A Good Governancee Paradox? Reexamining Reform of Economic Institutions in Post-Conflict Contexts

Haque, Tobias

doi:10.2139/ssrn.3163933

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…These observed imbalances also stem from the political context of Fiji and Vanuatu. Development and political science scholars (Haque, 2018; Levitsky & Murillo, 2009; Pritchett et al, 2012) describe that LMICs tend to create institutions and policy decision‐making processes resembling those in democratic states to gain legitimacy in the eyes of development partners and the public without actually changing how the state is run. This could explain why Fiji and Vanuatu appear to be high performers in tobacco control according to the WHO reports and why there is a gap between the appearance, and the reality, of policymaking.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How do interests, ideas, and institutions affect multisectoral governance? The case of tobacco governance in two Pacific small island developing states

Patay

Friel

Schram

et al. 2022

Regulation & Governance

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Multisectoral governance has been recognized to be vital to regulate harmful commodity industries, yet countries struggle with reaching policy coherence due to government agencies' conflicting mandates and industry interference. Limited empirical evidence is available on how interests, ideas, and institutions intersect and influence multisectoral governance in low‐ and middle‐income countries, particularly in Pacific small island developing states (PSIDS), often exploited by vested industry interests and whose non‐communicable disease crisis commands urgent action to regulate harmful commodities. This study assessed the ways interests, ideas, and institutions intersect and shape multisectoral tobacco governance in PSIDS. Interviewee data collected in Fiji and Vanuatu show that the idea of individual responsibility, the limited recognition of commercial determinants of health, the centralization of authority, and the vulnerabilities of small island developing states, (including small population, land, economy, geographic isolation, and status as a developing economy), prevent these states from achieving policy coherence in multisectoral tobacco governance.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How do interests, ideas, and institutions affect multisectoral governance? The case of tobacco governance in two Pacific small island developing states

Patay

Friel

Schram

et al. 2022

Regulation & Governance

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In such countries, 'informality' is embedded at the core of socio-cultural mores, rather than as a lifestyle choice, or as a variant of the mainstream economy in which it resides. To understand the role of informality in these communities, Bryceson and Ross [46] coined the term 'Habitus of Informality' to describe the implications of social informality when Foreign Aid is proffered on the proviso that nations develop new markets or "export opportunities for food products" [47,48]. Developing such new or sophisticated markets is virtually impossible, or at best extremely challenging, for those at the grass roots levels in informal social systems.…”

Section: Sustainable Food Systems and Chain Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Agrifood Chains as Complex Systems and the Role of Informality in Their Sustainability in Small Scale Societies

Bryceson

Ross

2020

Sustainability

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Agrifood chains are complex systems; they encompass biological, economic, social, health and political variables at different scales (e.g., on-farm, local, regional, national and global). Consequently, what enables a food system to achieve ‘sustainability’ is also complex. This is particularly the case in small-scale societies in developing nations which are socially constituted. In this paper we posit that a habitus of informality underpins food systems’ sustainability in these societies. We argue that conventional applications of approaches like the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) and Circles of Sustainability (CoS) frameworks fail to assist understanding of sustainability in informal socio-economic systems because they either place too much emphasis on economic growth (TBL) or underplay the strength of socio–cultural obligations and responsibilities (CoS). This is seen in international aid programs that encourage economic growth in the agrifood sector, which is challenging for villages in such societies. We review data from two Pacific Island countries—Tonga and Solomon Islands—to demonstrate the need for a more holistic way to think about sustainability in informal agrifood systems in small-scale developing nations. We demonstrate the value of employing a Hybrid Value Chain Framework for collecting information necessary to understanding how sustainability is constituted in the food systems of small-scale societies.

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The challenges in protecting public health interests in multisectoral governance in the context of small island developing states: the case of tobacco control in Fiji and Vanuatu

2023

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Background The commercial determinants of health (CDoH) drive the rise of NCDs globally, and their regulation requires multisectoral governance. Despite existing recommendations to strengthen institutional structures, protecting public health interests can be challenging amidst industry interference and conflicting policy priorities, particularly in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) where the need for rapid economic development is pronounced. Small island developing states (SIDS) face even more challenges in regulating CDoH because their unique socioeconomic, political, and geographic vulnerabilities may weaken institutional conditions that could aid health sector actors in protecting health interests. This study aims to explore the institutional conditions that shape health sector actors’ capability to protect public health interests in tobacco governance in Fiji and Vanuatu. Methods We employed a qualitative, exploratory case study design. We applied the administrative process theory to inform data collection and analysis. Seventy interviews were completed in Fiji and Vanuatu from 2018 to 2019. Results The findings show that the protection of health interests in tobacco governance were not supported by the institutional conditions in Fiji and Vanuatu. While the policy processes formally ensured a level playing field between actors, policies were often developed through informal mechanisms, and the safeguards to protect public interests from vested private interests were not implemented adequately. SIDS vulnerabilities and weak regulation of political parties contributed to the politicisation of government in both states, resulting in high-level government officials’ questionable commitment to protect public health interests. The system of checks and balances usually embedded into democratic governments appeared to be muted, and policymakers had limited bureaucratic autonomy to elevate health interests in multisectoral policymaking amidst high-level government officials’ frequent rotation. Finally, capacity constraints aggravated by SIDS vulnerabilities negatively impacted health sector actors' capability to analyse policy alternatives. Conclusions Health sector actors in Fiji and Vanuatu were not supported by institutional conditions that could help them protect public health interests in multisectoral governance to regulate CDoH originating from the tobacco industry. Institutional conditions in these states were shaped by SIDS vulnerabilities but could be improved by targeted capacity building, governance and political system strengthening.

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A Good Governancee Paradox? Reexamining Reform of Economic Institutions in Post-Conflict Contexts

Cited by 3 publications

References 33 publications

How do interests, ideas, and institutions affect multisectoral governance? The case of tobacco governance in two Pacific small island developing states

How do interests, ideas, and institutions affect multisectoral governance? The case of tobacco governance in two Pacific small island developing states

Agrifood Chains as Complex Systems and the Role of Informality in Their Sustainability in Small Scale Societies

The challenges in protecting public health interests in multisectoral governance in the context of small island developing states: the case of tobacco control in Fiji and Vanuatu

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