Towards a paradigm shift in social protection in developing countries? Analysing the emergence of the Ghana national unemployment insurance scheme from a multiple streams perspective
Urban governance, May 1, 2023
The Failure to Learn Lessons from Policy Failures in Developing Countries? The Case of Electricity Privatization in Ghana
International Journal of Public Administration, Dec 21, 2021
The Enigma of the Central–Local Government Relationship and Its Impact on Property Tax Administration in Developing Countries: The Ghanaian Perspective
Property tax administration is the bedrock for effective revenue mobilisation, development, and g... more Property tax administration is the bedrock for effective revenue mobilisation, development, and good local governance for local governments. Yet administering property taxation continues to be a major problem, especially for many developing countries. Scholarly explanations for this poor state of affairs have focused on limited capacity, poor quality local cadastres, corruption, and local political resistance to effective property tax administration, among others. This paper moves away from these explanations to focus on a less trodden area: the relationship between central and local government and how this relationship affects property tax administration. Property tax administration involves some collaboration and overlap between different levels of government, and thus depends very much on a good and functional relationship between both levels of government, especially when local governments derive their authorities from the largesse of central governments. This relationship may have powerful implications for the ability of local governments to effectively undertake property tax administration due to the central government’s policies and politics. Using Ghana as a case study, the paper illustrates how a dysfunctional relationship between central and local governments has undermined, and continues to undermine, effective property tax administration in the country, which should serve as a lesson for other developing countries.
In more recent times, education and training in public administration have become very impor tant... more In more recent times, education and training in public administration have become very impor tant because the public service is expected by the citizens to provide value for money spent. In developing countries, and especially in Africa, in view of the numerous developmental challenges, the call for effective public administration education and training has been extremely intensified. Consequently, there is the need to examine what governments are doing in this regard and whether initiatives being undertaken will yield the needed results. In this paper, the intention is to examine the challenges to and future prospects of public administration education and training in Ghana. What, exactly, are the major challenges facing public administration education and training in Ghana? Are there, indeed, any prospects for those pursuits? How can such education and training help in establishing the develop mental state for which many, including international organizations, are calling? kEywORDS
International journal of public administration in the digital age, Apr 1, 2014
This paper attempts to examine Ghana's quest to use ICT as a tool to enhance transparency and bui... more This paper attempts to examine Ghana's quest to use ICT as a tool to enhance transparency and build public trust in government. The questions the paper attempts to answer are: what are the main challenges confronting the government's e-governance initiative as a tool to ensure transparency and citizens' trust in the public sector? What steps are being taken to address these challenges? We argue that while Ghana seems to have made remarkable progress in this endeavour, it still faces a number of significant obstacles, which must be addressed if the objectives of its e-governance project are to be fully realized. Key challenges include infrastructure development for the growth of ICT, the huge gap in access to ICT (or what may be described as the digital divide), and the change in organizational culture to enhance easy accessibility to public documents.
One way traffic: The open data initiative project and the need for an effective demand side initiative in Ghana
Government Information Quarterly, Oct 1, 2015
Abstract In recent years the necessity for governments to develop new public values of openness a... more Abstract In recent years the necessity for governments to develop new public values of openness and transparency, and thereby increase their citizenries' sense of inclusiveness, and their trust in and confidence about their governments, has risen to the point of urgency. The decline of trust in governments, especially in developing countries, has been unprecedented and continuous. A new paradigm that signifies a shift to citizen-driven initiatives over and above state- and market-centric ones calls for innovative thinking that requires openness in government. The need for this new synergy notwithstanding, Open Government cannot be considered truly open unless it also enhances citizen participation and engagement. The Ghana Open Data Initiative (GODI) project strives to create an open data community that will enable government (supply side) and civil society in general (demand side) to exchange data and information. We argue that the GODI is too narrowly focused on the supply side of the project, and suggest that it should generate an even platform to improve interaction between government and citizens to ensure a balance in knowledge sharing with and among all constituencies.
Special Issue: Public Leadership in Times of Crisis-Viewpoints on Political and Administrative Leadership in Response to COVID-19
International journal of public leadership, 2021
New Public Governance
The dangers of internationalization and “one‐size‐fits‐all” in public sector management
International Journal of Public Sector Management, Jul 13, 2010
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop a theoretical framework to explain the failure in ... more PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop a theoretical framework to explain the failure in public management of wholesale policy transfer from well developed to developing economies.Design/methodology/approachThe paper relies extensively on organizational surveys and specialized interviews in both jurisdictions, as well as on a review of government (primary) and other institutional documents. It is qualitative in nature.FindingsThe paper reveals that the context in which public sector reform policies are implemented matters. In short, the environment (with structural and contextual variables) is an essential element in the success of policies. It highlights important factors such as culture, institutional dynamism, the role of the external actors, etc. as issues that must be carefully looked at in the development and implementation of reform policies.Research limitations/implicationsThe number of cases needs to be expanded to further confirm the results. Furthermore, before it is possible to generalize about the theory's applicability, it is necessary to test the theoretical framework by examining the issue of policy transfer among developing countries.Practical implicationsThe findings point to the need for theorists, policy makers, and policy implementers to be open‐minded as they attempt to develop and implement policies for public sector reforms in different circumstances. They thus emphasize the need to adapt reforms to a particular environment rather than pursuing a one‐size‐fits‐all approach. The paper thus argues that the most appropriate management strategies for reforms must be cognizant of local environmental conditions so as to tailor policies that fit the environment.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to both theory and practice by participating in the discussion on what must be considered administrative reforms. The paper will be of interest to those searching for ways to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of public sector organizations through reforms and, in particular, of performance management, as well as to stakeholders interested in well‐functioning public sector organizations.
Getting the state right: think tanks and the dissemination of New Public Management ideas in Ghana
Journal of Modern African Studies, Jul 28, 2005
Innovations in Administrative Reforms
Springer eBooks, 2022
Studying Policy Entrepreneurs: How Phenomenology can Help Researchers
Public Organization Review, Aug 6, 2022
Civil Society and Policy Making in Developing Countries: Assessing the Impact of Think Tanks on Policy Outcomes in Ghana
Journal of Asian and African Studies, Jun 13, 2014
Not long ago, the number of think tanks in Ghana began to increase steadily. These organizations ... more Not long ago, the number of think tanks in Ghana began to increase steadily. These organizations have now carved out a niche as repositories of ideas for government to tap when formulating and implementing good policies for development. Unfortunately, while their role in the policy making process is well accepted, whether they actually have a substantial impact on policy outcomes is as yet undetermined. In this paper, we will examine the impact of think tanks on policy outcomes in Ghana by looking at two major policy areas where policies have been initiated either by these institutions or by government itself.
Performance management and “undesirable” organizational behaviour: Standardized testing in Ontario schools
Canadian Public Administration-administration Publique Du Canada, Sep 1, 2013
ABSTRACT Performance management (PM) is a major administrative mechanism for assessing efficiency... more ABSTRACT Performance management (PM) is a major administrative mechanism for assessing efficiency and effectiveness, and for exacting accountability from organizations and individuals. Many have argued, however, that using PM in such ways creates perverse incentives and may lead to undesirable behaviours, such as the obstruction of accurate performance measurement in an effort to avoid public mortification. By examining the introduction of standardized testing in the Ontario public school system, this article adds to the debate on whether PM leads to undesirable behaviours and distorts the representation of actual performance by public sector employees. It argues that, while PM in the public sector may be well intentioned, it may generate a system that produces undesired results. Sommaire La gestion du rendement est un important mécanisme administratif pour évaluer l'efficience et l'efficacité, et pour exiger l'imputabilité des organismes et des particuliers. Pourtant, nombreux sont ceux qui affirment que le recours à la gestion du rendement crée des mesures incitatives pernicieuses pour les membres d'organisations et peut entraîner des comportements indésirables, comme l'obstruction d'une mesure du rendement exacte pour tenter d'éviter l'humiliation publique. En examinant l'adoption de tests standardisés au sein du système scolaire public de l’Ontario, cet article élargit le débat à la question de savoir si la gestion du rendement entraîne des comportements indésirables et altère la représentation du rendement réel par les employés du secteur public. Il fait valoir que, même si la gestion du rendement dans le secteur public peut avoir de bonnes intentions, elle peut engendrer un système qui produit des résultats indésirables.
Has the Bubble Finally Burst? A Comparative Examination of the Failure of Privatization of Water Services Delivery in Atlanta (USA) and Hamilton (Canada)
Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis: Research and Practice, Jun 1, 2011
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Papers by Frank Ohemeng