Book Review: POLICY REFORM FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN THE CARIBBEAN. Eds. Michele Garrity and Louis A. Picard. 10s Press, Amsterdam, 1996. 138 pp.
✍ Scribed by MEINE PIETER VAN DIJK
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1997
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 71 KB
- Volume
- 17
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0271-2075
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
This is the second volume in a series of monographs published by the International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS). It was prepared by the IIAS Working Group on Development Administration following discussions at a regional seminar on the theme Development Administration: Capacity Building for Public Policy Change and Sustainability. Four of the chapters deal with aspects of reform in Jamaica whilst a further three chapters deal with Trinidad. In addition, an introductory chapter examines the lessons to be drawn from policy reforms in the Caribbean whilst the last chapter discusses issues of governance and sustainability in the region.
In the empirical chapters on Jamaica the authors consider the context of current administrative reforms, public enterprise reform, the role of business organizations in the reform process and a framework for managing the reforms. The authors point to the need to nurture a culture of reform and to recognize the importance of values in the reform process. They also draw attention to the success of privatization in Jamaica; liberalization has resulted in a vibrant private sector and this is shown in the analysis of the role of business associations in Jamaica.
From their study of Trinidad the authors conclude that a successful reform programme needs adequate support and co-operation, which may be obtained through consultation, participation and education. These conditions, however, were only partially prevalent in Trinidad, resulting in serious problems in implementing reform which, in turn, lowered the performance of both civil servants and ministers. The authors also note a need for greater public accountability, which could be achieved through mechanisms such as an Ombudsman and an Equal Opportunities Commission.
Good governance, it may be argued, is to the administration of a country what structural adjustment is for the economy. In this book the two issues are linked; Picard writes in the ®rst chapter that we can now understand how structural adjustment impacts on the capacity of state and society to make and implement public policy and promote social and economic development. The book focuses on a number of issues such as the balance between public sector and private sector responsibilities for social and economic development, decentralization and the promotion of institutional development for sustainability. It concludes that there are a number of prerequisites for public sector reform, such as good governance and good management, a degree of decentralization and the availability of institutional capacity and technical skills.
My major criticisms concern the different methods of analysis used in each empirical chapter. The section on Jamaica begins with a descriptive overview of the administrative reforms. This is followed by an analysis of public enterprise reform using theories that explain the growth of the public sector. The role of business organizations is analysed in terms of coordination capacity (of information and activities) and resource diversity and autonomy. Finally, a framework for managing the reform process is presented, which goes beyond reliance on mainstream private business management methods.
Different methods are used in the chapters on Trinidad and Tobago. The ®rst chapter looks at the conditions for successful decentralization and the whole of the public sector reform process is put in an historical context by going back to the 1930s. Issues such as changes in public service morale and race and ethnicity are also put in an historical perspective. The last chapter is essentially a piece of political analysis examining issues such as maladministration, political unrest and the role of service commissions. The diversity of themes and methods of analysis makes the book rather less convincing in its treatment of the real impact of structural adjustment on the governing capacity of these two Caribbean states.
The book can be further criticized on the grounds that most of the papers do not deal with sustainability and also that the analysis is limited to two countries. However, the detailed descriptions of the reorientation of state/society relations in these two countries are very interesting. Finally, the conclusion that institutional development both inside and outside