THE UPS AND DOWNS OF BUSINESS PROCESS RE-ENGINEERING (BPR): A TALE OF TWO OFFICES IN BAHIR DAR TOWN, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Since the early 1990’s, Ethiopia has been running reform programmes to improve efficiency, effectiveness and accountability in the delivery of public services. One method has been Business Process Re-engineering (BPR). Using a concurrent quan-QUAL mixed study, this chapter analyzes two public bodies to examine whether their BPR projects have been appropriately designed and implemented, what has worked, what has not, and why. The finding is that BPR designs have been generally sound, but positive results have been prevented or compromised by a wide range of planning and implementation defects, including failure to institutionalize the new systems; lack of monitoring, measuring, and reviewing; and an inadequate incentive structure.