What makes bureaucracy work for the least advantaged? Across the world, countries have adopted policies for universal primary education. Yet, policy implementation is uneven and not well understood. Making Bureaucracy Work investigates when and how public agencies deliver primary education in rural India.

Through multi-level comparative analysis and extensive ethnographic research, Mangla opens the “black box” of Indian bureaucracy to show how differences in bureaucratic norms – informal rules that guide officials and their everyday relations with citizens – generate divergent implementation and outcomes. Some public agencies promote compliance with policy; others engage in deliberation and encourage flexible problem-solving with local communities, enhancing the quality of education services.

This book reveals the complex ways in which bureaucratic norms interact with socio-economic inequalities, illuminating the possibilities and obstacles for bureaucracy to promote inclusive development.