The design and implementation of the cluster program shows that it was too ambitious in its scope, and that depth of program engagement is more important than breadth of reforms. Improving the overall efficiency of the government is a complex undertaking. It requires major changes in existing institutional arrangements, human resource capacity, and legal and regulatory frameworks. Thus, (i) design should be based on thorough analysis of underlying issues to develop a realistic and properly sequenced set of reforms; (ii) proactive, frequent, and sustained dialogue with the political leadership as well as high- and mid-level officials is critical to create government ownership and buy-in for reforms; (iii) cluster program-type programs require a medium- to long-term implementation time frame, with very regular reporting and progress discussions, flexible implementation arrangements, frequent consideration of the need for any course corrections or changes, and a strategically planned, carefully managed, and integral role for technical assistance (TA); and (iv) given security concerns, TA design should allow sufficient time for recruitment of consultants. [Main text, para. 52]
Punjab Government Efficiency Improvement Program