Public sector reform in Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS)

In excess of 30 years of international developmental agency and donor-funded reform efforts (with conditionalities) have been imposed upon Pacific SIDS. However, subsequent acquiescence, questionable commitment and ownership, and passive and active resistance to reform efforts by governments and public administrations, and the frustratingly limited reform outcomes achieved in proportion to the considerable funds, time, and effort invested, stand as testament that such developed country reform approaches imposed on Pacific SIDS are prone to ongoing failure. It is suggested, for reform efforts in Pacific SIDS to be successful, they need to be government-led and not imposed through conditionality funding, socioculturally sensitive and context-specific, and capable of providing the necessary support to those governments (in a non-patronizing manner) in order to create the conditions required for those government to ‘own’ and facilitate reform; as opposed to the reform being driven by external ‘foreign’ parties with their own agendas.