Thesis Title:
Navigating Governance Gaps: Evaluating Incentive Structures in Pakistan’s Bureaucracy
Thesis Abstract:
This paper investigates how incentive structures can be redesigned to improve bureaucratic performance and governance in low-capacity states, using Punjab’s Board of Revenue (BOR) in Pakistan as a case study. The BOR manages land rights, revenue, and administration – functions that are vital for economic growth yet constrained by weak accountability, entrenched patronage, and misaligned incentives across hierarchical levels. The paper explores how the incentives of both frontline staff and supervising officers interact to shape governance outcomes.
It proposes a randomized field experiment that tests the causal effects of three interventions: (1) performance-based financial incentives tied to revenue recovery; (2) accountability reforms including annualized performance evaluations and social recognition; and (3) a combined holistic treatment. Using rich administrative data from 156 tehsils (2017–present), the study quantifies the impacts of these incentive regimes on revenue collection and service delivery. By integrating financial, social, and institutional dimensions, the research contributes to the literature on bureaucratic effectiveness and intrinsic motivation, and offers actionable insights for reforming state institutions in developing countries. The findings aim to inform global debates on building state capacity through incentive-compatible governance reforms.
Primary Supervisor:
Dr Maia King