Any effort to measure the results of reform on power relations between and among
politicians and bureaucrats has to take into consideration three important aspects of
the studies of reform impact. First, the study of reform consequences must adopt a
long-term perspective. We should observe how the power relations among actors
change during a long time-frame perspective. Second, there is the difficulty of
attributing the changes one observes in the power relations among actors to a
particular reform initiative. There are many other reform initiatives under way and
exogenous factors that may cause the power relations among actors to change. Third,
one should be reminded that power structures are means rather than ends. We have to
link the changed power relations with the performance of government. Questions
asked are: Has public services improved after the reform or not? Does reform matter
if it is only a power struggle phenomenon?