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Dr Joshua Jebuntie Zaato

Dr Joshua Jebuntie Zaato
Senior Lecturer and Departmental Examinations Officer
jjzaato@ug.edu.gh ; Joshuazaato@yahoo.com

 

Profile:
Dr. Joshua Jebuntie Zaato holds a Ph.D. in Public Administration from the University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, in Canada. He is currently a Lecturer at the Department of Political Science, University of Ghana, Legon. His main research interests are in the fields of Governance, Public Policy Analysis, Management Reforms and State Owned Enterprises. He is also an expert in the Governance and Management of Public Private Partnerships. Dr Zaato has also published extensively in some of the most prestigious international peer reviewed journals in the field of Public Administration, attended and presented his research at some of the most prestigious international conference, and is currently a reviewer for a number of journals in the field.
He has also gained extensive teaching, research and administrative experience in Canada, the UAE and Ghana. He has over ten years of experience teaching courses in Political Science, Public Administration and Social Research Methods in Canada, The UAE and Ghana.  Dr Zaato has also consulted for the World Bank and private enterprises all over the world.
His current research focuses on Governance and policy failure and learning in Ghana and the developing world. He is also focused on administrative capacity of the developmental state.
Dr. Zaato is also a member of many academic and research associations including the International Research Society for Public Management (IRSPM), International Political Science Association (IPSA), American Society for Public Administration (ASPS) among others.
He is the immediate past Assistant Chair of the International Studies Department in the College of Humanities and Social Science, Zayed University, Dubai, as well as the editor of the Newsletter of the same college.

Education:

  • PhD, Public Administration                                                        2013               University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
  • Master of Arts (MA), Public Administration                                2007                Brock University, St. Catharine’s, Ontario, Canada
  • Bachelor of Arts (BA), First Class Honours. Political Science       2003                University of Ghana, Accra-Ghana

Areas of Specialization

  • Public Administration
  • Public Management
  • Public Policy Analysis
  • Governance and Leadership

Current Research/Research Interests

  • Public Sector Reforms in Ghana
  • Governance and Leadership in Ghana
  • Public Private Partnerships in Ghana/Developing Countries
  • Policy Learning and Policy Failures in Ghana/Developing Countries

Courses Taught 

  • Poli 465: Policy Evaluation
  • Poli 343: Research Methods
  • POLI 213: Introduction to Public Administration

Research output (sort them under respective headings whether journal publications, book chapter, book) 
Selected Journal Publications:

  • Zaato, J.J., (2024). An Alternative Approach to Funding Public Universities in Developing Countries. The Case of the University of Ghana and Africa Integras Failed Public-Private Partnership Agreement, American Society for Public Administration Occupational Paper Series, 6(1), pp. 29-39.

    Zaato, J.J., (2024). Pockets of Innovation in the Public Sector: Digitalization as a Driver of Change and Innovation in Ghana’s Public Sector, Ghana Social Science Journal, 21(1), pp. 58-74.

    Zaato, J.J., Suleman, S., & Kudzedzi, C.K.M. (2024). The Contributions of Ghana National Petroleum Corporation Towards Sustainability Efforts in Upstream Oil and Gas Operations in Ghana. In: Ayee, J.R., Amoah, L.G., Alidu, S.M. (eds) Public Sector Management and Economic Governance in Ghana. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-56964-7_5

    Zaato, J.J., Foli, R. (2024). Interest Groups and the Passage of the Domestic Violence Act in Ghana: Insights from the Advocacy Coalition Framework. In: Ayee, J.R., Amoah, L.G., Alidu, S.M. (eds) Political Institutions, Party Politics and Communication in Ghana: Three Decades of the Fourth Republic, (pp.157-172). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-54744-7_9

  • Zaato, J. Joshua & Frank L. K. Ohemeng (2021) “The Failure to Learn Lessons from Policy Failures in Developing Countries? The Case of Electricity Privatization in Ghana”, International Journal of Public Administration, DOI: 10.1080/01900692.2021.2001012

