海外发展研究所-英国在尼日利亚的二十年治理方案：成就、挑战、教训和对未来支持的影响（英）-2021.10-113页_2mb

Summary of "Twenty Years of UK Governance Programmes in Nigeria"

Core Content

This report evaluates the impact of UK-funded governance programmes in Nigeria over a 20-year period, focusing on the North-western states of Jigawa (since 2001), Kano (since 2005), Kaduna (since 2006), and the North-eastern state of Yobe (since 2011). It explores how these programmes contributed to governance, health, and education outcomes, while also identifying challenges and lessons for future support.

The report is authored by Laure-Hélène Piron, Clare Cummings, Gareth Williams, Helen Derbyshire, and Sierd Hadley, and was published by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) in October 2021. It is part of the PERL (Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn) initiative, which represents the third generation of UK governance programming in Nigeria.

Main Research Questions

1. What were the facilitating and disabling contextual conditions in the four states?

   • Key contextual conditions at federal, state, and local levels
   • How these conditions enabled or hindered the effectiveness of governance interventions

2. What outcomes in governance, health, and education can be evidenced and for whom?

   • Governance outcomes (e.g., public financial management, public sector management, empowerment and accountability)
   • Health and education system outcomes
   • Final health and education service outcomes
   • Beneficiaries and excluded groups
   • Sustainability of changes

3. What are the main mechanisms through which UK-funded programmes contributed to changes in governance and related health and education outcomes?

   • How governance interventions affected core systems
   • How these systems influenced health and education outcomes
   • Interactions between contextual factors and mechanisms
   • Impact of these interactions on outcomes

4. How did the UK programmes’ interventions and ways of working affect governance, health, and education service delivery?

   • Interventions and their implementation methods
   • Evolution of programme management and working styles
   • Adherence to TWP (Thinking and Working Politically) principles
   • Influence of UK government incentives on programme effectiveness

Key Findings

• Sustainable improvements: There were sustainable improvements in core governance and sector governance dimensions, with general improvements across most health and education services (except immunisation).
• State-specific outcomes:
  • Jigawa showed the most improvements, particularly in governance and health/education governance.
  • Kaduna had significant reform efforts post-2015, building on earlier UK initiatives.
  • Kano achieved the most health and education final outcomes without major governance improvements.
  • Yobe, affected by conflict and shorter support duration, had fewer sustained changes, mainly in core governance.
• Contribution of UK programmes:
  • Governance interventions contributed to institutional changes, especially through creating new dynamics between citizens, bureaucracy, and politicians.
  • E&A (Empowerment and Accountability) interventions showed more progress than PSM (Public Sector Management) or PFM (Public Financial Management) in outcome indicators.
  • Targeted 'downstream' interventions (e.g., improving funding flows, training staff, and accountability committees) provided stronger evidence of service delivery improvements.
  • Long-term, sustained service delivery improvements likely require core governance reform.

Main Lessons and Recommendations

Lessons

• Political economy factors are crucial in determining the success of governance programmes.
• Political competition, incentives, and stakeholder engagement significantly influence programme outcomes.
• Governance reforms must be accompanied by efforts to promote participation, transparency, and accountability.
• UK programmes were effective in fostering collaboration between different actors, including politicians, officials, civil society, and media.

Recommendations

To International Development Partners:

1. Invest for the long term (10–20 years) and support both state and non-state actors.
2. Ensure programmes have strategic mandates, managerial capacity, and frontline staff skills to engage politically.
3. Enhance Political Economy Analysis (PEA) by unpacking causal mechanisms and designing interventions accordingly.
4. Allow governance programmes to flex between core governance and service delivery issues.
5. Encourage collaboration between governance and sector programmes.
6. Pay greater attention to gender and social inclusion in governance programming.

To FCDO:

7. Empower and resource FCDO teams to operate in TWP ways, ensuring local decision-making.
8. Re-imagine TWP for FCDO Nigeria, giving implementers more autonomy.
9. Strengthen collaboration between PERL, Lafiya (health), and the Partnership for Learning for All in Nigerian Education.
10. Invest in impact data analysis to better evaluate programme effectiveness.

To Partner Governments:

11. Clearly define the objectives for which they seek assistance.
12. Use TWP principles to align development partner support with political objectives.
13. Improve coordination among development partners.

To Non-State Partners:

14. Engage in coalitions to achieve shared goals.
15. Choose development partners that enhance capacity, not just provide funding.

Methodology and Approach

The research employed a realist synthesis approach combined with process tracing, allowing for an in-depth analysis of how UK interventions interacted with local contexts. The study focused on the service delivery chain, examining how changes at the federal, state, and local levels affected service provision to citizens.

The report also highlights the importance of political settlements, fiscal federalism, and public financial management (PFM) in shaping the effectiveness of governance interventions. It underscores the need for political economy analysis (PEA) and causal mechanisms to understand how interventions lead to outcomes.

Conclusion

The report concludes that UK governance programmes in Nigeria have contributed to institutional changes and service delivery improvements, particularly in the context of political engagement and adaptive strategies. However, the authorising environment in the UK, including short-term results pressures and reduced aid budgets, has constrained the ability of programmes to operate effectively in the long term. The findings suggest that future support should be more strategic, flexible, and inclusive to achieve lasting impact.