Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Recent Reforms and Improvement Efforts in Management in Government: Field Observation and Analysis

Version 1 : Received: 6 August 2023 / Approved: 7 August 2023 / Online: 8 August 2023 (03:28:31 CEST)

How to cite: Khaled, M.C. Recent Reforms and Improvement Efforts in Management in Government: Field Observation and Analysis. Preprints 2023, 2023080541. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202308.0541.v1 Khaled, M.C. Recent Reforms and Improvement Efforts in Management in Government: Field Observation and Analysis. Preprints 2023, 2023080541. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202308.0541.v1

Abstract

Purpose: When it comes to improving citizen service delivery standard and processes, or broadly, management in government (MIG), many reform programs and improvement efforts are ongoing across different ministries, departments, and agencies. This paper is part of a larger empirical research where we are interested to know what those programs and projects are, and how they are doing, and what the gaps are. Design/methodology/approach: Analyzing the publicly available data on the government portal and donors’ website, this article provides an overall idea of current reforms in various places of government. In parallel, field research was conducted through visiting agency offices, observing office environment and mechanisms, and interviewing public managers who are working at district and sub-district level offices of directorates or agencies.Findings: As a trend, state-led development process and the traditional mode of administration have moved to New Public Management based quality and performance approach. All donors have their own strategy framework document like ‘Country Assistance strategy’, ‘Country Operations and Business Plan’, Logical Framework Document, Focus or Priority Streams, etc. Many of the projects are sectoral and agency or ministry specific and have an inherent limitations, due to ‘cadre’ based organizational structural arrangement. So, it is common ‘not to own the projects’, rather ‘using the fund as much as possible anyway within the given project duration’. When the fund ends, implementing units, either government or NGOs, abandon the projects. That is why many projects are actually half done without significant and sustained direction.Originality/value: We can conclude that the typical ‘top-down’ or ‘trickle down’ conception is still dominant in design and implementation of reforms programs and service quality efforts. So, how to reach systemically at the bottom where public managers provide services to citizens, needs even more deliberation.

Keywords

management in government; public sector reforms; improvements in government; field research; qualitative research

Subject

Social Sciences, Government

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