Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Challenges of Coordination in Implementing Urban Policy: The Bangladesh Experience

  • Published:
Public Organization Review Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The paper analyzes factors that impede inter- and intra-organizational coordination in urban governance in policy implementation. The unit of analysis is the Rajshahi City Corporation, one of six large municipalities in Bangladesh. Inadequate institutional rules and regulations, ambiguous system for financial management and shady practices create a large degree of discontent amongst officials and impede both inter-organizational and intra-organizational coordination in implementing urban infrastructure policy. In addition, central-local relations, different modes of operation and patterns of accountability act as barriers to sound working relationships between the city corporation and other government departments and autonomous agencies operating within the jurisdiction of the city corporation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Examples of autonomous entities and government agencies working within the RCC areas are the Power Development Board (PDB), the Roads and Highways Department (R&HD), the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), and Rajshhai Development Authority (RDA).

  2. RDA is an autonomous body administered by government officials whose main objective is to build a planned town in the divisional headquarters of Rajshahi. The R&HD and the LGED are the government departments responsible for developing infrastructure (construction and maintenance of the major road and bridge network) within Rajshahi City.

  3. The inclusion of higher officials from different service-providing institutions in the coordination committee varies depending on the city corporation. In the case of Dhaka City Corporation, top officials from Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK), Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (DWASA), Dhaka Electricity Supply Authority (DESA), Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE), Power Development Board (PDB), Bangladesh Telephone and Telegraph Board (BTTB), etc., are members. In the case of RCC, top officials from Rajshahi Development Authority (RDA), Roads and Highways Department (R&HD), Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), and Bangladesh Telephone and Telegraph Board (BTTB) are members of the coordination committee.

  4. For more details about the impact of intra- and inter-organizational coordination problems in urban policy implementation, please refer to Panday (2006), and Panday (2007).

  5. Five options for intra-organizational coordination were given to respondents to choose from: hierarchic, informal, routine based, leadership oriented and objective oriented. ‘Hierarchic’ denotes that the basis of relationships is top down, i.e., on the basis of the principle of chain of command as observed generally in bureaucratic organizations. ‘Informal’ denotes ad hoc measures for solving or sorting out a problem, either over the telephone or through a personal meeting with the aggrieved party. ‘Routine based’ denotes formal communication through writing formal letters. ‘Leadership oriented’ refers to communication undertaken at the initiative of department heads in order to solve a pressing problem. Finally, ‘objective oriented’ describes relationships that are maintained in order to coordinate and fulfill different goals of various departments geared towards local development. This question was asked with a view towards mapping whether or not the RCC follows any unified or standard rules regarding intra-organizational relationships.

  6. ‘Old’ in the sense that when the City Corporation Ordinance was passed in 1987, the population size of Rajshahi City was small and the RCC’s activities were confined to a manageable size. As time passes, people’s demands are mounting. Consequently, the activities of the RCC are also expanding. This proves only to augment the problems generated by poorly defined rules and regulations.

  7. The case was discussed while interviewing a high ranking official from the R&HD, Rajshahi District.

References

  • Ahmed, N. (2002). Politicians and Bureaucrats in Local Government in Bangladesh: A Study of the Upazila Parishad. In M. H. Chowdhury (Ed.), Thirty year of Bangladesh politics: Essays in memory of Dr. Mahfuzul Huq (pp. 217–266). Dhaka: University Press Limited.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ara, S., Sandoval, N., Amin, Md. M., & Clemett A. (2007). Institutional Analysis for Wastewater Agriculture and Sanitation in Rajshahi, Bangladesh (WASPA Asia Project report 5). Available at http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/waspa/publications.htm. Accessed 15 August 2009.

  • Brinkerhoff, W. D., & Arthur, A. G. (2002). Cientelism, Partrimonialism and Democratic Governance: An Overview and Framework for Assessment and Programming. Paper Prepared for U.S Agency for International Development, Office for Democracy and Governance under Strategic Policy and Institutional Governance, USA.

  • Chowdhury, A. I. (1997). Resource mobilization and Urban Governance in Bangladesh. In N. Islam et al. (Eds.), Urban governance in Bangladesh and Pakistan (pp. 27–45). Dhaka: Centre for Urban Studies.