  • Zaato, Joshua Jebuntie and Suleman Shafic (2021) “Local Content Implementation and Development in Ghana’s Upstream Oil and Gas Sector for Sustainable Development: Contemporary Issues on Policy Management” Springer Discover Sustainability, Vol 2, No, 21, pp 1-15.
  • Zaato, Joshua Jebuntie and Suleman Shafic (2020) “Local Content Policies Development in the Oil and Gas Industry In Ghana: Lessons from the UAE” International Journal of Strategic Energy and Environmental Planning, Vol. 2, No. 4, pp 7-28
  • Zaato, Joshua Jebuntie & Frank Louis Kwaku Ohemeng (2017) “Breaking the path in national development? The politics of public–private partnerships in Ghana” Journal of Strategic Contracting and Negotiation, Vol. 2(4) 326–346
  • Zaato, Joshua Jebuntie & Hudon, Pierre Andre (2015) “Governance Lessons from Public Private Partnerships: Examining Two Cases in the Greater Ottawa Region” Commonwealth Journal of Local Government, Vol.16, No.17, pp 12-30.
  • Zaato, Joshua Jebuntie (2015) “Getting the Fundamentals Right: Autonomization as a Reform and Governance Tool in the Case of the State Insurance Company Ltd (SIC) in Ghana" Public Organization Review, 16(3), 391-408
  • Zaato, Joshua Jebuntie & Frank L.K. Ohemeng (2015) “Building Resilient Organizations for Effective Service Delivery in Developing Countries: The Experience of Ghana Water Company Limited”, Forum for Development Studies, Vol.42, No.3, pp 507-528
  • Zaato, Joshua Jebuntie (2015) “Governance, Value for Money, and State Owned Enterprise Reform: Lessons from Decentralised Management in Ghana” Savant Journal of Social Science and Humanities, Vol. 1, No.1, pp.15-24.
  • Zaato, Joshua Jebuntie (2014) “Look Before You Leap”: Lessons from Urban Water Sector Reforms in Ghana” Journal of Asian and African Studies, Vol. 50, No. 6, pp 683–701.
  • Zaato, Joshua Jebuntie (2009) “Re-Examining the Rhetoric of Public Management   Reform from a Critical Management Studies Perspective” Revue Governance, Vol 6, No.2, pp.1-22

Book Chapters:

Zaato, J. J., & Foli, R. (2024). Interest Groups and the Passage of the Domestic Violence Act in Ghana: Insights from the Advocacy Coalition Framework. In: Ayee, J.R., Amoah, L.G., Alidu, S.M. (eds) Political Institutions, Party Politics and Communication in Ghana: Three Decades of the Fourth Republic, (pp.157-172). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-54744-7_9

Zaato, J. J., (2024) It’s not only about value for money: evolution and development of SOEs and the making of the state-led economic development in Ghana, in Kpessa-Whyte Michael and Dzisah James (eds) Public policy in Ghana: conceptual and practical insights (pp.73-91) Cham: Palgrave Macmillan

Zaato, J. J. & Suleman S., (2023) “Achieving sustainability in Ghana’s upstream oil and gas sector: The role of the national oil company” www.ogel.org

 Ohemeng, F.L.K., & Zaato, J.J. (2022). Policy failures and policy learning in Africa: The case of electricity privatization in Ghana. in Gedion Onyango (ed) Routledge handbook of public policy in Africa, (pp. 384-395) New York: Routledge

Zaato, Joshua Jebuntie (2018) ‘Governance of State Owned Enterprises’. In Farazmand A. (ed) Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy and Governance, Springer

Selected Conference Proceedings 
Joshua Jebuntie Zaato (2019) “Challenges of Administrative Reforms in the Developmental State” XXIII International Research Society for Public Management (IRSPM) Annual Conference, Wellington: New Zealand, April 15-18th 2019

Joshua Jebuntie Zaato (2019) “Governance of Public Agencies in Developing Countries” XXIII International Research Society for Public Management (IRSPM) Annual Conference, Wellington: New Zealand, April 15-18th 2019

Joshua Jebuntie Zaato (2018) ‘Restructuring the Energy Sector in Ghana for Reliable and Continuous Power Supply: Lessons and Learning from the United Arab Emirates’ Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the International Political Science Association (IPSA) 25th World Congress of Political Science, Brisbane: Australia

Zaato, Joshua Jebuntie and Frank L. Ohemeng (2016) “Breaking the Path in National Development? The Politics of Public-Private Partnership Development in the Complex Environment of Ghana” Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) at Seattle, Washington State, March 18-22nd 2016.
Zaato, Joshua Jebuntie (2015) "Context, Creative-Adaptation and Task-Specificity: A Theoretical Framework for State Owned Enterprise Reform in Developing Countries” 2015 Annual Conference of the Canadian Political Science Association, University of Ottawa, June 2-4, 2015

Zaato, Joshua Jebuntie (2014) Panel Discussant “Challenges to the Developmental State: Governance, Innovation and Administrative Answers to Political Problems” at 18th Annual Conference of the International Research Society for Public Management (IRSPM), Ottawa, Canada April 9-11 2014.

