Building State Capability: Evidence, Analysis, Action

by Matt Andrews

Governments play a major role in the development process, and constantly introduce reforms and policies to achieve developmental objectives. Many of these interventions have limited impact, however; schools get built but children don't learn, IT systems are introduced but not used, plans are written but not implemented. These achievement deficiencies reveal gaps in capabilities, and weaknesses in the process of building state capability.
This book addresses these weaknesses and gaps. It starts by providing evidence of the capability shortfalls that currently exist in many countries, showing that many governments lack basic capacities even after decades of reforms and capacity building efforts. The book then analyses this evidence, identifying capability traps that hold many governments back - particularly related to isomorphic mimicry (where governments copy best practice solutions from other countries that make them look more capable even if they are not more capable) and premature load bearing (where governments adopt new mechanisms that they cannot actually make work, given weak extant capacities). The book then describes a process that governments can use to escape these capability traps. Called PDIA (problem driven iterative adaptation), this process empowers people working in governments to find and fit solutions to the problems they face. The discussion about this process is structured in a practical manner so
that readers can actually apply tools and ideas to the capability challenges they face in their own contexts. These applications will help readers devise policies and reforms that have more impact than those of the past.

Genres: Economics, Politics, Nonfiction, Political Science, Economic Development

280 pages, Paperback

Published February 5, 2020

Reviews

[Masoud · Rating 4 out of 5]

کتاب بسیار مهمی در باب سیاست گذاری عمومی و نحوه اجرای آنها در کشورهایی است که در تله کارآمدی افتاده اند. ترجمه این کتاب را با همکاری دکتر خیرخواهان انجام داده ام

[Hugo Salas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Top public administration / public policy book I've read

[Clay Wescott · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are very few high capability countries that are developing in recent memory, and many that are getting less capable. International partners don't help by supporting isomorphic mimickry and premature load bearing. Four kinds of accountability support capacity: delegation, resources, information and motivation. Four questions help to define capability that is needed: is it transactions intensive? is it discretionary? is it providing a service (or obligation eg collecting taxes)? Is it based on known technology? five types of organizational capability are: policy-making/elite services, logistics, implementation intensive delivery of services, implementation-intensive imposition of obligations, and wicked hard. If answers to the four questions are yes, yes, no, no, these are the most challenging capabilities to build up (wicked hard), and vice versa.

Putting this all together, think of two problems: One getting to St Louis to LA in 2015, and the other same journey in 1804. The first is easy: make a plan, look at map or GPS, and go. The end is predictable. The second is totally different: no maps, many unknowns. That was the voyage of Louis and Clark. Most problems we face in developing countries need a mix of both strategies, but more of the latter. These involve doing things we do not understand, with many contextual unknowns, different interests, and multiple transactions that enhance risk. Facing these challenges will require addressing a range of motivational problems, allowing solutions to emerge from trial and error, and seeking authorization for teamwork with highly varied functional roles and skill sets. Taking such an adaptive approach will run up against standard donor operating procedures that require defining objectives and specifying results in detail at the outset of operations.

Last part of the book is a course in problem solving using these tools. Lots of good examples, although some are repeated word for word. Overall, essential reading to inform anyone wanting to make a difference in developing countries. A nice touch is the creative commons license, allowing free downloads of book.

[Trey Pennington · Rating 4 out of 5]

APW provide a potential improvement into how we analyze development problems, and then how we attempt to improve situations. The iterative and adaptive nature of the ideas in this book all for failure to exist. Failure is oftentimes necessary for the right solution to be found, and too often the systems we have in place discourage short term failure in order to gain grant money, or stay active as an organization - which in turn creates long term failure that could have been prevented. I think the PDIA model is interesting and should be implemented in most organizations, especially those that seem to be in ‘the big stuck’.

[Scott Wells · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helped shape ideas around non-state reform.

[Singalongalong · Rating 3 out of 5]

One-liner: context matters and transplanting solutions out of context doesnt work, obviously

[valedecem]

only read part 1

[Mohammad Mollanoori · Rating 4 out of 5]

میگه از یه جا شروع کنید، یاد بگیرید و رشد بدید پروژه رو.