When form outruns function

Public administration reforms frequently fall into "capability traps" by adopting the outward, visible forms of modern digital systems while bypassing the slow process of building implementation capacity.

This phenomenon, known as isomorphic mimicry, allows agencies to look successful on paper—deploying dashboards, portals, and AI tools—while their core service delivery remains dysfunctional. Policy research must move beyond evaluating the technological form of public systems to examine their functional capabilities and actual life outcomes.