Problems of Coordination in Field Administration in Bangladesh: Does Informal Communication Matter?

Abstract

The main thrust of the article is to analyze the state of problems of inter-organizational coordination in the upazila (second tier of local government) in Bangladesh. It also explains to what extent informal communication matters for inter-organizational coordination. Based on empirical data collected in 2009, findings of the study suggest that a number of factors have facilitated non-existence of inter-organizational coordination at the upazila. These factors include lack of division of activities, dualism in control over officers, lack of proper functioning of the committees, and dual authority in disbursement of funds and its impact on timely disbursement. Findings also suggest that in the absence of coordination among different departments, informal communication has been observed to be one of the prominent mechanisms of ensuring coordination. However, existence of factors like lack of willingness to be engaged in informal communication and lack of cooperation has hindered the process of building informal communication among different departments. Despite having some problems this research has concluded that informal communication has helped the process of coordination among different departments while they are carrying out their responsibilities.

Keywords:

• coordination
• informal communication
• field administration
• Bangladesh

Notes

¹Sub-national administration stationed away from the center and comprised of four tiers scattered throughout the country, with numerous departments or agencies of the central government to carry on the business of the government while accessible to the people.

²It refers to a sub-district, one of the units of field administration in Bangladesh.

³Shadullapur is a town in Bangladesh.

⁴Gaibandha is a town in Bangladesh and it is a district where there are seven upazilas, one of which is Shadullapur the focal area of study in this article.

⁵Several steps include texts, linking raw data to the research questions, consolidating raw data, identifying patterns in the data, integrating patterns, and providing answers to the research questions.

⁶Seven divisions are Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna, Sylhet, Barisal, and Rangpur. It is the highest tier in field administration in Bangladesh and is headed by a commissioner with the status of a joint secretary of the government.

⁷The government later on enacted the Local Government (Upazila Parishad) Act 1998 and (Reintroduced and Amended) Act 2009.

⁸While calculating one-third of members if there is a fraction exceeding more than one-half, it should be considered as full.

⁹An election to the UZP was held in late January 2009 and chairmen of UZP took an oath in February 2009. Thus, when the field work was carried out in June, they found struggling to become familiar with different operating manuals of the UZP.

¹⁰Union parishad is the lowest tier of local government in Bangladesh.

¹¹LGED is a department with a pivotal role in rural infrastructure development; it works under the control and guidance of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives.

¹²UDCC is a committee and an important mechanism for interdepartmental coordination in upazila because this is the only committee in which the UNO, other officers in charge of all national building departments, and people's representatives at the upazila and union levels have membership.

¹³Refers to regular monthly meetings held by the UDCC.

¹⁴Network and connection refer to the relationship between intra-cadre officials and the relationship between government officials and political leaders.

¹⁵ACR is the evaluation of an officer by his superior and is used to facilitate promotion.

¹⁶These types of houses are constructed on government land for landless people.