Collaborative public governance in African public administration contexts: Problems of realising joint actions in multi-agency arrangements

Abstract Policy implementation challenges still need to be addressed despite the recent adoption of multi-agency joint action in improving public administration performance. However, much of what we know about joint action challenges concerns European and North American experiences with African contexts remaining vastly under-reported despite the proliferation of similar institutional arrangements in most countries. This paper conceptually illuminates this void using a trust-embedded approach to understanding inter-agency collaborations in Kenyan contexts. It argues that common joint-action challenges reside in social process deficits undergirding inter-agency relations. The paper's discussions call for systematic training and incentivisation of public managers to devise sustainable collaborative policy networks to implement policy programs effectively.