2011 Symposium on Governance and the Eradication of Poverty: New Perspectives from Multidisciplinary Analysis
October 20 – October 22, 2011
Justice Hall, Yonsei University – Wonju Campus
Wonju City, South Korea
The Institute for Poverty Alleviation and International Development (IPAID) at Yonsei University – Wonju Campus and the journal of Public Administration and Development are jointly organizing a symposium on “Governance and the Eradication of Poverty: New Perspectives from Multidisciplinary Analysis”.
Progress towards achieving the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) appears to have been mixed in impacting poverty on the ground – at least when looking behind the aggregate statistics and myriad of indicators for measuring progress. One of the challenges of a target- driven, donor –led approach is how to embed well intended initiatives in local government and community governance institutions and engage with the poor and marginal groups themselves. A number of donors have made major efforts in this key direction. However, poverty and broader deprivation are reduced largely through the policies and programmes of national and local governments, sometimes assisted by aid. It is the evolving social contract, the implementation environment and capacity of the technocracy which really make the difference.
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
Participants will offer ways of achieving real engagement with the poor and getting beyond the “failed states” box to look at global upstream and downstream policy issues: refugees, migrants, internally displaced persons, non/marginal citizens, and the global leadership debate.
The Institute for Poverty Alleviation and International Development (IPAID) was established on March 23, 2010 as a university-wide research institution. The goal of IPAID is to alleviate poverty and promote sustainable international development through various domestic and international collaborations and comprehensive research on regional and global poverty reduction.
Papers from the conference will be considered for publication in a special issue of Public Administration and Development
Submission of a 500 word abstract is due by July 31, 2011 to the following address: ipaid@yonsei.ac.kr.
Acceptance of abstract will be acknowledged within two weeks after submission. Full papers for the symposium must be submitted by September 10, 2011.
All participants are urged to seek travel funding from their departments and home institutions. Local accommodations for three nights in Wonju, Korea will be provided by IPAID. Participants are responsible for travel expenses and airfare. However, participants with serious financial difficulty such as qualified participants from least developed countries may apply for IPAID grants for travel (economy class) in a limited case.
Organizing Committee: Paul Collins (Public Administration and Development Honorary Advisory Editor, University of Nottingham & Senior Honorary Fellow, University of Birmingham, UK), Andrew Shepherd, Director, Chronic Poverty Research Centre, ODI, London, UK, Pan Suk Kim (IPAID Director, Yonsei University – Wonju Campus), Christal Phillips (IPAID managing editor, Yonsei University – Wonju Campus).
