These proceedings from a workshop in Abidjan, Cote d ' Ivoire, organized jointly by the government of Cote d ' Ivoire, the Public Administration Division of the United Nations Secretariat, and the World Bank, focus on aiding Francophone African countries with public sector reform. They draw broadly on best practices derived from both Anglophone and Francophone Africa, and from the experiences of the industrialized as well as the developing countries. The first of two parts comprises papers, the core of the workshop discussions, concerning public sector management as viewed by industrialized, then developing countries. The key themes center on professional ethics, accountability, and transparency to combat corruption and deliver improved services. The papers also present guidelines leading to effective reform, and discuss better coordination among lenders in supporting reform. In the second part, country administrators illustrate these themes by using their countries -Burkina Faso, Botswana, Uganda, and Cote d ' Ivoire- as case studies. This part ends by reviewing several initiatives creating local capacity in Mali and Senegal to improve the quality of public services for users. The third and last part of these proceedings is devoted to distilling the debate ' s essential elements, and presenting the workshop ' s conclusions and recommendations.