A message from Kaufmann
Some of you may know that I am in the process of moving on from the World Bank to the Brookings Institution. Let me also share with you the email I have just sent out to many outside friends, colleagues and partners.
Dear friends, partners,
As some of you may already know, I announced internally over a month ago that I was moving on from the World Bank. I wanted to write to you directly to give you my new coordinates, to briefly share a thought, and to thank you for your continued collaboration.
Over many years, I have been privileged to work with many of you, inside and outside the World Bank, in many countries and regions, and on many aspects of development -- including the macro, finance and regulation, trade and industry, labor and poverty, and economies in transition. For the past dozen years, my work has focused on governance, corruption and development. I will continue this work at the Brookings Institution, where, as a senior fellow, I will engage in writing, research and advisory initiatives in these fields, with intellectual independence.
In moving on, under normal circumstances, as is customary, I would mention that I am satisfied by leaving behind a respected governance program at the World Bank Institute, consisting in a great team of people, delivering innovative products. As I am passing the baton, I would state that I expect that these initiatives will continue and expand, and I would continue to emphasize the importance of full disclosure of governance data and analysis, and of providing straightforward evidence-based policy advice -- devoid of any self-censorship or spin.
However, we do not face ‘normal circumstances’ nowadays, so allow me also to add a thought. While some inroads were made in comparison to the pre-1990's 'taboo' era on corruption work at the Bank and other international organizations, reality has changed so much faster than aid institutions. A new world order is afoot. The Bank and the IFI/donor community, and more broadly the anticorruption movement, may have to revamp their strategies and policies so to delve deeply, concretely, and transparently into the relevant challenges of governance and corruption of today and tomorrow.
In many respects, the governance and anticorruption field, and movement, are in a silent crisis nowadays, due to reasons I will expand on elsewhere. Overall, there has been a lack of resolve by many governments and institutions to focus on what really matters, while wasting efforts on sideshows. By contrast, amidst the current crisis it is commendable the way some citizens, smaller indigenous NGOs, and a few leaders are involved in innovative and courageous initiatives in some countries.
Crisis often brings up unique opportunities. The current global economic turmoil could trigger a wake-up call forceful enough to the governance and anticorruption field. The alarm bell is ringing loudly, even if the awakening has yet to take place. It is not too late. Failures in governance, corruption and capture did play a role in the financial crisis; understanding these is a priority to strengthen the global financial system.
As importantly, we now also need to consider the implications of the ongoing consequences of the crisis: a seismic shift resulting in an unprecedented increase in the role and scope of government in 'market economies’. These present a whole new set of challenges in governance, capture and corruption, which have been largely ignored so far. This is not the venue to expand on this. I will continue to work on these challenges, providing candid views and hopefully useful advice, and writing about these issues (including in the blog listed below). And I have been asked to share my reflections in a farewell presentation at the World Bank on December 9th. You will receive details in a separate invitation.
At the end of the day, it is not so much writing about an issue that actually makes the difference. It is people, leaders, agents of change, scholars, citizens – teaming together and engaging in collective action for a better world, often courageously taking real risks. The younger generation is a powerful force for change that gives further hope for the next stage, and that tends to be less risk averse. A generational shift is afoot, already taking place at some of the higher echelons in the UK and the US. Contagion of such shift, empowering a new cadre of citizens and agents of change in many countries and institutions, should be warmly welcomed.
Thank you.
Daniel Kaufmann
At Brookings Institution
Tel:+1-202-797-6257
email: mailto:dkaufmann@brookings.edu
blog: http://thekaufmannpost.net/
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I wish you eveything best in
I wish you eveything best in the Brookings Institution. I want to believe that thanks the efforts of many people finally come the major changes in global vision of just society.
While some inroads were made
While some inroads were made in comparison to the pre-1990's 'taboo' era on corruption work at the Bank and other international organizations, reality has changed so much faster than aid institutions. It is good for students who want to make a research paper.
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Yes. Very nice. Thank you.
Yes. Very nice. Thank you.
Minor correction in my article "Transparency in systems..."
Thanks for publishing my article. There is a small correction to be made in the paragraph preceding the last two paragraphs. It is written, "there was a commitment by all the disciples including Jesus.." It should be read as follows:
".....there was a commitment by all the disciples including Judas".
