.; and at the World Bank Institute, where he studied governance and anticorruption. Acuña-Alfaro earned a doctoral degree in political economy from Oxford University.

Full Audio File Size
61MB
Full Audio Title
Jairo Acuña-Alfaro Interview

Philip Banks

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E
Focus Area(s)
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1
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Graeme Blair
Name
Philip Banks
Interviewee's Position
Chair
Interviewee's Organization
Law Reform Commission of Liberia
Language
English
Nationality of Interviewee
Liberian
Town/City
Monrovia
Country
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract
Philip Banks describes the two years he spent as the minister of justice of Liberia after being appointed to the position in 2007. He outlines the three major areas of improvement that he identified at the advent of his career as minister: seeking to reinforce the prosecution sector, improve national security, and resume the publishing of legal materials by the department. Emphasizing the importance of competent staff, he describes how he revamped the vetting process for both lawyers and policing officials and sought to improve the legal education and knowledge of both lawyers and judges. Furthermore, Banks describes how he sought to improve security in the country, particularly with respect to the high instances of rape, and looked to obtain greater compensation for both police officials and prosecutors. In this regard, he also describes his efforts to increase the numbers and improve the lives of county attorneys. Banks outlines the steps he took to increase budgetary support from the government. Towards the end of the interview, Banks touches upon his experience in dealing with problems such as patronage and nepotism with respect to appointed under-qualified members of the ministry, and concludes with an emphasis on the need for the independence of the ministry and ministry officials from political influences.
Profile
At the time of this interview, Philip Banks was the chair of the Law Reform Commission (LRC) of Liberia. He transitioned to this position after having served as the minister of justice for two years, taking office in 2007. Banks also served as the minister of justice for the Interim Government of National Unity from 1990-1994. Moreover, he was the dean of the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law at the University of Liberia from 1983-1984. Banks has extensive knowledge about legal affairs and served as a consultant for the Government Reform Commission from 1999-2003 as well as the director of Legal and Advisor Affairs on the Constitution Commission from 1981-1983. 
Full Audio File Size
92 MB
Full Audio Title
Philip Banks - Full Interview

Benjamin Mkapa

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Z
Focus Area(s)
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6
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Jennifer Widner
Name
Benjamin Mkapa
Interviewee's Position
Former President
Interviewee's Organization
United Republic of Tanzania
Language
English
Nationality of Interviewee
Tanzanian
Town/City
Dar es Salaam
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract
Benjamin Mkapa discusses the reform of Tanzania’s civil service during his presidency. He explains the need for reform to curtail corruption and inefficiency, spur economic growth, promote more egalitarian policies for workers and retain support from international donors. He discusses Tanzania’s largely voluntary retrenchment program and pay reform for state employees, as well as efforts to privatize state-owned commercial enterprises. Measures to restructure and decentralize civil service, as well as improvements in performance management, also played a large role in Tanzania’s success in achieving civil service reform. Mkapa also discusses the role of leadership in creating and sustaining support for his reform program. He examines the role of the executive branch in mustering support from the civil service, the private sector, the legislature and other political entities, and international donors to ensure the efficacy and longevity of reform. He also emphasizes the importance of an active press, consistent provision of law and order, economic growth, and intelligent sequencing of reforms in the success of reform programs.
 
Profile

Benjamin Mkapa was the third president of Tanzania, holding the office from 1995 to 2005. Mkapa began his career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs but soon began work in journalism. After editorial work for newspapers, he was appointed press secretary for the president. His career then turned toward foreign affairs and politics again, and his appointments included the offices of ambassador to the United States, minister for foreign affairs, minister for information and broadcasting, minister for information and culture, and minister for science, technology and higher education.  

Full Audio File Size
53.1MB
Full Audio Title
Benjamin Mkapa Interview

Othello Weh

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E
Focus Area(s)
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8
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Graeme Blair
Name
Othello Weh
Interviewee's Position
Deputy Director General
Interviewee's Organization
Civil Service Agency
Language
English
Nationality of Interviewee
Liberian
Town/City
Monrovia
Country
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract
In this interview, Othello Weh describes the push for the reform of the Liberian Civil Service, drawing upon his experience as the deputy director general of administration. Weh elaborates on the specific reform programs that were instituted, detailing the introduction of an employee biometric record system that helped remove ghost names from the government payroll as well as describing the measures taken to remove redundancy within the government administration. Weh also delves into the challenges faced in introducing reform while dealing with capacity constraints, acknowledging the support provided by the international community in assisting to overcome skilled labor shortages. He further outlines the steps involved in launching the reforms, describing how the collaboration and coordination necessary for the successful execution of reform was created. Moreover, Weh suggests that capacity-building efforts are vital for ensuring the sustainability of reform. Reiterating the importance of collaborative work and thorough planning, Weh ultimately concludes by remarking that unique domestic conditions within different nations mean that different strategies work with varying degrees of success. 
Profile

