Background
When the Indonesians withdrew from East Timor in 1999, they left behind a territory that lacked not only basic physical infrastructure such as buildings and roads—much of this had been destroyed by pro-Indonesian militia during the withdrawal—but also basic state institutions. Since then, foreign donors and the East Timorese political elite have constructed government ministries, a parliament, a presidential office, a court system, and a variety of other state institutions. But while these efforts have created a state apparatus, they do not appear to have created much state capacity. At the same time, however, Timor Leste has clearly developed more state capacity in some sectors than in others. For instance, notwithstanding the state's general lack of capacity, it has it has established considerable capacity in the health sector, as evidenced by its creation of a functioning basic health system and formulation of a policy framework for health activities.
Objectives
The key research question is:
'What political factors contribute to successful state capacity building efforts in collapsed states?'
Research in this sub-theme is starting with a scoping study of state capacities in East Timor, which on gaining independence in 1999 inherited administrative machinery in ruins with the complete destruction of basic infrastructure and the wholesale departure of Indonesian bureaucrats. The government has attempted to construct a variety of functioning state institutions and rebuild public service provision.
The purpose of this research project is to assess the extent to which these attempts at state-building have served to create state capacity; to explain why these attempts have succeeded/failed to create state capacity; to explain any observed variation in state capacity across institutions; and in conducting the above analysis, contribute to our understanding of the factors that shape successful state capacity-building initiatives in collapsed states. In focusing on case studies of state-building initiatives in two sectors – health and education – the East Timor case study seeks to refine concepts and develop researchable hypotheses on state capacities in fragile environments which will inform the design of a comparative cross-country research project in Asia and Africa .
Methodology
The case study research in East Timor will draw principally on semi-structured interviews and secondary documentation. In order to assess the personal attributes and abilities of the Ministers for Education and Health ‘objective' information on the educational qualifications and professional experience of the two Ministers and ‘subjective' views on their leadership skills and management abilities will be combined with qualitative interviews with foreign aid officials, expatriate advisers, representatives from NGOs, academic researchers.
To assess the nature of donor practices in the two sectors the research will investigate the significance of three separate explanatory variables:
- the extent to which donors have operated through parallel structures rather than government channels;
- the extent to which donors have established effective mechanisms for coordinating their activities; and
- the extent to which donors have included local actors in decision-making processes.
To determine the extent to which there is coherence between the objectives and interests of donors and the dominant domestic political and social groups the research will rely on key donor documents, interviews with donor representatives, and analyses of donor activities in the health and education sectors in other contexts. In determining the objectives and interests of umbrella group representing the resistance movement and Fretilin party, the research will rely on views of key figures from each organisation and others who worked closely with them as expressed in interviews, analysis of policy statements, and previous academic studies on the health and education sectors.
Researchers
Dr Andrew Rosser - IDS Sussex UK
Top
|
