ABSTRACT
Meghalaya’s experiment with the State Capability Enhancement Project (SCEP) is a proactive response to its complex socio-economic problems. It is based on the premise that the State has the potential and can build the innate capability to drive a transformative development agenda, even if its capabilities are restrained due to resource-poor conditions. Despite allocating a significant portion of state budgets to their workforce, states are often unable to deliver expected results. For example, schools were constructed and teachers put in place, but low learning outcomes persist. Likewise, a public health infrastructure was set up, but general health indicators still need improvement.
These achievement deficiencies highlight the underlying constraints and weaknesses in building state capability to overcome developmental challenges. The project aims to enable a State to become more responsive through organisational and behavioural changes, focusing on building motivation among key frontline government functionaries to solve complex development challenges.
By going beyond traditional development strategies that often neglect state capacity, this approach combines the principles of problem-driven adaptation and adaptive leadership to facilitate strategic planning, decentralised leadership, and innovation. Complex issues necessitate leadership at all levels. It involves fostering a sense of purpose, agency, and accountability to address problems. The framework prioritises solving both technical and adaptive challenges rather than merely implementing schemes.
Conventional models primarily focus on accountability; this framework asserts that complex challenges require local discretion with a strong sense of purpose. Research indicates that leadership-building organisational practices can instil a sense of purpose among government officials, leading to improved outcomes. The project offers a low-resource-intensive solution by concentrating on supportive management practices, contributing to a sense of purpose, and encouraging problem-solving. It has been institutionalised through a government innovation lab.
Functionaries working at the cutting edge of service delivery play a crucial role in bridging the gap between policy-making and ground-level implementation. They need flexible and agile organisational practices to exercise leadership. The project focuses on decentralising leadership at all levels and repurposing their roles. This approach bridges the gap between training and practice, as evidenced through an experiment in Meghalaya.
For this case, we employed a multimethod approach combining qualitative and quantitative data through an assessment of capability-building processes in the State. Our study comprised a comprehensive literature review on the subject and utilised secondary data from the State repository, including interviews and document analysis, for insights into the process, outcomes, and effects of the framework. It includes theoretical reflections and policy implications as well.
The framework adopts a whole-of-government approach by emphasising not only interdepartmental collaboration but also bridging the citizen–state divide through robust community participation. It acts both on the supply side of service delivery institutions and the demand side of the citizens utilising these services. It optimises resource use, creates synergy among stakeholders, and provides citizens with seamless access to services.
The project’s work on the reduction of maternal and child deaths has been documented by the Capacity Building Commission as one of the case studies for teaching at national training institutes. We hope this chapter can offer lessons and guidance for policymakers and practitioners facing similar development challenges, contributing to the advancement of scholarship in public administration and governance.
