Institutional Development and Good Governance in Ethiopia

The document analyzes the trajectory of institutional development in Ethiopia across imperial, military, and federal regimes. It finds that while formal structures like the civil service, parliament, and independent commissions have been established, they are frequently undermined by political control, lack of professional autonomy, and insufficient resources. The report highlights a persistent gap between liberal legal frameworks and the practical reality of state-led, top-down governance.

• Ethiopian public institutions have historically been shaped by a top-down approach across three regimes—imperial, Derg, and EPRDF—resulting in institutions being "smothered more often than they are fostered" due to an emphasis on political control over efficiency.
• The Ethiopian civil service has experienced massive growth, expanding from approximately 47,000 employees in the 1962/63 fiscal year to over 2.2 million by 2021/22, driven largely by the adoption of a federal government model and a 'developmental state' philosophy.
• Civil service effectiveness is severely hampered by low salaries that fall below market rates and the cost of living, leading to a failure to attract "the best and the brightest" and increasing the risk of rent-seeking behavior.
• Frequent government reorganizations, occurring every five years or less between 1993 and 2021, have created instability, disrupted the management of personnel records, and hindered the continuity of projects.
• Democratic institutions, including the Human Rights Commission and the Ombudsman, suffer from weak independence and insufficient budgets, with some spending over 80% of their budget on running costs and salaries.
• The Ethiopian Institution of the Ombudsman (EIO) faces specific autonomy challenges, as its investigators lack immunity and its structural and salary proposals are often referred to the Civil Service Commission rather than being decided independently.
• The House of Peoples’ Representatives (HoPR) struggles with meaningful public engagement; public hearings on draft laws are often limited to Addis Ababa and are frequently announced on short notice, discouraging regional participation.
• Parliamentary oversight is weakened by a fusion of the executive and legislative branches under a dominant party system, rendering the legislature a "single party caucus" in practice.
• Public service media (PSM) in Ethiopia function more as state media than independent public entities, with content often dictated by an ad hoc "media committee" within the ruling party via WhatsApp and weekly meetings.
• The Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) faces conflicts of interest due to heavy financial reliance on corporate sponsorships from entities like Ethio Telecom and the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia, which may compromise its editorial independence.
• Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) were severely curtailed by the "draconian" 2009 CSO law, which forced many advocacy groups to shut down or change their mandates, though the 2019 amended proclamation is viewed as more liberal.
• The Federal Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (FEACC) has had its powers limited since Proclamation No. 943/2015 transferred its investigation and prosecution authority to the Attorney General.

APA

Terefe, F., Mohammed, Z., Zewde, B., Temesgen, B., Hailegebriel, D., & Dinku, G. (2025). Institutional Development and Good Governance in Ethiopia. Good Governance Africa. https://digitalmallblobstorage.blob.core.windows.net/wp-content/2026/04/GGA-HoA-Institutional-Development.pdf

Chicago

Terefe, Fekade, Zerihun Mohammed, Bahru Zewde, Berhanu Temesgen, Debebe Hailegebriel, and Getachew Dinku. Institutional Development and Good Governance in Ethiopia. Good Governance Africa, 2025. https://digitalmallblobstorage.blob.core.windows.net/wp-content/2026/04/GGA-HoA-Institutional-Development.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Terefe |first1=Fekade |last2=Mohammed |first2=Zerihun |last3=Zewde |first3=Bahru |last4=Temesgen |first4=Berhanu |last5=Hailegebriel |first5=Debebe |last6=Dinku |first6=Getachew |title=Institutional Development and Good Governance in Ethiopia |publisher=Good Governance Africa |date=2025 |url=https://digitalmallblobstorage.blob.core.windows.net/wp-content/2026/04/GGA-HoA-Institutional-Development.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{terefe2025institutional, author = {Terefe, Fekade and Mohammed, Zerihun and Zewde, Bahru and Temesgen, Berhanu and Hailegebriel, Debebe and Dinku, Getachew}, title = {{Institutional Development and Good Governance in Ethiopia}}, institution = {Good Governance Africa}, year = {2025}, url = {https://digitalmallblobstorage.blob.core.windows.net/wp-content/2026/04/GGA-HoA-Institutional-Development.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }