"The underpinning assumption of public management in the developing world as a process of planned change is increasingly being recognized as unrealistic. In reality, the practice of development management is characterized by processes of mutual adjustment among individuals, agencies, and...

Introduction / Evan Moll Ghin and Mads Bøge Kristiansen -- Public management in times of austerity: the literature / Eva Moll Ghin and Mads Bøge Kristiansen -- The five case countries / Eva Moll Ghin and Mads Bøge Kristiansen -- Germany: an outlier in terms of fiscal adjustment / Jobst...

Reforming public-sector organizations--their structures, policies, processes and practices--is notoriously difficult, in rich and poor countries alike. Even in the most favorable of circumstances, the scale and complexity of the tasks to be undertaken are enormous, requiring levels of...

This paper examines the effects of pecuniary compensation on the ability and motivation of individuals in organizations with non-pecuniary or pro-social missions. In particular, the paper compares flat pay systems, unrelated with ability or effort, to two other systems that are considered...

There is a global consensus that governance and some form of citizen engagement matter for making development more effective, equitable, and sustainable. Yet the devil lies in the details: there is limited agreement on what forms of governance matter most for achieving developmentresults; and...

In early 2010, Zimbabwe's Minister of Public Service requested Bank support for a public administration review to provide analytical support and technical assistance to identify the key issues to restore the quality of public administration in Zimbabwe. This policy note presents an initial...

How does adaptive implementation work in practice? Drawing on extensive interviews and observations, this paper contrasts the ways in which an adaptive component of a major health care project was implemented in three program and three matched comparison states in Nigeria. The paper examines the...

pt. 1. Conceptual rethink of public sector reforms -- pt. 2. Case studies on participation -- pt. 3. Case studies on decentralization -- pt. 4. Public sector reforms in developing countries : prospects and challenges.