S7 Ep28: Why civil service reform fails (and what actually works)

Improving civil service performance requires shifting from top-down, project-based interventions to a culture of continuous, decentralized improvement. Martin Williams, author of *Reform as Process*, argues that traditional reforms often fail because they rely on formal rules and performance incentives that cannot capture essential, non-verifiable tasks like innovation and coordination. These "projectized" efforts, characterized by rigid, time-bound goals, frequently collapse once the initial push ends, leaving behind widespread cynicism. Instead, successful reform involves working within existing rules to build credibility, starting with small, incremental changes, and empowering civil servants to identify and solve problems locally. By treating reform as an ongoing process rather than a one-off event, organizations can foster sustainable behavioral change and improve public service delivery without the distortions caused by external, high-pressure mandates.