Honorary Appointments

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overview

Research Interests

Participatory Reforms and Institutions

THESIS

Participation of citizens in the decision-making is generally perceived, and mostly practiced, within electoral democracy frameworks. Yet participatory governance arrangements of the past two decades around several developing countries have shown that alternative roots to decision-making can also bring similar, if not more, benefits. This PhD project examines Nepal's participatory planning process, an annual policymaking process that is organised by local bodies to formulate local public policies and annual budgets, as an alternative platform for people to participate in local decision-making processes.

SUPERVISORY PANEL

Professor John Halligan (Chair), Associate Professor Paul Fawcett (Member), Dr. Selen Ercan (Member)

Connect with Thaneshwar

bio/cv

PhD (2014-2018)
Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis, University of Canberra, Australia
Research area: Participatory Governance in Developing Countries
Thesis title: citizen participation in local policymaking: an analysis of Nepal’s participatory planning process, 2002-2016
Supervisory panel members: Prof John Halligan, Associate Prof Paul Fawcett and Associate Prof Selen Ercan

Master’s Degree in Public Management (2010-2011)
Potsdam Centre for Policy and Management
University of Potsdam, Germany
Master’s Thesis: Healthcare decentralisation in Nepal

Master’s Degree in Public Administration (2006-2008)
Central Department of Public Administration
Tribhuvan University, Nepal
Master’s Thesis: Public administration reform in Nepal

Professional Experience

Ministries/Departments served:
Election Commission (2003-2006),
Ministry of Land Reform and Management (2007-2009),
Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (2009-2010),
National Planning Commission (2011-2014)
Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration (2018 onwards).

publications

Stanhope, J. Wettenhall, R. & Bhusal, T. (2016). Governance challenge: Australia’s Indian ocean island territories. Australian Journal of Public Administration. 38(2).

Bhusal, T. (2011). Civil service reforms in Nepal: problems and challenges. Vikash, a Nepali journal of development. Kathmandu: National Planning Commission.

Book Chapter (forthcoming)

The participatory planning process in Nepal in Global Encyclopedia of PA, PP, and Governance, edited by Ali Farazmand. Springer 2018

Articles under review

Participatory policymaking in absence of electoral politics in Nepal

Addressing democratic crisis through citizen participation: an assessment of the municipal planning process in Nepal

BLOG

Bhusal, Thaneshwar (2017). Participatory Budgeting at the Local Level in Nepal. DevPolicy Blog. Canberra: The Australian National University.
Bhusal, Thaneshwar (2017). Breaking the silence: Returning to local elections in Nepal, South Asia Blog @ London School of Economics, the UK.
Bhusal, Thaneshwar (2017). The relevance of a 50/50 gender equality target in Nepal, BroadAgenda Blog @ 50/50 by 2030 Foundation, University of Canberra, Australia.
Bhusal, Thaneshwar (2016). Democracy without elections: 25 years of local democracy in Nepal. South Asia Blog @ London School of Economics, the UK.
Bhusal, Thaneshwar (2016). Nepal’s slow shift to federalism: Why it’s taking so long to take shape. Policy Forum Blog @ Asia and the Pacific Policy Society, Australia.

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