2 - Public Sector Reforms In Africa: A Philosophical Re-Thinking
Corresponding Author(s) : Paul Sunday Omoyefa
Africa Development,
Vol. 33 No. 4 (2008): Africa Development: Special Issue Public Sector Reforms in Africa
Abstract
Public sector reform (PSR) has been quite popular in African. However, the inadequate understanding of the philosophical basis of the reforms has led to many African countries to equating PSR with privatization and commercialization of public enterprises, downsizing of the public service workforce and the war on corruption. While many African countries are pursuing with the necessary vig- our these policies, which were induced by former colonial masters and so-called development agencies, there has been little or no success as compared with the pre-PSR era. The aim of this paper is to bring out, in clear terms, the fact that the present PSR cannot achieve success because of the threat of sustaining contin- ued control of the African economies and policies by the Breton Woods institu- tions, the sale of public enterprises to multinational companies, the migration of the best African brains to Europe and America, corruption and neo-colonialism. In essence, this paper advocates a philosophical re-thinking of PSR. This will start with reforming the minds of African leaders to reform the body politic. This study shows that PSR in Africa that fail to take note of the ethical and communal values and peculiar situations of various African countries will definitely fail.
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- Bourgon, J., 2002, ‘A Unified Public Service: Does it Matter?’, Paper presented at CPAM Biennial Conference, Glasgow, 11 September.
- Brautigam, D., 1996, ‘State Capacity and Effective Governance’, in Ndulu, B. and Van de Walle, N. (eds), Agenda for Africa’s Economic Renewal, Washington, DC: Overseas Development Council, pp.81-108.
- Harmes, A., 2006, ‘Neoliberalism and Multilevel Governance’, Review of International Political Economy 13(5): 725–749.
- Mhone, G., 2003, The Challenges of Governance, Public Sector Reform and Public Administration in Africa, Paper presented at workshop on Building an African Governance and Public Administration Support and Research Agenda, Johannesburg, 17 February.
- Mukandala, R., 2000, African Public Administration: A Reader, Harare: AAPS Books. Pollitt, C. and Boukaert, G., 2000, Public Sector Management: A Comparative Analysis, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Schacter, M., 1999a, Cabinet Decision-Making: Lessons from Canada, lessons for Africa, Ottawa: Institute on Governance.
- Schacter, M., 1999b, Means … Ends … Indicators: Performance Measurement in the Public Sector, IOG Policy Brief No. 3, Ottawa: Institute on Governance.
- Schacter, M., 2000a, Capacity Building: A New Way of Doing Business for Development Assistance Organizations, IOG Policy Brief No. 6, Ottawa: Institute on Governance.
- Schacter, M., 2000b, When Accountability Fails: A Framework for Diagnosis and Action, IOG Policy Brief No. 9, Ottawa: Institute on Governance.
- Schacter, M., 2000c, Public Sector Reform in Developing Countries: Issues, Lessons and Future Directions, Ottawa: Canadian International Development Agency.
- Thomas, V., et al., 2000, The Quality of Growth, New York: Oxford University Press.
- Turner, M., 1998, Public Sector Reform and Institutional Renewal, Paper presented at Corruption and Accountability in the Pacific, Australian National University, Canberra, 6–10 November.
- United Nations, 1999, Privatization of Public Sector Activities, New York: United Nations.
- United Nations, 2003, World Public Sector Report 2003: E-Government at the Crossroads, New York: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
- United Nations, 2005, World Public Sector Report 2005: The Globalisation of Public Sector Reform, Chapter 1: Unlocking the Human Potential for Public Sector Performance, New York: United Nations.
- World Bank, 1989, Sub-Saharan Africa: From Crisis to Sustainable Growth, Washington, D.C.: World Bank.
- World Bank, 1994, Governance: The World Bank Experience, Washington, D.C.: World Bank.
- World Bank, 1997, World Development Report 1997: The State in a Changing World, New York: Oxford University Press/World Bank.
