Comments on: Searching For Sustainable Public Policies In Jordan

By: abu daoud

abu daoud — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 20:14:11 +0000

Deena:

I think Dave’s comment provides your answer. Even if the program were well-planned it would be foiled by the people supplied to implement the program.

I am wondering (beyond hope, perhaps): how difficult would it be to get enough MP’s elected who would actually stand for a real change in how things are done to make a difference?

Is this totally impossible? Or is it simply difficult? Or are the parliament elections so tied up with tribal/family loyalties that this could never happen? I don’t know the answer to these questions. But I want to hope…

By: Deena

Deena — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 17:27:30 +0000

But isn’t what you are pointing out to a lack of planning rather than evaluation? I mean if well studied and researched plans where put into effect, especially in the areas you mentioned such as education, health and energy, then the implementation would be smoother and more effective. At least that is what the german stereotype of efficiency and sustainability are based on: meticulous planning.

Of course, such long term plans would require an overhaul in our current budget, which according to a report by the economist Mohammad mansur in the Jordan times a while back (if I recall correctly) spends 70% on government expenses, including paying the salaries of bureaucratic government employees who only work till 2 pm!, while less than 30% is spent on education, healthcare and other basic services combined.

By: Alurduni Al Hurr

Alurduni Al Hurr — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 15:22:44 +0000

Nas,,I have pointed out my opinion several times on this blog;and why we failed to implement sustainable policy,it is very clear by now to every body that public at large is detached from the process due to government intransigent and refusal to allow the public to participate to solve it’s own internal and external problems by using the the old broken record “we, the government knows better and you the public has a lot to “grow up” and “develop” before you the public can participate in solving your problems.
Having said that,there is no way in the world ,that we can solve our problems without looking at ,the lack of democracy ,transparency and above all accountability in our country,we must agree that we need major over whole in our government structure before we can descuss solving our problems as a society,we must demand real vibrant citizenship participation based on consense ,accountability, transparency and above all clean elections and just laws in order to start implementing any policy that is destined to fail and crumble under this current system of governance of a one man show.

By: Mohanned

Mohanned — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:06:48 +0000

Or, Or create a committee..We love committees!

By: Nas

Nas — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:02:38 +0000

Dave, that is a good example of how a policy failed due to its implementation. what’s worse is that the lack of evaluation will mean that this program will be labeled a success and thus repeated. it’s a matter of delegation and that the problem is being “taken care of”.

By: Dave

Dave — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:34:19 +0000

I’m not sure if this relates exactly, but I was recently involved in an initiative to teach members of the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture to create educational and training videos to help train Iraqi farmers. The US Department of Agriculture funded the purchase of top-notch computers, software, hardware and other goodies for the training, and the Iraqi Ministry hand-picked representatives to come and participate.

The problem is that some of the people they picked had no experience with computers, whatsoever. Some had never even turned one on! And they had been chosen to come and take place in an 11-day course on producing video, start to finish. Some of them admitted that they were there just to collect the “freebies” to take back to their bosses. To their credit, everyone who participated tried very hard with varying degrees of success.

But it’s disheartening to think that this is a “solution”. While the amount of training and service exceeded your example of the boxed computers sitting in a dusty classroom corner, I still get the feeling that this brand-new equipment will suffer the same fate once it gets to its final destination.