Managing Reforms for Development

Political Economy of Reforms and Policy-Based Lending Case Studies

Reforms challenge the status quo, often threatening those with a stake in the current system, even if the status quo is unsustainable. Institutions also need the capacity to implement and sustain reforms to meet expectations from change. The political and institutional changes resulting from reforms have to be managed until the success of the reforms becomes apparent. The Asian Development Bank, for more than 2 decades of supporting reforms, has found that no blueprint for success exists; however, there are clues as to what may work, and how the reform process can be better managed. The book aims to help those involved in the policy reform process to understand the political economy factors that influence the change process and of the assistance to support reforms.