- World Bank, 1999a, Civil Service Reform: A review of World Bank Experience, Operations Evaluation Department Report No. 19599, Washington, D.C.: World Bank.
- World Bank, 1999b, Rethinking Civil Service Reform, PREM Notes No. 31, Washington, D.C.: World Bank.
- World Bank, 2000a, World Development Report 2000/2001: Attacking Poverty, New York: Oxford University Press/World Bank.
- World Bank, 2000b, Reforming Public Institutions and Strengthening Governance: A World Bank Strategy, Washington, D.C.: World Bank.
- World Bank, 2000c, Global Development Finance 2000, Washington, D.C.: World Bank.
References
Bourgon, J., 2002, ‘A Unified Public Service: Does it Matter?’, Paper presented at CPAM Biennial Conference, Glasgow, 11 September.
Brautigam, D., 1996, ‘State Capacity and Effective Governance’, in Ndulu, B. and Van de Walle, N. (eds), Agenda for Africa’s Economic Renewal, Washington, DC: Overseas Development Council, pp.81-108.
Harmes, A., 2006, ‘Neoliberalism and Multilevel Governance’, Review of International Political Economy 13(5): 725–749.
Mhone, G., 2003, The Challenges of Governance, Public Sector Reform and Public Administration in Africa, Paper presented at workshop on Building an African Governance and Public Administration Support and Research Agenda, Johannesburg, 17 February.
Mukandala, R., 2000, African Public Administration: A Reader, Harare: AAPS Books. Pollitt, C. and Boukaert, G., 2000, Public Sector Management: A Comparative Analysis, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Schacter, M., 1999a, Cabinet Decision-Making: Lessons from Canada, lessons for Africa, Ottawa: Institute on Governance.
Schacter, M., 1999b, Means … Ends … Indicators: Performance Measurement in the Public Sector, IOG Policy Brief No. 3, Ottawa: Institute on Governance.
Schacter, M., 2000a, Capacity Building: A New Way of Doing Business for Development Assistance Organizations, IOG Policy Brief No. 6, Ottawa: Institute on Governance.
Schacter, M., 2000b, When Accountability Fails: A Framework for Diagnosis and Action, IOG Policy Brief No. 9, Ottawa: Institute on Governance.
Schacter, M., 2000c, Public Sector Reform in Developing Countries: Issues, Lessons and Future Directions, Ottawa: Canadian International Development Agency.
Thomas, V., et al., 2000, The Quality of Growth, New York: Oxford University Press.
Turner, M., 1998, Public Sector Reform and Institutional Renewal, Paper presented at Corruption and Accountability in the Pacific, Australian National University, Canberra, 6–10 November.
United Nations, 1999, Privatization of Public Sector Activities, New York: United Nations.
United Nations, 2003, World Public Sector Report 2003: E-Government at the Crossroads, New York: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
United Nations, 2005, World Public Sector Report 2005: The Globalisation of Public Sector Reform, Chapter 1: Unlocking the Human Potential for Public Sector Performance, New York: United Nations.
World Bank, 1989, Sub-Saharan Africa: From Crisis to Sustainable Growth, Washington, D.C.: World Bank.
World Bank, 1994, Governance: The World Bank Experience, Washington, D.C.: World Bank.
World Bank, 1997, World Development Report 1997: The State in a Changing World, New York: Oxford University Press/World Bank.
World Bank, 1999a, Civil Service Reform: A review of World Bank Experience, Operations Evaluation Department Report No. 19599, Washington, D.C.: World Bank.
World Bank, 1999b, Rethinking Civil Service Reform, PREM Notes No. 31, Washington, D.C.: World Bank.
World Bank, 2000a, World Development Report 2000/2001: Attacking Poverty, New York: Oxford University Press/World Bank.
World Bank, 2000b, Reforming Public Institutions and Strengthening Governance: A World Bank Strategy, Washington, D.C.: World Bank.
World Bank, 2000c, Global Development Finance 2000, Washington, D.C.: World Bank.