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The political economy of open contracting reforms in low- and middle-income countries
Title / Series / Name
Publication Volume
Publication Issue
Pages
Editors
Keywords
Sociology and Political Science
Public Administration
Marketing
SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Public Administration
Marketing
SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
URI
https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14018/27110
Abstract
Transparency reforms make government contracting more open and amenable to public scrutiny, helping to improve public spending efficiency. But they are also politically sensitive, complex and highly technical, which makes them especially difficult to implement if state capacity is weak. Our research on nine low- and middle-income countries in Africa and Asia systematically assesses progress in improving the legal framework for procurement transparency and implementing systems that allow open access to data, between 2008 and 2019. Through interviews with key informants, we explore the reasons for progress or its absence, finding that success relies on strong leadership commitment, broad coalitions of state and non-state actors, and sufficient technical capacity. Leadership commitment ensures that implementing bodies have the appropriate mandate and resources, while broad coalitions sustain commitment and harness external technical assistance. Both factors are best achieved by framing the reforms as a way of improving efficiency rather than fighting corruption.
Topic
Publisher
Place of Publication
Type
Journal article
Date
2024-09-04
Language
ISBN
Identifiers
10.1111/gove.12897