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Draft Proposal of CDRI Research Programme on

Democratic Governance and Public Sector Reform

2007-2010

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Rationales for a New Programme

CDRI Strategic Plan 2006-2010 PORDEC Achievements Democratic Governance & Public

Sector Reform 3-5 years extended on PORDEC Work

The Research Team

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Objectives of Today Discussion

To share CDRI Research Proposal on Democratic Governance and Public Sector Reform for 2007-2010

To solicit feedback on the proposed research framework, capacity building and policy outreach strategy

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Democratic Governance in Cambodia after 15 years

Institutional Reforms– Centralised and decentralised programmes– New Public Management run into local institution

realities– Increasing institutionalisation of patronage = neo-

patrimonialim Democratic Transition

– Institutionalisation of election– Responsiveness of State and assertiveness of

society

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Democratic Governance in Cambodia after 15 years (Cont)

The outcomes: “State is poorly integrated and detached from society”

This is the condition known as

“hybridity”

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Hybridity and the International Literature

What is hybridity? Why is it useful?

– Because it recognises:• Formal and informal systems• Rational liberal and cultural specific practices• Democratic and non-democratic processes• Political and technical issues

– And it explains the mutually entanglement of the two

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A New Research Agenda

NOT what succeeds and what fails BUT what works, and What types of actors can make such a

system work? What types of actors are excluded from

the system?

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Three Sub-Themes of the Framework

Institutional Development (D&D)– Organic Law– D&D Implementation– Capacity to generate outcomes in terms

of:• State as a rule-enforcer• State as a resource distributor• State as a guardian of public goods

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Three Sub-Themes of the Framework (Cont)

State-society relations and intermediaries– What is filling the state-society gaps

(NGOs, Kse, political parties, private sectors)?

– Who are the winners and losers of these arrangements?

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Three Sub-Themes of the Framework (Cont)

Civic Engagement– Why cannot the Cambodian public

demand better service?– Is the problem structural or cultural?

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Research Objectives

To better understand how institutional reform processes affect and/or relate to democratic development through the analysis existing and on-going findings on of development of formal institutions together with new work on informal organisations, political culture, and structural/demographic change in Cambodia;

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Research Objectives (Cont)

To build capacity of the emerging generation of Cambodian public administration and political science specialists and researchers;

To produce a dynamic model of Cambodian governance and policy making that captures the importance of informal, invisible and intangible variables;

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Research Objectives (Cont)

To use this model to develop and disseminate policy-relevant findings concerning governance issues that are crucial to the deepening of democracy in Cambodia.

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Specific Studies1. Institutional Development

Organic Law Analysis

Implementing the D&D reforms: Process, Issues, Accountabilities, and New Roles for the Province and District

Political Economy of Sectoral D&D

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Specific Studies1. Institutional Development

Supporting the public good and the investment environment through building regulatory and horizontal coordination capacity at sub-national level

Fiscal Decentralisation, Public Financial Management and Neo-Patrimonialism

Neo-Patrimonialism From Below: A Study Of Cambodian Grassroots Political Culture

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Specific Studies2. State-Society Relations and Intermediaries

Consequences of the Electoral System: The Concept of Opposition in Cambodian Political Culture

Responsiveness in Democratic Governance

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Specific Studies2. State-Society Relations and Intermediaries

Structural Change and the Cambodian ’Bourgeoisie’ (How will local elites be invited in the building of a local democratic state

Enhanced mechanisms of participation to deepen democratic development in Cambodia

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Specific Studies3. Civic Engagement

Images of Cambodian Citizenship (self-images among neglected sub-groups such as youth, women, ethnic groups, and local economic elites etc.)

A Cambodian Social Contract?

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Specific Studies3. Civic Engagement

Leadership and Local Representation (Why do councillors and others engage in local politics? Who are the leaders? )

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Specific Studies for 4. Cross-Cutting Themes

To what extent are the process of decentralisation and deconcentration gendered?

Community forestry management and local governance

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Specific Studies for 4. Cross-Cutting Themes

Impact and interaction between trade reform and public finance reform

Governing water resource management in the irrigation sector

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Design of the Programme

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3___Year 4

ID WP1-1 WP1-2 S-S WP2-1 WP2-2 Civic Engt WP3-1 WP-3-2 Cross-cutting Studies -----------------------------

Monograph

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Design of the Programme (con’t)

Five researchers focus on six studies over the first three years of the proposed program, collectively producing 6 Working Papers (WPs) in 3-4 years time (as well as work on cross-cutting studies).

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Design of the Programme (con’t)

All WPs are expected feed into (chapters) of a joint edited volume for a Monograph.

Each WP serves as the base from which study findings can be expanded into other publication formats, such as short policy briefs, ADR articles, conference papers, or journal publications.

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Operationalising the Research

Main objective is for researchers to own the research agenda and process. Internal and external TAs support researchers as needed.

Researchers conceptualize and drive research questions

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Operationalising the Research (Cont)

Researchers formulate fieldwork techniques, analyze data, disseminate findings, recommend policy interventions

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Operationalising the Research (Cont)

Issues, not theories drive the research

In-house peer review followed by external TA review

Lead authorship and writing responsibility

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Capacity Building

Research Advisory Team (RAT) (4-5 professors) to support each WP– Conceptualising, analysing, and editing

especially of the monograph

Co-author with RAT for international publications

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Capacity Building (Cont)

Mini-courses, international conferences and workshops, several master +++ courses

1 Master and 1 PhD included in the budget

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Capacity Building (Cont)

Only 50% of the team’s time committed to allow space for unplanned commission studies

Spend more time on reading, mentoring, and group discussions

Peer review, ethical review of research Research manuals

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Policy Outreach Our primary audience: Cambodian

policy makers

Provide more timely, accessible and diversified research products (I.e. length, content, style, more prohok, less cheese) for our audience, especially Cambodian.

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Policy Outreach (Cont)

Reflect RGC’s reform priorities

Enhance policy dialogues between Cambodian government with civil society and donors

Short, action-oriented policy briefs

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Thank You

Discussion Session