Abstract
Since the 1990s, scholars and international organizations such as the World Bank have recognized the centrality of institutions for development. While important, this “institutional turn” has generally minimized the diversity of development challenges and the corresponding need for different institutional capacities. Yet distinguishing among developmental tasks is a critical step in understanding the kinds of institutions necessary to accomplish policy tasks. We identify five dimensions of task difficulty that affect the degree and nature of policy challenges and, as a result, the institutional capacities necessary to accomplish such challenges. We assess the utility of this framework through a qualitative analysis of two cross-national/single sector comparative cases: irrigation construction and maintenance in Taiwan versus Thailand and upgrading in the natural rubber industry in Malaysia versus Thailand. This framework constitutes a diagnostic tool for identifying areas in need of institutional strengthening, emphasizing the importance of “fit” between institutional capacities and developmental tasks.
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