At the time of this interview, Othello Koibia Weh was the deputy director-general for the administration of the Liberian Civil Service Agency. A graduate of the William V. S. Tubman Teachers College, University of Liberia, Weh went on to acquire a master’s degree in educational administration at the university in April 2009. He served as the vice president of the Cavalry Baptist Church High School in Sinkor, Monrovia from 1984 to 1986, and was later promoted to principal in 1987. He held this position until 1997, at which point he joined the agency as the principal director of the division of selection and classification. In 2006, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf appointed Weh to serve as the deputy director general for administration of the division. Weh is also a member of the Liberia Association of Writers. 

Full Audio File Size
54 MB
Full Audio Title
Othello Weh - Full Interview

Lisa Cleary

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N
Focus Area(s)
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3
Country of Reform
Interviewers
David Hausman
Name
Lisa Cleary
Interviewee's Position
Human Resource Adviser
Interviewee's Organization
Public Service Improvement Program, Solomon Islands
Language
English
Nationality of Interviewee
Australian
Country
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract

Lisa Cleary talks about the role of the Public Service Improvement Program and her role as human resource adviser to develop a human resource strategy for the Solomon Islands.  First, she conducted a human resource survey across every ministry in order to develop a baseline for future work the PSIP would do to put a new payroll system in place.  Then she mapped workforce budgeting to prepare a strategic plan to change the way people are recruited and hired in the workforce and to develop a collective bargaining agreement.  She talks about problems such as patronage appointments, the length of time between recruitment and processing an appointment, the inequities in salary structure, the problems in service delivery and the problem of accelerated promotions.  She also talks about devising an administrative procedure toolkit for civil service positions as a way to achieve change in the processes to make them transparent and fair.

Case Study:  Starting from Scratch in Recruitment and Training: Solomon Islands, 2004-2009

Profile

At the time of this interview, Lisa Cleary was the human resource adviser for the Public Service Improvement Program in the Solomon Islands . She served previously as human resource adviser for the correctional service in the Solomon Islands. Before that, she worked with human resources in the correctional service in Queensland, Australia.

Full Audio File Size
76MB
Full Audio Title
Lisa Cleary Interview

Samuel Kofi Woods

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E
Focus Area(s)
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9
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Graeme Blair
Name
Samuel Kofi Woods
Interviewee's Position
Minister of Public Works
Interviewee's Organization
Liberian Cabinet
Language
English
Nationality of Interviewee
Liberian
Town/City
Monrovia
Country
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract
In this interview, Samuel Kofi Woods describes his experiences with institutional reform in Liberia, detailing his work for the country first as a youthful activist and later a government employee. Drawing upon his time as labor minister, Woods describes the measures he took to improve accountability and transparency within the ministry, emphasizing the need to lead by example and hold true to principles of equality and fairness. Speaking of the day-to-day running of the ministry, Woods delves into the measures taken to address its human resource capacity. Among other things, he outlines the ‘emergency employment program’ and ‘merit-based recruitment policies’ that were instituted. Woods also elaborates on the tasks he undertook upon his appointment as Minister of Public Works, providing insight into reform strategies and citing actions he took to deal with deep-rooted issues such as corruption and patronage. He suggests that for reform to be sustainable, it is the capacity of institutions that needs to be strengthened, and not just that of individuals. He recognizes, however, that for a reform effort to be successful, support from both high-level government officials and the general populace is crucial. Woods concludes by noting that there will always be challenges faced by those seeking reform, but to be successful, one must learn to adapt to the problems faced and not lose heart. 
Profile

At the time of this interview, Samuel Kofi Woods was the Liberian Minister of Public Works, having been appointed to the position in 2009. A youth activist since the age of 11, Woods went on to become a well-known champion of human rights, receiving the Reebok’s Human Rights Award in 1994 and the Benerementi Medal in 1999. Woods established the Justice and Peace Commission of the Catholic Church in Liberia in November 1991, and played a leading role in documenting and publicizing human rights abuses during the 1989-1997 civil war. His efforts in this regard included the creation of the Forefront Organization in 1994, an international advocacy and support network. Woods also set up the Foundation for International Liberty, an international non-governmental human rights organization with offices in Sierra Leone and Liberia. In 2006, Woods became the Minister of Labor under President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. He held this position until his appointment to the Ministry of Public Works in 2009. 

