Political Will?? Who can get it done?

It has been a theoretical and an empirical phenomena that almost all development endeavours presuppose some form of positive government engagement. This incudes the promotion of democracy, sustainable development and many more. In contrast, African countries have long been lacking in the political will needed to support all the positive endeavours.
And there has emerged two perspectives on how to obtain the political will. The frist one looks at the government machinery and methods to inculcate the benefits of adopting such a strategy for a common goal. The other option looks at ways of mobilizing communities to understand and demand their rights. I really want to learn about your country experiences concerning these different approaches. Thank you very much.