Zaato, Joshua Jebuntie (2014) “Democratic Governance and Neo-liberal Approaches to Reforming State Owned Enterprises in the Developmental State: The Case of Ghana Post Company Ltd.” 18th Annual Conference of the International Research Society for Public Management (IRSPM), Ottawa, Canada April 9-11 2014.

Joshua Jebuntie Zaato and Frank Ohemeng (2014) “Building Resilient Organizations for Effective Service Delivery in the Developmental State: The Experience of Ghana Water Company Limited, 18th Annual Conference of the International Research Society for Public Management (IRSPM), Ottawa, Canada April 9-11 2014.

Zaato, Joshua Jebuntie (2012) “Decentralised Management as a Reform and Governance Tool: The Case of Ghana Post Company Ltd” 16th Annual Conference of the International Research Society for Public Management (IRSPM), Rome, Italy: April 11-13 2012.

Zaato, Joshua Jebuntie (2011) “A Comparative Analysis and Evaluation of Value for Money and Good Governance Performance of Restructured/Reformed State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) in Ghana” Annual Canadian Political Science Association (CPSA) Conference, Wilfred Laurier University, May 16-18 2011.

Zaato, Joshua Jebuntie (2011) “Pre-reform Decision-making and Post-reform Performance Evaluation of State Owned Enterprises (SOEs): A Case Study of Urban Water Management Reform in Ghana, 65th Annual New York State Political Science Association Conference, Niagara University April 8-9, 2011

Hudon, P-A and Zaato Joshua Jebuntie (2010) “Governance Lessons from Public-Private Partnerships: Examining Two Cases in the Greater Ottawa Region” 82nd Annual Canadian Political Science Association (CPSA) Conference, June 1-3 2010, Concordia University, Montreal.

Awards/Honors,

  • Zayed University, Dubai: UAE                                                                     March 2019-March 2021
  • Research Intensive Fund (RIF):  $40,000 USD
  • Title: Development of Oil and Gas Industry Local content policies in Ghana: Lessons and learning from UAE
  • Zayed University                                                                                       May 2017 – May 2018
  • Start Up Research Grant: 4,100USD
  • Title of Research: Restructuring the Energy Sector in Ghana for Reliable and Continuous Power Supply:  Lessons and Learning from the UAE
  • International Research Society for Public Management (IRSPM) Conference:    April, 2014
  • Award for Best Paper Presented by a New Researcher
  • Title of Paper “Democratic Governance and Neo-liberal Approaches to Reforming State Owned Enterprises in the Developmental State: The Case of Ghana Post Company Ltd”
  • The paper was selected from a list of over 50 papers from participants in over 40 countries
  • University of Ottawa: Ottawa, Canada       Sep 2007-Dec. 2013
  • PhD Admission Scholarship: $80,000.00 for four years
  • The Admission Scholarship is the most prestigious scholarship of the University of Ottawa and is awarded to a PhD student with a superior cumulative grade-point average of at least 8.0/10.
  • Academic and Professional Development Research and Publication Grants: $10,000.00
  • The Academic and Professional Development Research and Publication Grants are aimed at promoting research scholarly activities by part-time academic staff and are awarded on a competitive basis.
  • Brock University, St Catherines: Canada      Sept 2005-May 2007
  • International Tuition and Research Fellowship: $30,000.00
  • The International Tuition and Research Fellowship is awarded on competitive basis to international students based on superior GPA.

Consulting:

  • World Bank Consultant                                                                                          2020-2021
  • Integrated Landscape Management, Afghanistan
  • Develop a governance structure for the Integrated Landscape Management Team in Afghanistan
  • Develop manual for capacity building in Landscape Management in Afghanistan
  • Work with the Team to train and improve capacity of Public Servants in Afghanistan
  • SETYM International Inc.         2012- 2021
  • Management Consultant/Trainer
  • Management Trainer in Public Private Partnerships for Senior Public Sector Managers in Nairobi Kenya, March 2015
  • Management Trainer in Public Private Partnerships for Senior Public Sector Managers from East Timor in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, November 2015

Affiliations:

  • International Political Science Association (IPSA)
  • American Association of Public Administration (ASPA)
  • International Research Society for Public Management (IRSPM)
  • Canadian Political Science Association (CPSA)
  • New York State Political Science Association (NYSPSA)
  • Canadian Association of African Studies (CAAS)
  • Canadian Association for International Development (CASID)