Inter-Organizational Coordination and Corruption in Urban Policy Implementation in Bangladesh: A Case of Rajshahi City Corporation

Abstract

This article provides an overview of the state of inter-organizational coordination and corruption in urban policy implementation in Bangladesh. Based on a study carried out in one of the seven large cities in Bangladesh, the available data illustrate that there are major coordination problems between the Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) and other government departments. This is due to a lack of formal coordination mechanisms, partisan leadership, and a fragmented organizational culture of patron-clientage, which dispenses undue favor and involves nepotism. These pathologies breed corruption and seriously impede inter-organizational coordination. Ordinary citizens suffer as a result.

Keywords:

• Inter-organizational coordination
• corruption and policy implementation
• urban policy
• Bangladesh

Notes

¹Bangladesh, a South Asian country, came into existence on December 16, 1971.

²The nine city corporations are Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi, Syllhet, Barisal, Rangpur, Narayangang, and Commilla.

³The Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC), which is the third largest of Bangladesh's nine city corporations, started out as Rajshahi Pourashava on April 1, 1876. It was then upgraded into Pouro Corporation on August 13, 1987. Less than a month later, on September 11, 1987, it became a city corporation.

⁴The RDA is an autonomous body administered by government officials. Its main tasks concern urban planning and building in the city of Rajshahi. The R&HD and the LGED are the government departments responsible for developing infrastructure (construction and maintenance of the major roads and bridges) within the city of Rajshahi.

⁵One may wonder how these people were involved in the process of implementation of infrastructure policy of RCC. As a matter of fact, RCC requires maintaining communication with RDA, R&HD, and LGED since ownership of different roads in Rajshahi City belongs to different agencies. Moreover, the RDA is responsible for preparing a master plan for Rajshahi City. Thus, the RCC requires cooperation from these government agencies while implementing its infrastructure related activities. Under such circumstance, these people were selected to be interviewed.

⁶For example, in Dhaka City, there are more than 16 government/autonomous organizations directly involved, and almost 30 other organizations indirectly involved in urban development activities. Despite having an institutional arrangement for inter-organizational coordination between the first 16 bodies, real coordination has not yet been possible (Task Force on Urban Governance, National Policy Forum, 2001; CUS Bulletin on Urbanization and Development, Centre for Urban Studies, Vol. 41, July–December, Dhaka).

⁷This definition should not be taken to mean that corruption does not exist in large private enterprises, in areas such as procurement or even hiring. It also exists in private activities regulated by governments. For instance, when a taxi driver charges a passenger more that the set price or when a doctor in a hospital charges for services not rendered. See Vita Tanzi's paper, Corruption around the World: Causes, Consequences, Scope and Cures (December 1998) . IMF Staff Paper, 45(4), IMF).

⁸Corporation Parishad is the RCC's highest decision making body. It is required to hold a meeting at least once a month. The mayor chairs the meeting, but in his absence, a commissioner is elected for this purpose from among the members present. The meeting is to be convened by the mayor at whatever time he chooses, but if he receives a written request from two thirds of the commissioners, he is bound to call the meeting as soon as possible.

⁹These 11 standing committees are Finance and Establishment, Education, Health, Family Planning and Sanitation, Town Planning and Improvement, Audits and Accounts, Works and Buildings, Water, Electricity, Social Welfare and Community Centers, Transportation, and Women and Children. With the prior approval of the government, the Corporation may also set up additional standing committees for such purposes, as it sees fit.

¹⁰The tender committee is composed of a chief administrative officer, chief executive engineer, assistant engineer, and the commissioner of the ward concerned.

¹¹Projects espoused by the ward commissioners are always passed in the Corporation Parishad meetings because the attendees of the meetings have close links with the mayor. He dominates the process due to his position and political power.

¹²Ordinary citizens expressed their views while being interviewed.

¹³In every sphere of the construction sector in Bangladesh, it is common practice for the contractor who wins the work order to sell it on to another contractor at a profit. The second party then sells it to a third party, and so on. Since each party involved in this process gets a cut, the last party needs to recoup the money spent on winning the contract and therefore tries to maximize his profit from the work. In addition, a certain portion of the profit is also given to the engineering department and the local ward commissioner. It is therefore hardly surprising that the quality of the work suffers as a result.

¹⁴The officials in charge of supervising construction work keep quiet because they receive bribes from contractors.

¹⁵Views expressed by ordinary people interviewed.

¹⁶One of many examples given to us was the appointment of a personal assistant to the health officer. Initially appointed to the post of health assistant, he was later made office assistant and then personal assistant (in charge) through special management. Informed sources said that such posts had not existed previously, either in the corporation or in the service rule. Some employees believed this promotion might have received the chief health officer's blessing ( Weekly Holiday, March 22, 2002).

¹⁷Views expressed by an interviewed government official.

¹⁹Laxmipur is an area in Rajshahi City where the medical college is situated.

²⁰BDT stands for Bangladeshi Taka (name of the currency).

¹⁸This case was discussed while interviewing one high ranking official of R&HD, Rajshahi.

²¹View expressed by an interviewed government official.

²²Contrast denotes different modes of operation and accountability patterns in the two organizations.

²³On the other hand, RCC officials said bureaucrats considered themselves superior because they belonged to the central government service. It was said that they do not show a willingness to communicate properly with the city corporation. This attitude of superiority thus sometimes creates coordination problems between the RCC and the bureaucrats.

²⁴In the change of government in January 2007, many political leaders, including two former prime ministers, a number of ex-ministers and ex-members of the parliament, and some top businessmen were apprehended by the government and imprisoned on charges of corruption.

²⁵Retrieved October 12, 2010, from http://www.undp.org/dpa/publications.corruption/index.html

²⁶If the mayor is angry with an official, he has the power to transfer him to a remote area. In general, officers do not want to go outside the city area.