"Every civil service seeks to enshrine meritocracy in recruitment and promotion. Yet throughout MENA and beyond, the reality is often different, as considerations of patronage, tribal and political affiliation, and wasta can subvert and undermine efforts to attract the best and brightest into key positions throughout the public sector. The Government of Lebanon recently sought to implement a major set of reforms to allow it to restructure its recruitment practices and bring in top talent for important senior positions within the civil service. The exercise was ultimately not successful for a variety of reasons. But it remains an instructive one, and the issue continues to occupy a prominent place in the reform agenda of Lebanon and other regional countries."