Paper short abstract:

This paper examines the creation of parallel hierarchical structures at a provincial government headquarters in Vanuatu. Focussing on assignations of efficacy, I examine the tensions between the structural imagining of the province made explicit in the form of a staff handbook, and the restructuring of these imaginings on a daily basis through prayer.

Paper long abstract:

This paper examines the creation of parallel hierarchical structures at a provincial government headquarters in Vanuatu. While undertaking a "restructuring" programme the province was simultaneously involved in a court case regarding land boundaries. In this context, those considered structurally least important were able to assert their efficacy through participation in daily prayers aimed at strengthening the province's position in court proceedings. Focussing on assignations of efficacy, I examine the tensions between the structural imagining of the province made explicit in the form of a staff handbook, and the restructuring of these imaginings on a daily basis through prayer.