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Explaining Positive Deviance in Public Sector Reforms in Development

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  • Andrews, Matt

    (Harvard University)

Abstract

Public sector reforms are commonplace in developing countries. Much of the literature about these reforms reflects on their failures. This paper asks about the successes and investigates which of two competing theories best explain why some reforms exhibit such positive deviance. These theories are called 'solution and leader driven change' (SLDC) and 'problem driven iterative adaptation' (PDIA). They are used to analyze data emerging from a case survey involving thirty cases from Princeton University's Innovations for Successful Society (ISS) program. The bulk of evidence from this study supports a PDIA explanation, but there is reason to believe that SLDC hypotheses also have value. It seems that PDIA and SLDC are two viable paths through which positive deviance can emerge; although PDIA seems to provide the wider path for more positive deviance.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrews, Matt, 2013. "Explaining Positive Deviance in Public Sector Reforms in Development," Working Paper Series rwp13-040, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government.
    • Handle: RePEc:ecl:harjfk:rwp13-040
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Andrews, Matt & Pritchett, Lant & Woolcock, Michael, 2013. "Escaping Capability Traps Through Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA)," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 234-244.
    2. Grindle, Merilee S., 1997. "Divergent cultures? When public organizations perform well in developing countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 25(4), pages 481-495, January.
    3. Andrews,Matt, 2013. "The Limits of Institutional Reform in Development," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107016330, October.
    4. Nilima Gulrajani & Willy McCourt & David K. Leonard, 2010. "‘Pockets’ of effective agencies in weak governance states: Where are they likely and why does it matter?," Public Administration & Development, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 30(2), pages 91-101, May.
    5. Andrews, Matt, 2013. "How Do Governments Get Great?," Working Paper Series rwp13-020, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government.
    6. World Bank, 2011. "The World Bank Annual Report 2011 [Banco Mundial - informe anual 2011 : reseña del ejercicio]," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 2378.
    7. Andrews, Matthew, 2008. "Creating Space for Effective Political Engagement in Development," Working Paper Series rwp08-015, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government.
    8. Matt Andrews, 2010. "How Far Have Public Financial Management Reforms Come in Africa?," CID Working Papers 208, Center for International Development at Harvard University.
    9. David Brady & Michael Spence, 2010. "Leadership and Growth : Commission on Growth and Development," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 2404.
    10. Garud, Raghu & Karnoe, Peter, 2003. "Bricolage versus breakthrough: distributed and embedded agency in technology entrepreneurship," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 277-300, February.
    11. Andrews, Matthew R. & McConnell, Jesse & Wescott, Alison, 2010. "Development as Leadership-led Change," Scholarly Articles 4449099, Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
    12. Francis Owusu, 2006. "On Public Organizations in Ghana: What Differentiates Good Performers from Poor Performers?," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 18(3), pages 471-485.
    13. Matt Andrews, 2013. "How do Governments get Great?," CID Working Papers 260, Center for International Development at Harvard University.
    14. Andrews, Matt, 2010. "How Far Have Public Financial Management Reforms Come in Africa?," Working Paper Series rwp10-018, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government.
    15. Lant Pritchett & Michael Woolcock & Matt Andrews, 2013. "Looking Like a State: Techniques of Persistent Failure in State Capability for Implementation," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(1), pages 1-18, January.
    16. Bond, Richard & Hulme, David, 1999. "Process Approaches to Development: Theory and Sri Lankan Practice," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 27(8), pages 1339-1358, August.
    17. Barbara Vis & Kees van Kersbergen, 2007. "Why and how do Political Actors Pursue Risky Reforms?," Journal of Theoretical Politics, , vol. 19(2), pages 153-172, April.
    18. Andrews, Matthew R., 2010. "How Far Have Public Financial Management Reforms Come in Africa?," Scholarly Articles 4448885, Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
    19. Kim S. Cameron, 1986. "Effectiveness as Paradox: Consensus and Conflict in Conceptions of Organizational Effectiveness," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 32(5), pages 539-553, May.
    20. Boubakri, Narjess & Cosset, Jean-Claude & Guedhami, Omrane, 2009. "From state to private ownership: Issues from strategic industries," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 33(2), pages 367-379, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Thapa,Dikshya & Farid,Muhammad Noor & Prevost,Christophe, 2021. "Governance Drivers of Rural Water Sustainability : Collaboration in Frontline Service Delivery," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9798, The World Bank.
    2. Lodewijk Smets & Stephen Knack, 2018. "World Bank Policy Lending and the Quality of Public-Sector Governance," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 67(1), pages 29-54.
    3. Andrews, Matt, 2014. "Can One Retell a Mozambican Reform Story through Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation?," Working Paper Series rwp14-018, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government.
    4. Peiffer, Caryn & Armytage, Rosita, 2019. "Searching for success: A mixed methods approach to identifying and examining positive outliers in development outcomes," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 97-107.
    5. World Bank, 2018. "World Development Report 2018 [Rapport sur le développement dans le monde 2018]," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 28340.
    6. Matt Andrews, 2014. "Can One Retell a Mozambican Reform Story Through Problem-Driven Iterative Adaptation?," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2014-094, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    7. Matt Andrews, 2014. "Can one retell a Mozambican reform story through Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation?," CID Working Papers 278, Center for International Development at Harvard University.
    8. Caryn Peiffer & Rosita Armytage & Heather Marquette & Pius Gumisiriza, 2021. "Lessons from reducing bribery in Uganda’s health services," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 39(5), pages 721-739, September.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H11 - Public Economics - - Structure and Scope of Government - - - Structure and Scope of Government
    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General
    • O19 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - International Linkages to Development; Role of International Organizations

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