It is not Jesus but His disciple Judass.
You can refer this incident in the Bible to Matt.14:15 to 21.
- Job Anbalagan, Delhi, India
Transparency in systems : Management Principles from Bible
Jesus is the best Management Guru. He fed 5000 hungry people with five loaves of bread and two fishes in a desert. From this incident, we can learn certain management principles for running our organizations. The customers to whom an organization should cater to are the thousands of shareholders, the thousands of employees and the millions of customers. The World Bank which has been entrusted with the divine task of reduction of poverty in developing nations can be compared to Jesus Christ and the thousands of people fed by Jesus Christ to the millions all over the world who have to be fed and clothed by their national governments through the World Bank assistance.
Jesus did not have any bread or fish with Himself. He was in a desert. He just took the same from a boy who came forward to give the same to Jesus Christ. Today, the world is passing through a global recession. The world is in the desert. The donor nations are likened to the boy who gave what he had in his possession.
First, Jesus was moved with compassion towards the multitudes. Similarly, those who are at the helm of affairs in the World Bank should be moved with compassion in their hearts for the millions around the globe. Before feeding the hungry, Jesus looked up to heaven and thanked God. They should thank God for the funds that they receive from the donor nations. The top management in the World Bank should think that they are on a divine mission to remove poverty and to help the poor nations by way of development.
Second, the donor nations should come forward voluntarily to give their funds to the World Bank without expecting adequate returns on their investments. Though the boy surrendered what he had possessed in his hand, he also received back what he had given to Jesus when the five thousands were fed. The donor nations would not suffer any losses on account of surrendering their funds to the World Bank.
Third, the multitudes that were commanded to sit down on the grass are likened to the millions of ultimate beneficiaries of the World Banks assistance. It is the doctrine of multiplication. The seed of loan/grant given to every project needs to be multiplied. It is not the corrupt Judas who stood in the way of the loaves and fishes reaching the multitudes. Even if there is a small number of people who are corrupt either working with the World Bank or with the borrowing agency, this small number cannot succeed in misappropriating the funds meant for the end-users if there is a complete transparency in the process of utilization of the Bank funds.
The World Bank should invent suitable tools to quantify and measure the ultimate benefits that percolate down to the beneficiaries over a period of time. If a road project is funded by the World Bank, there should be stringent and adequate preventive checks by the World Bank staff at every stage to ensure that bitumen and correct sized metals are used to the specified proportions. If the roads constructed are of a good quality, the benefits that would percolate down to many millions would be on a long term basis. But if the roads constructed are of a poor quality, then the benefits would be for a short term only and comparatively a small number of people would benefit from the World Bank assistance. The five loaves and the two fishes got multiplied a few thousand times, leaving behind twelve baskets of leftovers. In other words, the five loaves and the two fishes got multiplied with the result that the five thousands were fed satisfactorily. One million US$ of loan/grant has to get multiplied so that the tangible benefits may be measured in multiples of one million US$.
Fourth, the baskets full of loaves and fishes were delivered to the five thousands in the most transparent manner because Jesus introduced a perfect, corruption preventing system of seating the five thousands on the grass. If the five thousands were not seated on the grass but were asked to collect their food from the twelve disciples, there would have a stampede due to a melee. During such confusion, Judas, the corrupt disciple of Jesus Christ could have diverted some baskets for misappropriation. It is always behind the veil of complex and ambiguous rules, the corrupt works. The monster of corruption raises its ugly head only when there are melee and confusion.
Jesus knew that one of His disciples was corrupt. That did not prevent Him from employing him in the distribution function because there was a total transparency; there was a commitment by all the disciples including Judas to carry the loaves and the fishes to the end-users.
Who are the millions of end-users or the beneficiaries? They are the village people who use the roads or the people who benefit from the power projects or the people who find employment or the people who are able to buy the goods and services at affordable rates.
Multiplication is not a miracle. It is the exhibit of total transparency in the whole system right from the time of sanction till the time of the tangible benefits percolating down. At every point of operation, there has to be a transparent check by the Bank Staff.
(Written by T. Job Anbalagan, Delhi, India)