There’s a term that organizations that fund public sector reform projects use called “conditionality.” The term refers to conditions that a country which will be a beneficiary of funding must meet in order to receive this funding. There are those who favor conditionality, and those who argue against it. Those on the favoring side, like the World Bank, argue that without conditions on aid geared to market-oriented policy reform,...
Read More
When I first arrived in Liberia, the West African nation was just emerging from 13 years of two civil wars that had decimated its entire infrastructure. Many public services, including electricity, water, roads, and schools were in ruin. The evidence of the war was everywhere. Bullet ridden buildings dotted the streets of the capital city, Monrovia. My job was to put together a plan to rebuild Liberia’s civil service and find a way to...
Read More
Can Public/Private Partnerships (PPPs) help struggling nations pick up the pieces after conflicts or natural or economic disasters or just plain economies in the process of developing? In an ideal world, sure. The private sector can be a valuable resource for public sectors that haven’t yet reformed to the level that they can deliver good services, whether for lack of money, skills or the right people to deliver them. Unfortunately,...
Read More