ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that bureaucratic interests and the general institutional environment determine the speed at which reforms advocated within the context of international transfer of public management reforms are implemented. In development management podiums, donor organizations are advised that for developing countries, policy transfer based on learning approaches has better implementation results than purely top-down transfers. However, through the case of Malawi Health Sector Decentralization reforms, this chapter demonstrates that although donor organizations can take a learning approach in transferring policies to developing countries, the speed at which such reform programmes are implemented depends on the general bureaucratic interest, institutional capacities and cultural environment within which such reforms are implemented. Taking a qualitative approach, the analysis combines the use of primary and secondary data.
