Administrative Responses to the Economic Crisis in Africa: A Summary of the Research Findings Available to Purchase

Findings of the Secretariat of the African Association for Public Administration and Management (AAPAM′s) study on “Administrative Responses to the Economic Crisis in Africa” (1989) are summarised,focusing on the experiences of four African countries: Ghana, Nigeria,Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Research was based on a model of administrative responses to the “crisis”, predicting four types of change– changes in scope, processes, organisational structures and resource capacity (manpower, finance and equipment) of African Public Administration Systems (PAS). Reports of the subsequent workshop of researchers and policy makers on “Improving Public Sector Management in Africa”, at Arusha, Tanzania in April 1990 are examined, comparisons of the common concerns and dilemmas of the four countries are noted, and conclusions are drawn.