Building State Capacity in Africa

Abstract

In recent years, a number of African governments, sometimes working in partnership with the Bank, and other development partners, have moved forward with new-style programs to build public sector capacity. This book aims to share some of the lessons for the design, and implementation of public sector capacity building, emerging from this new generation of operational practice. Their experiences are reviewed, and some major challenges for the African public sector are identified for how can African states: be innovative in the reform process, harness the energies of the local elites, learn from past reformers, and, harness political will as a partner in the reform process. It addresses topics such as the relationship between governance and economic development, public expenditure and accountability, anticorruption reform, decentralization, political structures, and, the delivery of public services.