Reforming the Malawian Public Sector

Retrospectives and Prospectives

Reforming the Malawian Public Sector argues that the new public management model that Malawi, like most African countries, adopted under the influence of donor organisations has not led to the intended development. The book examines decentralisation, performance contracting, and public-private partnerships as key aspects of the reforms and comes to the conclusion that at best, it can be argued that the failures have been due to poor implementation and this could be attributed to the fact that the process was led by donors who lacked the necessary institutional infrastructure. The book uses the 2005/6 fertiliser subsidy programme, which the government embarked on despite donor resistance that it went against market models, but which turned out to be overwhelmingly successful to demonstrate the stateís developmental ability and potential.

This volume is essential reading for academics, students, and practitioners seeking a deeper understanding of public administration, management, policy, development and governance in Africa and the rest of the developing world.

The book is dedicated to the memory Guy Mhone, a Malawian, who was among Africaís leading scholars in public administration and governance. His works focused mainly on public sector reforms and development.

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