The role of the state and Fiji council of social services (FCOSS) in service delivery in Fiji

Abstract

Since 1980s, the global trend of international major donor agencies has been to divert aid from the state to Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) for the reasons of good governance, better accountability, more transparency and efficient service delivery. This has also been the case in the South Pacific island countries and particularly in Fiji after the 1987 coups. This re-direction of funds from the state to CSOs had two major impacts on the role of the state in service delivery. First, it led to the reduction of the role of the state in distributing funds to CSOs for service delivery. Second, the state is no longer able to ‘control’ the whole process of service delivery and gain people’s sympathy and political mileage, as was the case in the pre-1987 coup period. This paper will unravel the ‘rolling back’ of Fijian state and examine the increasing role of Fiji Council of Social Services (FCOSS) and individual CSOs in service delivery. In particular, this paper will examine the role of the state in service delivery in various sectors of Fiji and the role of FCOSS and its programmes in providing service delivery in Fiji. Finally, this paper will also underline some recommendations for better utilisation of funds for service delivery (207 words). Key words: Donor Agencies, state, civil society organisations (CSOs), Fiji council of social services (FCOSS), aid, good governance, accountability, transparency, health, education, family and counselling, gender, poverty alleviation, millennium development goals (MDGs), principles of Paris declaration.

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