reconstruction

Alfredo Gamito

Ref Batch
M
Focus Area(s)
Balancing the Central and Local
Ref Batch Number
10
Country of Reform
Mozambique
Interviewers
Itumeleng Makgetla
Name
Alfredo Gamito
Interviewee's Position
Chairman, Commission on Public Administration, Local Power and the Mass Media
Interviewee's Organization
National Assembly of Mozambique
Language
Portuguese
Nationality of Interviewee
Mozambican
Town/City
Maputo
Country
Mozambique
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Keywords
reconstruction
de-politicization
managing factions
decentralization
Abstract

Alfredo Gamito describes his experience as Mozambique's minister of state administration, which involved implementing a reform program to modernize, professionalize and decentralize the administration. He describes the steps that the ministry took to integrate individuals nominated by the opposition RENAMO party into the state administration, describing in particular the training that these new civil servants underwent. Gamito additionally discusses the process of determining which cities the government would designate as municipalities ahead of the country’s first municipal elections in 1998.

Case Study:  Embracing the Power of Tradition: Decentralization in Mozambique, 1992-2000

Transcript
Alfredo_Gamito.pdf
Alfredo_Gamito.txt
Headshot
alfredo_gamito.jpg
Profile

Alfredo Gamito served as the minister of state administration in Mozambique from 1995 to 2000. In this position, he managed a broad reform agenda that included decentralizing the state administration as well as professionalizing the civil service. Gamito began his career in the private sector before being appointed as the secretary of the state cashew company. He also served as the vice minister of agriculture and the governor of Nampula province. At the time of this interview, Gamito was a member of the National Assembly,where he was chairman of the Commission on Public Administration, Local Power and the Mass Media.

Full Audio File Location
Full Audio File Size
98.3MB
Full Audio Title
Alfredo Gamito- Full Interview

Dritan Agolli

Ref Batch
R
Focus Area(s)
City Management
Ref Batch Number
1
Country of Reform
Albania
Interviewers
Itumeleng Makgetla
Name
Dritan Agolli
Interviewee's Position
General Administrator of the City Municipality
Interviewee's Organization
Tirana, Albania
Language
English
Nationality of Interviewee
Albanian
Town/City
Tirana
Country
Albania
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Keywords
investment
legalization
public-private partnership
build support
Reform sequencing
integration
reconstruction
monitoring
infrastructure
municipal enterprise
pay taxes
survey
capacity
donors
management
budget
Abstract
Dritan Agolli discusses the municipal reforms that took place in Tirana, Albania, when Edi Rama became mayor of the city in 2000. He talks about the administration’s efforts to reduce illegal construction, improve infrastructure, and tackle special interests. He details how city administrators were able to improve facades, rebuild roads, clean city parks, and build playgrounds. He also discusses how private-public partnerships helped overhaul the city’s public transportation. Finally, he explains how Rama motivated Tirana’s municipal staff and successfully changed the attitude of its citizens. 
 
Transcript
Dritan_Agolli.pdf
Dritan_Agolli.txt
Headshot
dritan_agolli.jpg
Profile

At the time of this interview, Dritan Agolli was the general administrator of the city municipality of Tirana, Albania. He served in several important positions in the municipality under the mayor, Edi Rama, first as the general director of Public Works and then the general director of Urban Planning before becoming the general administrator. Prior to moving to Tirana, Agolli was cleaning supervisor in the city of Fier, Albania. Agolli was part of Tirana’s municipal team that radically improved city infrastructure and service delivery from 2000 to 2010.

Full Audio File Location
Full Audio File Size
51MB
Full Audio Title
Dritan Agolli Interview

Humphrey Assisi Asobie

Ref Batch
H
Focus Area(s)
Building a Reform Team and Staff
Ref Batch Number
3
Country of Reform
Nigeria
Interviewers
Tumi Magketla
Name
Humphrey Assisi Asobie
Interviewee's Position
Head
Interviewee's Organization
Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI)
Language
English
Nationality of Interviewee
Nigerian
Town/City
Abuja
Country
Nigeria
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Keywords
financial reform
capacity building
transparency
training
staff performance
recruitment
dispute resolution
Donor Relations
communications
timing of reform
constituency building
coalition management
reconstruction
decentralization
spoilers
staffing reform
Abstract
In this interview, Professor Humphrey Assisi Asobie recounts his experiences working for the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) to increase transparency within the Nigerian government and its service industries through the increased involvement of civil society organizations. He goes into detail about the challenges he initially faced in his role, including recruitment issues, maintaining a strong moral compass, increasing capacity to undertake the work, countering the culture of secrecy amongst the bureaucracy, and finances. Asobie provides step-by-step guides as to how he tried to address these issues, and how he ensured the ideas were favorably received. He also talks about his efforts to build support for the reform initiatives to help move the reform process along, and the role of NGOs, civil society, and the public. He addresses questions regarding the purpose of transparency initiatives, and how to engage civil society not only in the initiatives, but also in using the information provided. He also emphasizes the need to conduct reform efforts against corruption from the ground up in order to establish a base from which to attack those higher up the ladder. Throughout the interview Asobie is candid about what strategies worked, what strategies did not work, and the lessons learned from the process.
Transcript
humphrey_asobie.pdf
humphrey_asobie.txt
Headshot
humphrey_asobie.jpg
Profile

 At the time of this interview, Professor Humphrey Assisi Asobie was head of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) for Nigeria. He has been involved in the program since 2004 as the head of Transparency in Nigeria, representing civil society at EITI. Prior to his role at EITI, he was President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities in Nigeria as well as Vice President and subsequently President of Transparency Nigeria. Upon his appointment as Chairman of EITI in Nigeria in 2008, he stopped being a representative of civil society and began representing Nigeria. 

Full Audio File Location
Full Audio File Size
113 MB
Full Audio Title
Humphrey Asobie - Full Interview