Project Summary

Reform efforts across African public sectors often fail to achieve their goals because they overlook the informal norms that govern the daily behaviour of civil servants. This project investigated these practical norms — unwritten rules and informal routines — across Senegal, Togo, Niger, Sierra Leone, Malawi and Tanzania. These norms develop in response to resource shortages, unrealistic rules, and limited oversight, often determining how work gets done on the ground.

The study focused on the health and education sectors and used ethnographic research to document how practical norms interact with formal rules. The findings show that these norms are not simply forms of corruption, but complex strategies for coping with difficult working conditions, and, while they can help to maintain service delivery, they can also contribute to inefficiencies and misuse of resources.

The project engaged directly with policymakers and civil service reform units to present findings and support the development of more grounded, context-sensitive reforms.

Key findings

• Practical norms are widespread and often necessary for basic service delivery, especially where official procedures are impractical or poorly resourced
• These norms can both solve problems and contribute to dysfunction or corruption
• Senior managers are often insulated from the pressures and informal accountability experienced by frontline workers
• Successful reforms must start by understanding how practical norms work and identifying spaces for change from within the system

Impact Highlights

• Briefings and workshops with Malawi’s Office of the President and Cabinet, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Education
• Consultations with Tanzania’s Regional Administration and Local Government and dissemination events for civil servants and donor partners
• Engagements with officials in Niger and Togo, including health ministry staff, trade unions, and international donors

Methodology

The project used anthropological fieldwork methods, including interviews, direct observation and case studies. Research teams worked in hospitals, schools, district offices and ministries, mapping how staff balance formal regulations with the demands of day-to-day service delivery. The analysis focused on identifying recurring informal practices and their impact on performance and integrity.