__Abstract__
This paper focuses on the notion of ‘pockets of effectiveness’ in the light of the theorisation of regulated neopatrimonialism. The attention to pockets of effectiveness – understood as public organisations which deliver public goods and services relatively effectively in contexts of largely ineffective government – adds to the understanding of regulated neopatrimonialism by focusing on the conditions under which conditions public sector organisations may contribute to development.
The literature emphasises that two sets of factors contribute to the creation of pockets of effectiveness. Contextual political-economic factors relate to: political processes, political institutions and material interests and power positions of social
groups. Internal factors concern organisational leadership and management, and
the functions and attributes of organisations.
The paper analyses the operations of several oil and gas companies in Russia and
Kazakhstan in order to see how these firms are influenced by their political-economic envi
