Introduction

In the previous chapters we laid out the theoretical framework and the regional context for this second part of the book, where we will present an evidence-based discussion on how transmission channels of globalization affect civil servants in our four focus countries. In this chapter we review the influence on civil servants of the first dimension of globalization identified in Chapter 1, the global push for performance, with international performance indicators as the transmission channel. The next two chapters will focus on the other two dimensions identified: deepened direct engagement with international actors and the global open government agenda.

To assess the impact of the global push for performance on civil servants, we have analysed the extent to which performance on international performance indicators has been internalized in national governance systems and how this impacts civil servants’ values and belief systems. Our review is based on insights gained from in-depth interviews with senior civil servants in the focus countries, using a mix of vignettes and classical interview techniques.

Performance indicators as a transmission channel for globalization

The impact of international performance indicators on national institutions and public policy is a controversial issue, as it is closely connected with the (perceived) exercise of power within and between the states and transnational institutions. That said, and regardless of the differences of view in academic perspectives on the nature of this power (positive or negative), there is broad agreement that the impact of global indicators is significant and growing. In this context, recent literature talks about Scorecard Diplomacy (Kelley, 2017), The Quiet Power of Indicators (Merry et al, 2015), and the politics of numbers (Hansen, 2012; Fioramonti, 2014; Malito et al, 2018; Honig and Weaver, 2019).

We define indicators as: