This background paper to the IEG’s evaluation of the World Bank’s support for public sector reform presents the thematic analysis for the administrative and civil service area.
Based on the evidence reviewed, generally CSA reform efforts have not been successful. In many cases this can be attributed to challenging political environments, and cultural barriers such as patronage-based bureaucracies. But the Bank’s role has also been an important factor. For instance, Bank analyses of CSA have often focused more on affordability than on performance or accountability; during the 1990s, this emphasis has frequently led to downsizing and pay reforms that were often politically unrealistic.
More recently the Bank has had better success where it has focused on personnel management reforms (such as merit-based recruitment and promotion) to improve performance and counter patronage-based systems. The failures of CSA reform have also frequently reflected the lack of a coherent strategy and clear diagnostic tools. In addition, there is growing recognition that ambitious conditionalities subject to short time frames are unrealistic since CSA reforms require longer time horizons before positive outcomes can be achieved.
While these observations could suggest a reduced involvement in CSA, in fact CSA reform is critically important to the realization of the full benefits of improving public service delivery and accountability. CSA reform cannot be viewed in isolation: it affects the incentives and capacities of the people who have to implement reforms in all the other areas of public administration reform. For example, improving public financial management systems to the point where it has real impact on public service performance and accountability has not happened without also improving the civil service.
Instead, the paper recommends strengthening the CSA components of PSR by developing a better analytical framework and performance indicators, similar to the role that PEFA has played in PFM reforms. In addition, more modest expectations and careful sequencing are likely to be more productive. Even where support for CSA reform is weaker, the Bank has had some successes in building data system s on staffing numbers, compensation and attendance, which can lay the groundwork for more difficult reforms. Linking CSA reforms to the budget-execution phases of financial management has also shown positive results in many cases.
