Clay Wescott draws on his global experience and talks about civil service reform programs in countries around the world.  He talks about his involvement in such programs in Vietnam, including aspects such as downsizing and the introduction of one-stop shops.  He also recalls the introduction of an effective but contentious computer-based budgeting system in Kenya in the 1980s.  Wescott reflects on the difficulty of reforming a civil service that had been used as a tool of a peace process, such as in Cambodia, where positions were parceled out in order to get different factions to buy into the process.  He also identifies the importance of building reforms to last beyond a current window of opportunity, and of selling a vision of reform that people want to buy into.  He also talks about civil service censuses and outsourcing in Nepal and capacity-building programs in Eritrea, Timor-Leste and Afghanistan.

Case Study:  Policy Leaps and Implementation Obstacles: Civil Service Reform in Vietnam, 1998-2009

Kithinji Kiragu talks about the challenges facing the Tanzanian civil service over the years, including inefficiency and overstaffing.  He describes the wave of change that began under President Mkapa in 1995 and the difficult decisions he made, such as pushing through unpopular but necessary downsizing processes.  Kiragu identifies the importance of high level support for reform efforts, in this case a powerful coalition consisting of the president, the head of the public service, and the secretary of the cabinet.  He recalls the focus on installing a meritocratic system within the civil service, and he highlights the concerns and considerations surrounding decentralization attempts.  He reflects on how the security of tenure allowed permanent secretaries to oversee long-term reform efforts: Some permanent secretaries remained in office for 10 years.  He concludes with some thoughts on how advisers, including local advisers, can be more successful in their interactions with partner countries.

Case Study:  Creating an Affordable Public Service: Tanzania, 1995-1998

Abraham Simmons discusses his experience as the managing director of Roberts International Airport from 2007 to 2009. He describes the situation of the airport in 2007 as in dire need of renovation, improved services, and financial reform. He notes that his first action as director was to create a clear definition of each position and to establish an understanding of responsibilities. Through the help of foreign consultants Simmons was also able to create an airport operations manual to aid this process. Simmons then discusses the new training programs implemented from 2007 to 2009. He then adds detail in to the challenges that surrounded financing of reforms and new equipment for the airport. With this, he sheds light on efforts to bring the airport up to international compliance. He concludes his discussion with information about a functional review process as an effort to make the operation of the airport more transparent. He also speaks about a new, clearer promotion system that would standardize hiring and firing of employees.  

Case Study:  Getting Reforms Off the Ground: Roberts International Airport, Liberia, 2006-2009  

Agim Selami discusses the obstacles to depoliticizing the civil service in Macedonia.  He points to neighboring Slovenia as a model for civil service reform in Macedonia, particularly emphasizing Slovenia's "rightsizing" and merit-based promotions.  His views cover the limitations of the Civil Servants Agency, its failure to follow through on enacted legislation, and necessary reforms such as a career system, in which internal candidates are recognized for service and promoted from within.  Selami recognizes European Union membership as a driving force for reform in Macedonia and other southeast European states.  He also discusses the ethnic representation within the civil service and the lure of higher rates of pay in the nongovernmental sector.

Neneh Dabo describes her experience with public sector reform as part of the Anti-Corruption Commission of Sierra Leone. Outlining the circumstances surrounding the creation of the commission, she elaborates on how the move for reform was spearheaded by the desire to address institutional corruption and meet the need for a professional cadre of civil servants. Dabo discusses the steps taken to ensure efficient delivery of public services, starting with the consolidation of information to determine key reform priorities and going on to discuss the efforts to downsize the civil service and streamline recruitment. Acknowledging the challenges involved in improving the service, she stresses the importance of ensuring management accountability and compliance monitoring when working for the success of reform. Dabo further elaborates on the subject of capacity building and discusses existing training and recruitment procedures, emphasizing the need to increase the attractiveness of a civil service career, possibly through fiscal incentives. Ultimately, she stresses the importance of both training and oversight for effective reform, noting the need to learn from the successful stories of others.     

Zurab Nogaideli, who was prime minister of Georgia from 2005 to 2007, details the country's experience of reform generally and civil service reform in particular.  He discusses the challenges that confronted the country after the Rose Revolution in 2003, and talks about efforts made to downsize the civil service and reduce corruption.  He emphasizes that simpler systems work better in developing countries, and that fewer people with better training and higher pay do a better job than a greater number of individuals who are poorly paid and poorly trained.  He favors simple regulations that do not foster interaction between mid-level bureaucrats and citizens, believing that frequent interaction encourages corruption.  Nogaideli believes that Georgia had four years of excellent reform from 2003 to 2007, but that gradually some successes were eroded.  He maintains this demonstrates the importance of continuing on a strong reform course even after early achievements.  He offers reasons for what he perceives as backsliding on reforms, and provides advice for countries that want to move forward.

Case Study:  Delivering on the Hope of the Rose Revolution: Public Sector Reform in Georgia, 2004-2009