Institute of Development Studies

Biography

Formerly Dean of International and Area Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, Professor Leonard has spent his career, dating back to 1963, working on governance issues in sub-Saharan Africa. He has lived for over a dozen years in four African countries and done short-term work in another 17. His graduate teaching and supervision of doctoral candidates (of which he has had over 60) have covered governance issues in the whole of the developing world. The theme underlying most of his work has been methods of improving the delivery of public services in the rural areas of Africa, both directly through managerial and policy reform and indirectly through partnerships with private actors. He has contributed to organisation theory, the New Institutional Economics, and comparative politics and administration.

Languages

French (working knowledge), Swahili (basic)

Selected Projects and Recent Work

• Global Uncertainties: Security in an Africa of Networked, Multi-Level Governance
• Academic Partnership in Support of Teaching Development Aid Curriculum in Russia
• Assessing the Political Feasibility of Policy Reform in the Horn of Africa

Thematic Expertise

Governance; Politics and Power; Security and Conflict; Public Policy; Livestock and Pastoralism.

Geographic Expertise

Sub Saharan Africa.

Selected Publications »»

• Samantar, M. and Leonard, D. (2011) 'Puntland and the Quandary of Somali Piracy', Africa Policy Journal
• Leonard, D. (2011) 'The Path from Managerialism to Participation: The Kenyan Special Rural Development Programme' in Cornwall, A. and Scoones, I. (eds), Revolutionizing Development: Reflections on the Work of Robert Chambers, Taylor and Francis
• Leonard, D. and Samantar, M. (2011) 'What does the Somali Experience teach us about the Social Contract and the State', Development and Change 42.2, The Hague: Institute of Social Studies
• Leonard, D. (2011) 'Elections and Conflict Resolution in Africa' in Matlosa, M., Khadiagala, G.M. and Shale, V. (eds), When Elephants Fight: Preventing and Resolving Election-Related Conflicts in Africa, Johannesburg: Electoral Institute of Southern Africa
• Prichard, W. and Leonard, D. (2010) 'Does reliance on tax revenue build state capacity in sub-Saharan Africa?', International Review of Administrative Sciences 76.4:653-675
• Leonard, D. (2010) 'Markets, Basic Services and Poor People', IDS In Focus Policy Briefing Special issue, Brighton: IDS
• Leonard, D. (2009) 'Elections and Conflict in Africa: An Introduction', Journal of African Elections 8.1:1-13, Johannesburg: Electoral Institute of Southern Africa
• Kadima, D., Leonard, D. and Schmidt, A. (2009) 'Elections and Democratisation in the Democratic Republic of Congo', Journal of African Elections 8.1:14-48, Johannesburg: Electoral Institute of Southern Africa
• Leonard, D., Pitso, T. and Schmidt, A. (2009) 'The Political Economy of Democratisation in Sierra Leone: Reflections on the Elections of 2007 and 2008', Journal of African Elections 8.1:49-70, Johannesburg: Electoral Institute of Southern Africa
• Leonard, D., Odhiambo, F. and George, K. (2009) 'The Political and Institutional Context of the 2007 Kenyan Elections and Reforms Needed for the Future', Journal of African Elections 8.1:71-107, Johannesburg: Electoral Institute of Southern Africa
• Egwu, S., Leonard, D. and Matlosa, K. (2009) 'Nigerian Elections Since 1999: What Does Democracy Mean?', Journal of African Elections 8.1:108-144, Johannesburg: Electoral Institute of Southern Africa
• Leonard, D (2009) 'Recreating Political Order: The Somali Systems Today', IDS Working Paper 316, Brighton: IDS
• Leonard, D. (2009) 'Recreating Political Order: The Somali Systems Today (Research Summary)', IDS Research Summary 316, Brighton: IDS
• Leonard, D.K. (2009) 'Where Are 'Pockets' of Effective Agencies Likely in Weak Governance States and Why? A Propositional Inventory (Research Summary)', IDS Research Summary 306, Brighton: IDS
• Leonard, D. (2008) 'Where are 'Pockets' of Effective Agencies Likely in Weak Governance States and Why? A Propositional Inventory', IDS Working Paper 306, Brighton: IDS