The symposium seeks to be a convening space for finding more effective, multidisciplinary solutions to poverty. Ideas to be discussed include the role of public administration in alleviating poverty, good governance and accountability in development and poverty reduction, and successful anti-poverty policy to improve strategy implementation.
Some public administration, governance and policy management aspects that deserve attention (amongst others) include:
• Administrative leadership and how to reverse the perverse incentives that distract from servicing the poor
• Going beyond public service quality per se in pursuit of a rights based approach to service delivery and access for all
• The implications of informal-formal institutional links in policy, resource allocation and implementation
• How to ensure budgetary priorities for poverty related items and that funds are actually expended efficiently and effectively for intended purpose
• How to enhance the capacity of front line/grass roots public administrative agencies and local government and prevent elite capture of the latter
• Development of collaborative/networked approaches involving government and non government stakeholders at different governance levels and cross sectors
• How to improve the links between research into poverty and public policy management: how influential is/could the research community be – formally and informally.
• Tax reforms and equity
• Labour market interventions (policy programmes) designed to boost quantity and quality of employment