The enabling role of an agency in the development toward a superficially fragmented institutional set-up – a study of Georgian debt enforcement

Agencification – the process of creating autonomous agencies from central government units – is intended as a means of achieving political decentralization in the post-communist transitional context. However, the present article argues that, in the case of Georgia’s debt enforcement, agencification...

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Main Authors: Johan Sandén, Nino Chalauri
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: OpenEdition 2024-12-01
Series:International Review of Public Policy
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/irpp/4534
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author Johan Sandén
Nino Chalauri
author_facet Johan Sandén
Nino Chalauri
author_sort Johan Sandén
collection DOAJ
description Agencification – the process of creating autonomous agencies from central government units – is intended as a means of achieving political decentralization in the post-communist transitional context. However, the present article argues that, in the case of Georgia’s debt enforcement, agencification has become a means of developing a market (economic decentralization). Georgian debt enforcement has changed from being in-house, within the Ministry of Justice, to being the joint responsibility of a public agency (National Bureau of Enforcement; NBE) and private debt enforcement officers. The article reconstructs the reform process by drawing on documents and interview material from various stakeholders in the debt enforcement system. By describing and analyzing the development from 2008 to 2019, we show how the process has resulted in shifting roles for NBE and in various set-ups of debt enforcement. Theoretically, we stress the interplay between mechanisms for institutional change and argue that, while change may be tangible on a superficial level, this serves stability in a commitment to a pro-market agenda. Through the present analysis, we contribute to the agencification literature by showing how the creation of an agency shapes the resultant administrative set-up.
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spelling doaj-art-ea460a2f56714e2d8685b9ef146032e82025-08-20T02:32:41ZengOpenEditionInternational Review of Public Policy2679-38732706-62742024-12-01610.4000/13gftThe enabling role of an agency in the development toward a superficially fragmented institutional set-up – a study of Georgian debt enforcementJohan SandénNino ChalauriAgencification – the process of creating autonomous agencies from central government units – is intended as a means of achieving political decentralization in the post-communist transitional context. However, the present article argues that, in the case of Georgia’s debt enforcement, agencification has become a means of developing a market (economic decentralization). Georgian debt enforcement has changed from being in-house, within the Ministry of Justice, to being the joint responsibility of a public agency (National Bureau of Enforcement; NBE) and private debt enforcement officers. The article reconstructs the reform process by drawing on documents and interview material from various stakeholders in the debt enforcement system. By describing and analyzing the development from 2008 to 2019, we show how the process has resulted in shifting roles for NBE and in various set-ups of debt enforcement. Theoretically, we stress the interplay between mechanisms for institutional change and argue that, while change may be tangible on a superficial level, this serves stability in a commitment to a pro-market agenda. Through the present analysis, we contribute to the agencification literature by showing how the creation of an agency shapes the resultant administrative set-up.https://journals.openedition.org/irpp/4534agenciesagencificationmarketizationnetworkizationdebt enforcementGeorgia
spellingShingle Johan Sandén
Nino Chalauri
The enabling role of an agency in the development toward a superficially fragmented institutional set-up – a study of Georgian debt enforcement
International Review of Public Policy
agencies
agencification
marketization
networkization
debt enforcement
Georgia
title The enabling role of an agency in the development toward a superficially fragmented institutional set-up – a study of Georgian debt enforcement
title_full The enabling role of an agency in the development toward a superficially fragmented institutional set-up – a study of Georgian debt enforcement
title_fullStr The enabling role of an agency in the development toward a superficially fragmented institutional set-up – a study of Georgian debt enforcement
title_full_unstemmed The enabling role of an agency in the development toward a superficially fragmented institutional set-up – a study of Georgian debt enforcement
title_short The enabling role of an agency in the development toward a superficially fragmented institutional set-up – a study of Georgian debt enforcement
title_sort enabling role of an agency in the development toward a superficially fragmented institutional set up a study of georgian debt enforcement
topic agencies
agencification
marketization
networkization
debt enforcement
Georgia
url https://journals.openedition.org/irpp/4534
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AT johansanden enablingroleofanagencyinthedevelopmenttowardasuperficiallyfragmentedinstitutionalsetupastudyofgeorgiandebtenforcement
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