    Google Scholar 

  • Christensen, T., & Lægreid, P. (2008). The challenge of coordination in central government organizations: the Norwegian case. Public Organization Review, 8(2), 97–116.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Christensen, T., Lægreid, P., Roness, P., & Røvik, K. A. (2007). Organization theory and the public sector: instrument, culture and myth. London: Routledge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Evan, W. M. (1966). The organization set: Toward a theory of inter-organizational relations. In J. D. Thompson (Ed.), Approaches to organizational design (pp. 173–191). Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hatch, M. J. (1997). Organization theory: Modern, symbolic and postmodern perspectives. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huq, M., et al. (2001). Policy brief task force report on administrative reform and strengthening local government system, CPD task force report. Dhaka: Centre for Policy Dialogue.

    Google Scholar 

  • Islam, Md. Shirajul. (1994). Assessment of coordination needs (ACN) in administration: A macro study. Savar, Dhaka: Bangladesh public administartion training centre.

  • Khan, M. M. (1997). Urban Local Governance in Bangladesh: An overview. In N. Islam & M. M. Khan (Eds.), Urban governance in Bangladesh and Pakistan (pp. 7–26). Dhaka: Centre for Urban Studies.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knight, J. (1992). Institutions and social conflict: Political economy of institutions and decisions. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • March, J. G., & Olsen, J. P. (1995). Democratic governance. New York: Free.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mintzberg, H. (1979). The structuring of organization. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mohit, M. A. (1992). Institutional management for the Development of Dhaka Metropolitan area: Problems and prospects. In N. Islam & A. I. Chowdhury (Eds.), Urban land management in Bangladesh (pp. 99–108). Dhaka: Ministry of Land, Government of Bangladesh.

    Google Scholar 

  • North, D. C. (1990). Institutions, institutional change and economic performance. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Panday, P. K. (2006). Central-local relations, inter-organizational coordination and policy implementation in Urban Bangladesh. The Asia Pacific Journal of Public Administration, 28(1), 41–58.

    Google Scholar 

  • Panday, P. K. (2007). Policy implementation in Urban Bangladesh: role of intra-organizational coordination. Public Organization Review, 7, 237–259.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Panday, P. K. (2008). The development of the Urban Government System in Bangladesh: does coordination exist? Local Government Studies, 34(5), 559–575.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peters, B. G. (1999). Institutional theory in political science: The new institutionalism. London: Printer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Putnam, R. D. (1993). Making Democracy Work: Civic Traditions in Modern Italy. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robinson, D., Hewitt, T., & Harriss, J. (Eds.). (2000). Managing development: Understanding inter-organizational relationships. London: Sage Publications in Association with the Open University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scott, W. R. (2003). Organizations: Rational, natural and open systems (5th ed.). New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Siddique, K. (Ed.). (1994). Local government in Bangladesh. Dhaka: University Press Limited.

    Google Scholar 

  • Siddique, K., Khandaker, M. A., Khan, A. A., & Ahmed, J. (Eds.). (2000). Overcoming the governance crisis in Dhaka City. Dhaka: The University Press Limited.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sonali Sangbad (A Rajshahi-based local daily), 20 October, 2002; 20 December, 2002.

  • The Daily Star (An English daily). Internet Edition, 12 March, 2003, Dhaka. Retrieved on April 12, 2004 from http://www.thedailystar.net.

  • The Holiday, (An English weekly) Internet Edition, Country News, 26 September, 2003. Retrieved on March 17, 2004 from www.weeklyholiday.net/260903/count.html.

  • Thompson, J. D. (2003). Organizations in action: Social science bases of administrative theory. USA: Transaction.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Meter, D. S., & Van Horn, C. L. (1975). The policy implementation process: a conceptual framework. The Journal of Administration and Society, 6(4), 445–488.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Warren, R. L. (1967). The inter-organizational field as a focus for investigation. Administrative Science Quarterly, 12, 396–419.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, W. (1987). The study of administration. Political Science Quarterly, 2, 197–222.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Administration, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, Bangladesh

    Pranab Kumar Panday

  2. Department of Administration and Organization Theory, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway

    Ishtiaq Jamil

Authors
  1. Pranab Kumar Panday
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ishtiaq Jamil
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pranab Kumar Panday.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Panday, P.K., Jamil, I. Challenges of Coordination in Implementing Urban Policy: The Bangladesh Experience. Public Organiz Rev 11, 155–176 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11115-010-0116-5

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11115-010-0116-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation