State Performance and Capacity in the Pacific by Rob Laking

Author:Rob Laking [Laking, Rob]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Public Policy, Political Science, Public Affairs & Administration, Social Services & Welfare
ISBN: 9789290921745
Google: Dnv5zAEACAAJ
Publisher: Asian Development Bank
Published: 2010-11-01T14:03:55+00:00

Administrative Capacity: The Arms and Legs of the State

Good government administration requires

(i) leadership at all levels that is competent, effective, and responsible;

(ii) demarcation of responsibilities and powers among government units and delegation that is clear and effective;

(iii) devolution of responsibilities to different levels of government on the principle of subsidiarity—an issue for those Pacific states with a federal structure (e.g., the FSM) or with significant functions allocated to provincial governments (e.g., PNG and Solomon Islands);

(iv) management of financial and human resources; and

(v) coproduction of important outcomes with civil organizations and NGOs.

A vicious circle of complexity may be seen in many poor states (Box 4). Low state administrative capacity produces fragmentation of effort as stakeholders chart their own courses, often at odds with each other. Service delivery becomes increasingly fragmented and less effective. State provision of institutional infrastructure and coordination becomes more difficult, even if delivery is shared with a range of non-state actors.

Box 4: A State without Clerks?

Nelson suggests that Papua New Guinea is a “state without clerks,” where despite high growth in the number of public servants, the basic functions of an office may not be carried out. Some reports of incompetence and shirking

…can be dismissed as the standard criticism made of bureaucracies in Canberra, Washington, Brussels, and Brasilia, but there is much other evidence of the failure of government at the level of those who answer questions from the public; look after files; make, receive and record all small payments; manage recurrent costs of power, building maintenance and cleaning; order stationery, ink for printers and photocopiers; and issue permits for trading, vehicle registration, liquor licenses and building (Nelson 2006, 6).

According to Nelson, a large part of this breakdown can be attributed in Papua New Guinea to the failure of Australian colonial administrators to train their indigenous replacements before independence. But the problem has been exacerbated by a further neglect and incompetence, corruption, and political instability.

Source: Nelson 2006.

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