Full Audio File Size
74 MB
Full Audio Title
Samuel Woods - Full Interview

Kim Sedara

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K
Ref Batch Number
2
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Rohan Mukherjee
Name
Kim Sedara
Interviewee's Position
Senior Researcher
Interviewee's Organization
Cambodia Development Resource Institute
Language
English
Nationality of Interviewee
Cambodian
Town/City
Phnom Penh
Country
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract
Kim Sedara comments on international donors who try to import reforms and models of governance into Cambodia without understanding the need to take context into account. He suggests that the task is not to build a system from scratch, but to fix and cure the problems of existing institutions. Referring to the challenges of institution building in his home country, he notes that Cambodia “is still very much in a post-conflict stage.” From the early 1970s to 2009, Cambodia went through at least six major political regimes, leading to numerous “institutional interruptions,” making it very difficult for the state to be responsive and accountable to its citizens, he says. The first challenge was to provide security; the second, food; the third, re-integration of formerly warring factions. He states that a major problem had been a shortage of professional talent, and an educational system poorly designed to correct it. He believes that the rule of law can be achieved only if it is internalized by the population, and that takes time. Sedara says corruption cannot be controlled until people are able to feed themselves and their families from their legitimate earnings. He suggests targeting four major reform areas: courts, the military, administration and public finance. Decentralization and de-concentration are part of administrative reform. Citing a World Bank report, Sedara says that 45 percent of post-conflict societies fall back into civil war within five years of emerging from conflict. Cambodia avoided this fate, and Sedara says he is hopeful for the future.
Profile

At the time of this interview, Kim Sedara was a senior researcher at the Cambodia Development Resource Institute, an independent think tank in Phnom Penh. In 1994, he received a degree in archeology in Cambodia and another from the University of Hawaii in 1996. He won a 1998 Fulbright scholarship in 1998 and degrees in economics and political anthropology from the University of Illinois and Stanford. He earned a Ph.D. from Gothenburg University in Sweden in 2005. Sedara has written widely on issues of post-conflict reconstruction, elections, decentralization and deconcentration, and governance in Cambodia.

Full Audio File Size
43MB
Full Audio Title
Kim Sedara Interview

Guiseppe Ferrante

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B
Focus Area(s)
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4
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Rushda Majeed & Laura Bacon
Name
Guiseppe Ferrante
Interviewee's Position
Commissioner of Productive Activities and of Tourism
Interviewee's Organization
Municipality of Palermo
Language
English/Italian
Nationality of Interviewee
Italian
Town/City
Palermo
Country
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract

In this interview, Giuseppe Ferrante reflects on his time spent serving the Municipality of Palermo from 1995-2000 under Mayor Leoluca Orlando. He begins by explaining his personal background in the private sector prior to his appointment to the city government and describing the pervasive presence of the mafia in the city government and culture prior to the transformation of the 1990s. Ferrante discusses Mayor Orlando’s strategies to change Palermo. Orlando hired honest and hard-working employees, often from outside of political circles, as in the case of Ferrante, in order to eliminate the unprofessional culture that marked past administrations. Popular faith in the government and pride in the city soon returned to Palermo. Ferrante explains how his commercial, security, and traffic initiatives contributed to a turnaround in downtown Palermo, creating a safe and lively pedestrian area full of shops, markets, restaurants, bars, and cafés. His familiarity with the private sector as an entrepreneur informed his successful business-friendly policies. He also recounts his efforts to improve Palermo’s relationships with its sister cities around the world. Then he discusses the responsibilities of and working relationships among the members of the City Council before reflecting on the time of the Orlando administration. Although he says his term brought about positive change, he expresses disappointment with the governments that followed Orlando’s team.

Case Studies:  Palermo Renaissance Part 1: Rebuilding Civic Identity and Reclaiming a City from the Mafia in Italy, 1993-2000;  Palermo Renaissance Part 2: Reforming City Hall, 1993-2000; and Palermo Renaissance Part 3: Strengthening Municipal Services, 1993-2000

Profile

Giuseppe Ferrante served the Municipality of Palermo under Mayor Leoluca Orlando from March 1995 until April 2000. He worked primarily as both Commissioner of Productive Activities and of Tourism; however, his responsibilities were many and varied. He was also in charge of the municipal police department and information technology for the city administration, worked with the municipal service companies, and served more briefly as Commissioner of Traffic. Prior to his appointment to the city government, Ferrante worked exclusively in the private sector. He managed a clothing company with 200 employees and headed the Sicilian and youth chapters of the Confindustria, an Italian confederation of industrialists. In 1985, Ferrante started a Sicilian business magazine.

 

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