Public Sector Reform and National Development in East and Southeast Asia: Specificity and Commonality

Abstract

This chapter examines public sector reform in East and Southeast Asia. It looks at commonalities and divergences between the countries of these regions in terms of their organisational environments and their reform policies. Special attention is paid to three areas of public sector reform—policy transfer, anti-corruption measures and decentralization. What emerges is a complex longstanding pattern of reform activities in East and Southeast Asia in which importation, adaptation and innovation have been evident. This approach to public sector reform and the importance attached to it have undoubtedly contributed to the sustained development of the countries in East and Southeast Asia.