Person:
Lust, Ellen M.

Loading...
Profile Picture
Author Name Variants
Fields of Specialization
Comparative politics, Middle East and North Africa
Degrees
ORCID
Externally Hosted Work
Contact Information
Last updated: January 31, 2023
Biography
Ellen Lust is Professor in the Department of Political Science and Founding Director of the Program on Governance and Local Development at Yale University, and Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Project on Middle East Democracy.  She received her M.A. in Modern Middle East and North African Studies and PhD in Political Science from the University of Michigan, and has conducted fieldwork and implemented surveys in Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria and Tunisia. She was a founding associate editor of Middle East Law and Governance and currently chairs its board of directors. Her books include  Structuring Conflict in the Arab World;  Political Participation in the Middle East, co-edited with Saloua Zerhouni; Governing Africa’s Changing Societies, co-edited with Stephen Ndegwa; the 12th and 13th editions of  The Middle East; and Taking to the Streets: The Transformation of Arab Activism, co-edited with Lina Khatib.  She has also published articles in Perspectives on Politics, Comparative Political Studies,  International Journal of Middle East Studies,  Politics and Society, and Comparative Politics and other journals.

Publication Search Results

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Publication

Trust, Voice, and Incentives : Learning from Local Success Stories in Service Delivery in the Middle East and North Africa

2015-04, Brixi, Hana, Lust, Ellen, Woolcock, Michael, Alaref, Jumana, Halabi, Samira, Hebert, Luciana, Linnemann, Hannah, Quota, Manal

This report examines the role of incentives, trust, and engagement as critical determinants of service delivery performance in MENA countries. Focusing on education and health, the report illustrates how the weak external and internal accountability undermines policy implementation and service delivery performance and how such a cycle of poor performance can be counteracted. Case studies of local success reveal the importance of both formal and informal accountability relationships and the role of local leadership in inspiring and institutionalizing incentives toward better service delivery performance. Enhancing services for MENA citizens requires forging a stronger social contract among public servants, citizens, and service providers while empowering communities and local leaders to find 'best fit' solutions. Learning from the variations within countries, especially the outstanding local successes, can serve as a solid basis for new ideas and inspiration for improving service delivery. Such learning may help the World Bank Group and other donors as well as national and local leaders and civil society, in developing ways to enhance the trust, voice, and incentives for service delivery to meet citizens’ needs and expectations.