Publisher's Synopsis
Thirty years of donor-supported development programmes in Africa have shown that the intricacies of policy content have usually won out over the institutional requirements necessary for effective and efficient government. Consequently, administrative and managerial capacity has been declining rather than improving in much of the continent, and the introduction of structural adjustment policies has tended to compound the problem. Reform initiatives, to strengthen weak markets and bolster weak states, have typically ignored the critical institutional imperatives necessary for generating vibrant markets and a viable governance process.;This book revisits issues of sustainable development and capacity building, focusing on the experiences of African researchers and practitioners. The authors - representing the public and non-governmental sectors, as well as the donor community - concentrate on four themes: good governance requires an appropriate balance of responsibilities betweent the public and private sectors; pluralism and decentralisation are fundamental to sustainability; management capacity is the weak link in development programmes; and institution building is directly linked to sustainability. The case studies cover Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya and Botswana.
