Publication: Does the Semi-Autonomous Agency Model Function in a Low-Governance Environment? The Case of the Road Development Agency in Zambia
Date
2013-08
ISSN
Published
2013-08
Author(s)
Abstract
This paper uses Zambia as a case study
to assess empirically whether political interference in a
low-governance environment has diminished in the past years
as expected after a semi-autonomous agency model was set up
ten years ago. The road sector in Zambia has experienced
some significant developments since then. The paper uses
data on contract from 2008 to 2011 and analyses a number of
key trends related to Road Development Agency governance and
staffing dynamics as well as procurement and project
selection within the institution. The main findings indicate
that, after some years of implementation of these reforms,
there is reason to question whether the model of
semi-autonomous agency enables road management to be
shielded from political interference. Zambia may be an
isolated case but, so far, this model does not seem to have
been able to decrease political interference in the
selection or supervision of projects and there seems to have
been an increased lack of accountability of civil servants
working in this sector.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“Raballand, Gael; Bridges, Kate; Beuran, Monica; Sacks, Audrey. 2013. Does the Semi-Autonomous Agency Model Function in a Low-Governance Environment? The Case of the Road Development Agency in Zambia. Policy Research Working Paper;No. 6585. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/16018 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
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