Reconstructing Public Administration after Conflict
3. Strategies for effective delivery of services Terms such as “recovery”, “reconstruction” and “rebuilding” imply a return to the status quo before the conflict. However, since public service delivery might have been inadequate before the conflict, and might even have been a contributing cause, efforts to address service delivery challenges should not necessarily be about restoring pre-conflict economic or institutional arrangements. Rather, the emphasis should be on “building back differently and better” (UNDP 2008, p. 5). Post-conflict situations allow a “window of opportunity” for transformation (UNDP 2007a, p. 1). States can develop better processes and systems aimed at more efficient, effective and inclusive service delivery. The approach needs to be a holistic one, with scaling up of societal, organizational and individual capacities. In post-conflict situations, the needs relating to public service delivery range from providing humanitarian relief in the short term to ensuring sustainable public service delivery in the long term. In many cases, the ideal mix may be to address both objectives at the same time. In other words, there should be a dual focus on meeting the most pressing needs for security services, clean water, health care, etc., and on building capacity for long-term, equitable, effective provision of services. It is also important to have an integrative approach from the beginning, taking into account the local context and the structures and processes already in place before introducing new initiatives (Pavanello and Darcy 2008).
There should be a dual focus on meeting the most pressing needs for security services, clean water, health care, etc., and on building capacity for long-term, equitable, effective provision of services
Allowing for flexibility and innovation Post-conflict situations change over time. Therefore, approaches to public service delivery need to be flexible enough to take into account changing realities and development progress. There should also be room for innovation on the ground when difficult circumstances arise. In cases where the State must rely on foreign donors to step in, aid agencies must tailor the delivery of services to the characteristics of the situation and be flexible with respect to entry points and approaches. Service delivery systems should be crafted to use local resources, deliver tangible outputs based on need and target the poorest and most marginalized groups. For example, in Nepal in 1996, the biggest need for public services was in remote, rural communities. Not only were
Post-conflict situations allow a “window of opportunity” for transformation: States can develop better processes and systems aimed at more efficient, effective and inclusive service delivery 113