Agents of Change: the Economics and Politics of Reforms

Programme Description

We are living in times of continuous, multi-faceted economic, political and social change. Around the world, governments and public entities are struggling to adapt to a complex and fast-changing international environment which puts a premium on competitiveness and adaptation. The practice of public governance as we know it is no longer “business as usual”. It has become more than ever complex. Public servants are effectively being transformed from guardians of long-established rules and processes aimed at safeguarding the public interest into active agents of change, capable of designing and implementing effective, sustainable economic reforms for the greater good. In this role they are assisted by private sector and civil society actors who influence the process, also as change agents. Effective governance in this context depends on a combination of mastering the broader policy environment and the available policy tools as well as learning from the experience of reform efforts in different countries.