In the shadow of good governance : an ethnography of civil service reform in Africa / / by Gerhard Anders.

• Superior document: Afrika-Studiecentrum series, v. 16
• Author: Anders, Gerhard.
• Year of Publication: 2010
• Language: English
• Series: Afrika-Studiecentrum series ; v. 16.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (178 p.)
• Notes: Description based upon print version of record.

In the Shadow of Good Governance traces the implementation of the good governance agenda in Malawi from the loan documents signed by the representatives of the government and the Bretton Woods institutions to the individual experiences of civil servants who responded in unforeseen ways to the reform measures. Ethnographic evidence gathered in government offices, neighbourhoods and the private homes of civil servants living in Malawi’s urban and peri-urban areas undermines the common perception of a disconnect between state institutions and society in Africa. Instead, the book presents a comprehensive analysis of civil servants’ attempts to negotiate the effects of civil service reform and economic crisis at the turn of the 21st century.

Table of Contents

Preliminary Material / G. Anders -- 1. Introduction: Unpacking Good Governance / G. Anders -- 2. Historical Background / G. Anders -- 3. Constructing Country Ownership / G. Anders -- 4. The Implementation Process / G. Anders -- 5. Eroding Salaries And Doing Business / G. Anders -- 6. “Distance Saves Me” / G. Anders -- 7. The Democratisation Of Appropriation / G. Anders -- 8. Conclusions: The State In Society / G. Anders -- References / G. Anders -- Index / G. Anders.