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Research Article
Institutionalizing Evaluation as a Governance Capability: Evidence from Agriculture and Economic Policy in Africa
Abdourahmane Ba*
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 1, March 2026
Pages:
1-17
Received:
25 June 2025
Accepted:
11 July 2025
Published:
7 January 2026
Abstract: Public policy evaluation has gained renewed significance as African governments seek to reinforce accountability and improve development outcomes. The institutionalization of evaluation reflects a strategic effort to embed oversight within governance systems and respond to increasing demands for evidence use in Africa. The research examined how 28 countries formalized evaluation functions through legal instruments, administrative procedures, and organizational practices between 2010 and 2024. It focused on agriculture and economic policy, given their role in advancing structural transformation and governance reform. A structured documentary review applied a multidimensional framework grounded in institutional theory and political economy. Four core dimensions informed the analysis: legal mandates, normative alignment, cognitive uptake, and hybrid arrangements. The review covered 306 official documents, including development strategies, budget frameworks, and statutory texts drawn from planning and finance ministries, sectoral agencies, and recognized international repositories. Results revealed divergent national pathways. Some countries established evaluation systems anchored in statutory authority and integrated within planning or budgeting processes. Others relied on frameworks that lacked enforceable mandates or sustained institutional support, often shaped by external interventions. Regional patterns also emerged. Anglophone and Island States more frequently demonstrated operational alignment between evaluation and resource allocation. Francophone and Central African countries often emphasized legal form without consistent implementation. Hybrid systems appeared where normative intent coexisted with partial adherence or tactical resistance. The typology developed through the research identified embedded models with institutional depth, transitional frameworks with uneven alignment, and symbolic systems with limited operational traction. Sectoral integration and political sponsorship consistently acted as enabling conditions. Evaluation systems reinforced state capability when embedded within governance functions and aligned with domestic policy processes. African experiences challenge linear conceptions of evaluation development and reveal adaptive trajectories rooted in national priorities and evolving administrative contexts. The research contributes to a deeper understanding of evaluation institutionalization as a dynamic process shaped through interaction between state capacity, governance reform, and evidence use in Africa.
Abstract: Public policy evaluation has gained renewed significance as African governments seek to reinforce accountability and improve development outcomes. The institutionalization of evaluation reflects a strategic effort to embed oversight within governance systems and respond to increasing demands for evidence use in Africa. The research examined how 28 ...
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Research Article
The Practices of Eco-guards During Patrols in Kundelungu National Park in Haut-Katanga
Sanganiro Koko Merci*,
Umba Kongolo Nathan*
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 1, March 2026
Pages:
18-26
Received:
19 November 2025
Accepted:
20 December 2025
Published:
16 January 2026
Abstract: The protection of natural resources in protected areas is characterized, on the one hand, by the application of legal instruments for environmental protection, and on the other hand, it reveals the hidden side of operations within the various organizations involved. From a criminological perspective, this study offers a comprehensive analysis of the practices carried out by eco-guards during patrols in Kundelungu National Park (KNP), based on an immersion in the daily lives of eco-guards at the Katwe station, which houses the park’s headquarters. The analysis of the collected data reveals two categories of field practices: so-called formal practices and informal practices. These two categories illustrate how field actors can carry out actions tinged with both formal and informal elements, while remaining within their daily duties, thus forming a complex reality of field operations. These practices call into question the effectiveness of public policy on biodiversity protection in the DRC, as outlined in Law No. 14/003 of February 11, 2014, concerning the protection and conservation of nature, as well as the efficiency of the work performed by eco-guards in protected areas. They also raise deeper questions about the challenges and issues surrounding the management of the nature conservation sector, biodiversity, and personnel administration in parks across the DRC.
Abstract: The protection of natural resources in protected areas is characterized, on the one hand, by the application of legal instruments for environmental protection, and on the other hand, it reveals the hidden side of operations within the various organizations involved. From a criminological perspective, this study offers a comprehensive analysis of th...
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Research Article
The Governance-Development Nexus in Sierra Leone: Exploring Institutional Path to Human Progress
Shekou Ansumana Nuni*
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 1, March 2026
Pages:
27-37
Received:
30 October 2025
Accepted:
27 November 2025
Published:
19 January 2026
Abstract: This study examines the long-term effects of governance indicators on human development in Sierra Leone. The analysis utilizes a 20-year dataset covering the period 2004 to 2023, allowing for an assessment of how sustained changes in governance quality have influenced human development outcomes in the country over time. Data for governance indicators were obtained from World Governance Indicators produced by the World Bank, whereas human development data were obtained from the UNICEF’s human development index. The study employed the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) modeling technique. Unlike in the short-run that shows that governance indicators do not impact HDI, the results indicate that control of corruption and rule of law exert statistically significant long-term effects on human development in Sierra Leone, while the other governance indicators are statistically insignificant. Overall, these findings highlight the pivotal role of corruption control and legal integrity as foundational drivers of sustained human development in Sierra Leone. Consistent efforts to strengthen anti-corruption measures and uphold legal institutions are associated with measurable improvements in key human development dimensions, including education, health, and income. Additionally, these findings highlight the need for governance reforms that focus on enhancing political stability, improving regulatory quality, and addressing inefficiencies in government expenditure, ensuring proper financial management. The policymakers should focus on creating a situation that promotes good governance.
Abstract: This study examines the long-term effects of governance indicators on human development in Sierra Leone. The analysis utilizes a 20-year dataset covering the period 2004 to 2023, allowing for an assessment of how sustained changes in governance quality have influenced human development outcomes in the country over time. Data for governance indicato...
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Research Article
Resetting the Compass: Bangladesh’s Road to Participatory and Fair Elections
Zahurul Alam*
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 1, March 2026
Pages:
38-47
Received:
15 December 2025
Accepted:
8 January 2026
Published:
27 January 2026
Abstract: Elections are a cornerstone of democratic governance, enabling citizens to participate in political decision-making and hold leaders accountable, yet in Bangladesh this function has increasingly been undermined by persistent concerns over transparency, institutional neutrality, and inclusivity. As the country approaches its next parliamentary elections scheduled for February 12, 2026, serious questions have emerged regarding the preparedness and integrity of the electoral system, placing the current electoral crisis within a broader public policy and institutional governance context marked by political exclusion, administrative opacity, and security sector inaction. Central to this crisis is the Election Commission’s suspension of the Awami League (AL), one of the two major political parties, a decision that effectively bars it from electoral participation and has triggered widespread political and public resistance, thereby calling into question the competitiveness and legitimacy of the forthcoming polls. The controversy has been further intensified by the Chief Election Commissioner’s announcement of a dual referendum on political reforms in the absence of stakeholder consensus or meaningful public dialogue, underscoring the fragility of democratic institutions when administrative bodies become politicized or insufficiently accountable. Drawing on qualitative evidence from documented political violence, attacks on media and civil society, and interviews with key stakeholders, the analysis demonstrates how institutional inaction, particularly by law enforcement and election management bodies, has fostered an environment conducive to mobism, repression, and fear, with far-reaching socio-economic consequences for governance, economic growth, civic participation, and minority protection. Collectively, these dynamics threaten to reduce Bangladesh’s democratic framework to a monolithic system characterized by shrinking civic space, weakened checks and balances, and declining public trust, underscoring the urgent need for participatory, transparent, and inclusive electoral reforms, the depoliticization of state institutions, and the restoration of civic freedoms to ensure democratic legitimacy and institutional resilience.
Abstract: Elections are a cornerstone of democratic governance, enabling citizens to participate in political decision-making and hold leaders accountable, yet in Bangladesh this function has increasingly been undermined by persistent concerns over transparency, institutional neutrality, and inclusivity. As the country approaches its next parliamentary elect...
