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Home»Governance»Service delivery

Service delivery

State capacity and non-state service provision in fragile and conflict-affected states

Literature Review
  • Richard Batley; Claire Mcloughlin
February 2009

How can governments effectively engage with non-state providers (NSPs) of basic services where capacity is weak? This paper examines whether and how fragile and conflict affected states can co-ordinate, finance, and set and apply standards for the provision of basic services by NSPs. It explores ways of incrementally engaging the state, beginning with activities that are least ...» more

Post-conflict Rehabilitation of Education Services

Helpdesk Report
  • Huma Haider
January 2009

Education systems can contribute to conflict. In Rwanda, for example, the education system was used as an instrument in fomenting exclusion and hate. In many post-conflict settings, rehabilitation of the education sector requires not re-establishing the system that existed prior to the conflict but rather reforming the whole system. Education rehabilitation goes beyond ...» more

Participation of Excluded Groups in Local Governance

Helpdesk Report
  • Huma Haider
October 2008

There are various methods of ensuring and allowing the participation of excluded groups in local governance. They fall under two broad categories: 1) promoting the representation of excluded groups in local government, including in leadership positions, and 2) promoting the participation of excluded groups in local meetings to discuss planning, budgeting and development ...» more

M&E of Participation in Governance

Helpdesk Report
  • Andrew McDevitt
October 2008

There is generally very little information available on evaluating the effectiveness of the inclusive/participatory aspects of governance programmes. A particular difficulty is that there is a limited understanding of what improvements in governance actually look like. Nevertheless, some common principles identified in the literature include the need for both quantitative and ...» more

Poverty Reduction Actors in the MENA Region

Helpdesk Report
  • Seema Khan
August 2008

Development actors in the MENA region have been the subject of scholarly attention for some years. This report prioritises literature from 2000 onwards. Much of the recent literature seems to focus on the role of Islamic organisations. Many analysts highlight the large number of these that are already operational in many countries of the region, mostly providing services to ...» more

Mapping Research Programmes on Conflict and Social Cohesion

Helpdesk Report
  • Seema Khan
July 2008

This query aimed to map long-term research programmes on the links between conflict, state fragility and social cohesion. However, there appear to be few programmes which link the three together. Most of the current work being undertaken centres either on the link between conflict and state fragility; or between conflict and social cohesion. This query focuses on the latter. ...» more

Community Participation in Disaster Rehabilitation and Recovery

Helpdesk Report
  • Seema Khan
May 2008

Much of the literature on participation in emergencies focuses on the role of community engagement in disaster preparedness. However, the literature that does address participatory approaches in disaster-affected contexts highlights the advantages, which include better analysis, effective programming and implementation, and increased accountability. In addition, such ...» more

Constitutions and minorities

Helpdesk Report
  • Zoe Scott
May 2008

Whilst there is a large body of literature that focuses generally on participation in constitution-making processes and handling diversity of opinion, no resources were found that exclusively discussed effective inclusion of minority groups. However, practical recommendations for promoting the inclusion of minority groups include the following:Create an independent commission ...» more

Social exclusion in Bangladesh

Helpdesk Report
  • Claire Mcloughlin,
  • Seema Khan
May 2008

A large portion of the existing research on social exclusion in Bangladesh focuses on women (this is dealt with in a separate GSDRC Helpdesk Research Report on ‘Gender Inequality in Bangladesh’). Much of the remaining research focuses on ethnic minorities (indigenous peoples), who are concentrated in rural areas and variably excluded from social, political, and economic arenas. ...» more

Child-centred Research and Advocacy

Helpdesk Report
  • Zoe Scott
April 2008

Since the 1970’s there has been a shift from projects that focus ‘on’ children, through to projects that operate ‘with’ children in the 1990s, to the current focus on research and advocacy projects ‘by’ children. The following key findings are reiterated across several of the resources: Adults tend to be highly sceptical and suspicious of child -centred projects Power ...» more

Migrants/Diaspora and Integration

Helpdesk Report
  • Huma Haider
March 2008

Rising interest in the area of 'transnationalism and integration' has resulted in an increase in research studies in recent years. Most of these studies find that migrant/diaspora involvement in their home countries is not a threat to their integration in host countries. Rather transnationalism and integration can comfortably coexist. Further, some studies have found that ...» more

Climate change and social exclusion

Helpdesk Report
  • Zoe Scott
January 2008

Whilst there is a body of research on ‘climate change vulnerability’ which tends to conclude that poor people in developing countries are most vulnerable to the negative effects of climate change, very little research attempts to disaggregate ‘the poor' and look in detail at specific issues and implications for socially excluded groups.Children: The literature generally ...» more

Drivers of Extremism

Helpdesk Report
  • Huma Haider
October 2007

There is little consensus on what the key drivers of radicalisation and extremism are. Some scholars and policy-makers argue that an absence of participatory democracy and a legitimate arena to channel discontent contributes to extremism. However, others have found no causal connection between authoritarianism and extremism. A common finding in the literature is that while ...» more

Youth Issues in Yemen

Helpdesk Report
  • Seema Khan
October 2007

Over 20% of Yemen’s population is aged between 15 and 24 and, according to UN estimates, by 2025 will have increased by 69% - the second fastest growth rate in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Yemen also has high rates of illiteracy and youth unemployment. Lack of employment is considered to be one of the single most important and debilitating effects of ...» more

Social Exclusion Issues in Afghanistan

Helpdesk Report
  • Seema Khan
August 2007

None of the literature surveyed applies the term ‘social exclusion’ to the Afghan context and most of the relevant discussion is couched in terms of ‘vulnerable groups’. These are identified primarily as women, returnees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), people with disabilities, and ethnic groups such as the Kuchi nomads. Children, the elderly and ex-soldiers are also ...» more

Gender Issues in Afghanistan

Helpdesk Report
  • Seema Khan
August 2007

Most commentators agree there has been rapid and significant progress in many areas relating to women in Afghanistan - the Afghan government has committed itself to various international human rights instruments; gender equality is now considered government policy; significant numbers of women voted in the 2004 parliamentary elections; a ministry for women’s affairs now exists; ...» more

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