Teferi Hailemichael Hassen, an international student at UNE and PhD candidate with the School of Law, is conducting progressive research on public administration in Africa.
His work, titled Public Administration in Africa: Strategies to Enhance Policy Capacity for Justice and the Rule of Law, focuses on how African states can strengthen their administrative frameworks to promote justice.
Teferi believes that building policy capacity is crucial for the development of state institutions that uphold the rule of law.
“Good governance is fundamentally about justice and the rule of law,” Teferi explains. “The ability of a state to create effective policies is critical for ensuring these principles are upheld.”
Good governance is fundamentally about justice and the rule of law.
While there has been significant research on justice and governance in Africa, Teferi’s work sheds light on an often-overlooked area: the weak policy capacity within leadership and bureaucracy.
He argues that these deficiencies hinder the realisation of the rule of law across African governance systems.
“There has been a lot of research documenting the challenges around justice in Africa,” Teferi notes.
“But few have looked at how weak policy-making contributes to these issues. My work seeks to fill that gap and provide actionable strategies to strengthen governance structures.”
This research recently took Teferi to Africa, where he participated in the 2023 African Association for Public Administration and Management (AAPAM) Round Table Conference.
Established in 1970, AAPAM promotes the development of public administration and management across Africa, aiming to enhance the competency of administrators and managers for the continent’s rapid social and economic development. The organisation also fosters cooperation between African states to drive the adoption of sound administrative and management practices.
The conference provided a valuable platform for Teferi to share his research.
“It was a great opportunity to engage in discussions about how effective governance can strengthen societies across Africa,” Teferi says.
“My research on public administration strategies in Africa contributed to the round table discussions and helped to shape conversations on justice and the rule of law.”
Teferi is hopeful that his research will make a meaningful impact, not only academically but also in shaping policies, that can bring about lasting change in African governance.
