Program of the 2002 Asia-Pacific Panel on Public Administration

Ms. Yuko Kaneko,
Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Government of Japan

November 2002

Time and Date: 4:30 pm – 6:30pm, 8 November 2002
Venue: New Delhi, India
Conference site: The Hotel Ashok, Convention Hall A

Theme

Role Sharing and Collaboration between Governments and NGOs for National Development

Introduction

The accumulated financial deficits in the developed countries and the shortage of development assistance funds in the developing countries have forced many governments to reform public management to make it more efficient and effective. The people’s needs towards the government have become increasingly complicated and diversified due to social and economic changes. In addition, the citizens are becoming eager to participate in the policy implementation process such as in public service delivery. The roles hitherto played by the government, especially service delivery and management of public facilities, are now being shared by various non-governmental actors. Particularly, the performances of NGOs are attracting the attention of many including citizens, governments, and students of public administration.

In several of the developing countries, in lieu of weak national governments, NGOs have been assuming the roles of agents of development assistance programs for improving social welfare services. In contrast, in the developed countries, because of financial difficulties, NGOs, private enterprises and the citizens have come to share some roles of the government especially service delivery.

Questions are: which actors should be the main agents of public services, and how to construct creative collaboration and networking among the various actors in delivering public services. In some countries, NGOs are the most trusted actors, above and over the government and the other organizations, while in other countries, especially in deficit driven countries, NGOs are viewed as the least cost implementers of service delivery. Another argument is that as for the developing countries we cannot after all expect much out of NGOs and that rather, the priority in developing countries should be given to strengthening the present weak national governments.

In these contexts, we will hold this panel with the following objectives:

1. To increase the knowledge on the roles played by the NGOs in the public services,
2. To further analyze the relationships between governments and NGOs, and
3. To discuss how to construct creative collaboration between governments and NGOs.

In addition, how to evaluate public services involving the various actors should also be discussed.

Keynote Speaker

• Mr. Akira Iriyama
  President, The Sasakawa Peace Foundation, Japan

Panelists

• Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan
  National Coordinator,
  LOK SATTA People Power, India
• Dr. Chindalak Vadhanasindhu
  Associate Professor and Dean, School of Public Administration
  National Institute of Development Administration, Thailand
• Mr. Isagani Serrano
  Vice-President,
  Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement
  The Philippines
• Mr. Jacques Mariel Nzouankeu
  Permanent Secretary
  Observatoire des Fonctions Publiques Africaines
• Mr. Guido Bertucci
  Director, Department of Economic and Social Affairs
  United Nations

Chairperson

• Mr. Hiromitsu Kataoka
  Professor, Waseda University, Japan
  (Assisted by Dr. Hiroko Kudo, Waseda University, Japan)

Vice-chairperson

• Dr. Itoko Suzuki
  Professor, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Japan

Organization of the Panel

• 16:30-17:00 Keynote speech
• 17:00-17:45 Presentation by Dr. Narayan,
  Dr. Vadhanasindhu and Mr. Serrano
• 17:45-18:05 Comments by Mr. Nzouankeu and Mr. Bertucci
• 18:05-18:25 Discussion
• 18:25-18:30 Conclusion by the Chairperson

Organizers

Japan Committee for the Study of NPM,
Kataoka Research Institute, Waseda University
1-6-1, Nishiwaseda, Shinjukuku,
TOKYO, 169-0051, JAPAN

International Institute of Administrative Sciences
Rue Defacqz 1, Box 11, B-1000
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM

Program coordinator

Ms. Yuko Kaneko
Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications, Government of Japan
E-mail: ykaneko@stat.go.jp