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Research Article
Policy Nomenclature as a Strategic Instrument of Governance: The Case of the VB-G RAM-G Controversy
Partha Majumdar*
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 1, March 2026
Pages:
48-54
Received:
1 January 2026
Accepted:
14 January 2026
Published:
27 January 2026
Abstract: The nomenclature of public policy often functions as a strategic political act rather than merely serving as a straightforward administrative label. It acts as a tool for branding, ideological signalling, and narrative control. An analysis of the Indian welfare scheme Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), or VB-G RAM-G, illustrates this phenomenon in practice. The scheme, which aims to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA), introduces a controversial name that blends cultural-nationalist symbolism ("Ram") with the erasure of a previous political legacy ("Gandhi"). This deliberately provocative branding sparks a public controversy that appears trivial but serves multiple strategic purposes. It mobilises the ruling party's base, portrays opposition as anti-culture, and most importantly, acts as a distraction—a "dead cat"—to divert attention from significant but less visible policy changes. Beneath the surface of the naming controversy, the new bill fundamentally redefines the scheme's structure. It shifts from a demand-driven, rights-based framework to a capped, supply-driven model; transfers a substantial portion of financial responsibility from the central government to the states; and centralises decision-making authority away from local village assemblies. This strategic use of nomenclature is not unique. A comparative analysis of global cases shows similar patterns. For instance, in the United States, the term "Obamacare" fuelled political polarisation, while slogans like "Eat Out to Help Out" in the UK trivialised public health risks. Governments worldwide have increasingly weaponised branding as a tool in governance. These controversies are often intentional features rather than flaws, used to shape political narratives, conceal fiscal or structural retrenchment, and embed ideological priorities within the architecture of public welfare programs.
Abstract: The nomenclature of public policy often functions as a strategic political act rather than merely serving as a straightforward administrative label. It acts as a tool for branding, ideological signalling, and narrative control. An analysis of the Indian welfare scheme Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), or VB-G RAM-G, ...
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Research Article
Political Spectrum and Party Formation in Bangladesh: (Re)defining the Political Left and Right
Mohammad Aynul Islam*,
Md. Mazhar Uddin Bhuiyan
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 1, March 2026
Pages:
55-70
Received:
18 December 2025
Accepted:
20 January 2026
Published:
29 January 2026
DOI:
10.11648/j.jppa.20261001.16
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Views:
Abstract: This study aims to redefine the ideological spectrum of Bangladesh’s political landscape by examining how the ideological positions of political parties have changed over time. It emphasizes the importance of clear ideological orientation for the creation, development, and long-term survival of political parties in Bangladesh. Drawing on Bangladesh’s political history, the study argues that political party formation has predominantly been regime or uprising centric. In addition, the study shows that party formation has largely been reactive and event driven. While several parties have adopted populist rhetoric in recent years to appeal to voters, only those with consistent and well-defined ideological foundations have been able to maintain public support and achieve sustained electoral success. In contrast, parties that lack a clear ideological identity have struggled to remain relevant and have often failed to build long-term political momentum. To examine contemporary perceptions of ideology in party formation, the study uses a mixed-method research approach. A convenience-based online survey involving 94 respondents was conducted to explore public attitudes toward left- and right-leaning political ideologies in Bangladesh. The findings suggest that ideological clarity plays a crucial role in strengthening public support for political parties, regardless of whether they are positioned on the left or the right of the ideological spectrum. However, the results also indicate a notable difference between the two spectrums. Right-wing political parties are perceived by respondents as having greater prospects for success and being more effective in the current political context of Bangladesh compared to left-wing parties. In addition, the study highlights the need for political parties in Bangladesh to move beyond short-term populism and regime-based formation. It concludes that clearly defined ideological positioning is essential for building sustainable political parties and strengthening democratic political competition in Bangladesh.
Abstract: This study aims to redefine the ideological spectrum of Bangladesh’s political landscape by examining how the ideological positions of political parties have changed over time. It emphasizes the importance of clear ideological orientation for the creation, development, and long-term survival of political parties in Bangladesh. Drawing on Bangladesh...
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