Research Project (Ongoing)

State Capacity and Public Administration: An Empirical Case Study on Policy Process, Human Resource, and Service Delivery in Public Sector in Bangladesh

This study focuses on the concept of “state capacity,” which has attracted increasing theoretical and empirical attention, particularly within development studies in recent years. Through an empirical case study of Bangladesh, it examines the role and concrete manifestations of state capacity in promoting socioeconomic development.

State capacity is generally understood as the ability of a government to effectively implement policies throughout its national territory, encompassing capacities such as taxation, law enforcement, and the provision of public goods and services. This research examines the entire policy process, ranging from policy formulation within the central government to implementation at the local level through the delivery of administrative services, as well as policy evaluation and subsequent revision.

Since the 2000s, Bangladesh has experienced sustained economic growth and transitioned to lower-middle-income country status in the mid-2010s. At the same time, as indicated by multiple international governance indicators, there has been little substantial improvement in governance-related challenges since the 2000s. For the country to continue achieving sustainable economic growth and social development, it must appropriately address a wide range of challenges, including the sound macroeconomic management, diversification of the industrial structure, and strengthening of urban functions. Enhancing the capacity for the formulation and implementation of administrative policies that underpin these efforts remains a critical issue.

Against this background, this study conducts in-depth case studies focusing on Bangladesh’s administrative institutions and processes, public sector personnel, and the delivery of administrative services. Drawing on field research and case studies of administrative services at the local level (upazilas and unions), the study adopts an interdisciplinary perspective that integrates development economics, public administration, public policy, and the sociology of law. Through this research, the study aims to derive policy-relevant insights into administrative practices that can contribute to enhancing state capacity in developing countries.

Chief Researcher:
Arai Makiko (JICA Ogata Research Institute)

Research Advisor:
Niaz Asadullah (Department of Economics, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh)

Co-researchers:
Mohammad Malek (Miyazaki International University, Japan)

Yamada Eiji (JICA Ogata Research Institute)
Kurokami Minami (JICA)

Research Collaborating Institutions:
Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre (BPATC)
Bangladesh Institute of Governance and Management (BIGM)