38
FMI
*
IGF JOURNAL
VOLUME 25, NO. 2
GOOD PRACTICE IN PUBLIC SECTOR REFORM
reforms that cultivate the intersection
of institutional capacity, organizational
capability, and leadership competency.
Leadership development initiatives
are dominated by short professional
development courses, seminars, and
workshops. Classroom-based approaches
as a method of developing capacity
for implementation of reforms draw
leaders away from the real action. The
existing organizational culture is often
so strong that it is virtually impossible
for managers returning from even the
most well-designed program to translate
classroom learning into practice.
Reform is about experimentation,
innovation, and doing ‘what has not been
done before’—or doing things in a way
that they have not been done before—
while minimizing risks and making an
impact. Leadership development for
implementation of reforms ought to
focus more on action learning applied to
workplace challenges and tasks. Learning
by doing lays the groundwork for
assimilating what might be considered
contradictory to the existing knowledge,
beliefs, and practices entrenched in
traditional bureaucracies. Developing
a cohesive approach to action learning
remains elusive.
International benchmarks
The push for public sector reforms
in developing countries is heavily
influenced by what are perceived
as effective reforms in developed
countries. Developing countries are
advised to critically analyze their local
environment to ascertainwhat principles
might apply and what innovations
might be transferable. Whether such
advice is heeded, numerous examples
of reforms aimed at transforming
structures, processes, and systems have
been adapted with mixed results.
Cases of successful implementation
are commonly linked to good
leadership. The complex, turbulent,
and demanding environment calls for
leaders who have the capacity to learn
continually and adapt. One case that
ticks most of the boxes for the principles
and methodology of action learning is
the Rapid Results Approach. Kenya’s
RRA is regarded as a world-class reform
initiative that has been deployed by a
number of countries to jump start major
organizational change.
The methodology was originally
developed for the private sector byRobert
Schaffer Management Consulting. It
is now being transferred to the public
sector under the Rapid Results Institute.
The RRA advantage is its focus on
results, in tandem with strengthening
leadership to manage plans and strategies
in real time without removing those
involved in implementation from their
work environment.
RRA tackles bureaucracy as an
impediment to implementing reform.
It creates a temporary governance
structure comprised of different grades
of staff involved in implementing a task
that is sharply defined from existing
strategic and work plans. Ideas are
shared between senior and junior officers
in the affected organization without
going through slow and cumbersome
bureaucratic channels. Breaking down
departmental silos and hierarchical
In 2004, the President of Kenya charged the Public Service Reform and Development
Secretariat with building capacity and a results-oriented culture across government.
Many ministries and other institutions were unaccustomed to providing quality public
services or delivering on performance targets. The Secretariat focused on ministries that
provided key public services and pushed them to apply Rapid Results, a management
technique that breaks long-term plans into manageable 100-day small projects.
Pilot initiatives showed early results and built momentum for mainstreaming the
program. By 2008, teams had helped launch Rapid Results in 25 of 30 ministries, 10
local authorities, 20 state corporations, and 3 public universities. By 2012, 580 teams
had implemented initiatives in half of the 42 ministries, all 175 local authorities, 45
state corporations, and 3 of 6 public universities, improving services and boosting the
capacity to implement projects.
The Permanent Secretary responsible for Rapid Results maintained that, “The
number one reason for the success of the Rapid Results approach is that the cabinet
decided to institutionalize results-based management. Then, each ministry set plans
and targets for the medium term and put in place performance contracts so that they
could deliver. In this context, we had Rapid Results initiatives that empowered leaders
to do things within 100 days for results. You will get results in such an environment,
and Rapid Results will work.”
A senior policy advisor stressed the importance of a home-grown approach: “In an
environment like Kenya, we have to guard against Rapid Results being seen as a foreign
practice. It must be packaged as part of the government’s reform agenda. The person
leading the initiatives needs to be an insider with sound knowledge of reforms. Unless
you know the history of reforms in that country, it is difficult to adapt it to the context.”
The active involvement of ministry leaders was also critical.
Rapid Results Approach (Kenya)
Many of us are working so hard
to be sure things are being done
right that we hardly have time
to decide if we are doing
the right things.
Stephen Covey
{
{
