Governance for development issues and cocerns

Governance For Development:
Issues and concerns
Sanjay Mishra, PhD
Professor of Sociology
Makelle University, Ethiopia
Email: mishras.sanjay@gmail.com

Disclaimer: materials are heavily borrowed in the presentation , based on the lectures delivered at
MCPR, BHU, India

Governance for development:Issues and
1
concerns

Why governance is an issue world
over for the development?
• Loyalty to the country always. Loyalty to the government when it
deserves it… ……Mark Twain
• Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these
ends life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness it is right of the
people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government…
……..Thomas Jefferson
• "...as we all know, infrastructure is not just a matter of roads,
schools and power grids. It is equally a question of strengthening
democratic governance and the rule of law. Without accountability,
not only of the government to its people but of the people to each
other, there is no hope for a viable democratic State. ."
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon,
Remarks to the Security Council on Timor-Leste
19 February 2009

2
concerns

What is governance?
• Exercising power and decision-making for a group of people is called
governance.
• It happens everywhere – from urban centers to rural villages – and the
well-being of a community depends on the choices made by people
granted this authority.
• Because of the diversity of organizational structures around the world,
people such as land lords, heads of associations, cooperatives, NGOs,
religious leaders, political parties and of course, government are all actors
granted the power to govern.
• Maintaining rule of law flawlessly, in which justice, economic, and other
growth opportunities are given to all the subjects equally.
• Delivery of services offered by the existing state are provided equally
without any delay ,so no one could suffer or put blame on the state are
people involved in it.
• In much simpler way- rule of law for all with accountability and
responsibility.

3
concerns

Exercising power: Decision making-
For a group- with accountability
• During the decade due to rapid economic growth especially after the
1990 exercise of power became an issue in many of the developing
countries.
• Media became dominant in every sphere of socio-political life therefore
more emphasis on right than duty huge sum of erosion in professional
ethics observed in civil as well as government publics.
• Most of the decisions made by government are decided in simulation
(Jean Baudrillard) based on hyper reality
• “Good governance” is a relatively new term that is often used to describe
the desired objective of a nation-state’s political development.
• The principles of good governance, however, are not new. Good
governance is, in short, anti-corruption whereas authority and its
institutions are accountable, effective and efficient, participatory,
transparent, responsive, consensus-oriented, and equitable. These are the
major characteristics of good governance as outlined by the United
Nations.

4
concerns

Theoretical approach
• In The Consumer Society, Baudrillard's focused mainly upon
consumerism, and how different objects are consumed in
different ways.
• For Baudrillard, consumption, rather than production, is the
main drive in capitalist society.
• Consumption driven society is highly focused on sources to
increase the purchasing power to increase the levels of
consumption by hook or crook.
• Increased consumption level is index of economic
development , so there is strong competition to increase
consumption ignoring human values and professional ethics.

5
concerns

Importance of governance
• The World Leaders at the 2005 World Summit
concluded that good governance is integral to
economic growth, the eradication of poverty
and hunger, and sustainable development.
• The views of all oppressed groups, including
women, youth and the poor, must be heard
and considered by governing bodies because
they will be the ones most negatively affected
if good governance is not achieved.
6
concerns

Contd……….
• For good governance to exist in both theory and practice,
citizens must be empowered to participate in meaningful
ways in decision-making processes.
• They have a right to information and to access. Although
widespread accessibility remains a barrier for many
countries, one of those ways is through Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) applications such as the
Internet.
• E-governance has emerged as a viable means to address
development issues and challenges because citizens find
empowerment through access to information.

7
concerns

Governance perspective: R.A.W.
Rhodes (1996)
• 1. The minimal state
• 2. Corporate governance
• 3. New public management
• 4. Good governance
• 5. Socio-cybernatic systems
• 6. Self –organizing network

8
concerns

Kautilya :10 imperatives of good
governance (Shamshastry, R. 1929)
• Merge his individuality
• Guide administration
• Avoid extremes without missing the goal
• Lead a disciplined life with a code of conduct
• Fixed salaries and allowances
• Maintaining law and order
• Stress on lekhaks (writers in various administrative works )
• Preventive and punitive measures against corrupt officials
• Replacement of bad official with good one
• Emulate administrative qualities

9
concerns

Some examples of governance
• The UN system promotes good governance through
many avenues. The UN Development Programme, for
example, actively support national processes of
democratic transition.
• In the process, it focuses on providing policy advice and
technical support and strengthening the capacity of
institutions and individuals.
•It engages in advocacy and communications, supports
public information campaigns, and promotes and brokers
dialogue. It also facilitates “knowledge networking” and
the sharing of good practices.

10
concerns

The International Monetary Fund
• promotes good governance through its programmes
of lending and technical assistance.
• Its approach to combating corruption emphasizes
prevention, through measures that strengthen governance.
• The IMF encourages member countries to improve
accountability by enhancing transparency in policies, in line
with internationally recognized standards and codes.
• In its work with poor countries, the IMF emphasizes
adequate systems for tracking public expenditures relating
to poverty reduction.
• In its regular consultations with its members, the IMF also
provides policy advice on governance-related issues.

11
concerns

The United Nations Democracy Fund
• UNDEF, established in 2005, supports projects
that strengthen the voice of civil society,
promote human rights, and encourage the
participation of all groups in democratic
processes.
• The bulk of its funds go to local civil society
organizations, both in the transition and
consolidation phases of democratization.
• In these ways, it complements the UN's work
with governments to strengthen democratic
governance worldwide.
12
concerns

The United Nations Public
Administration Network
• UNPAN was created to set up an internet-based
network to link regional and national public
administration institutions.
• It facilitates the exchange of information and
experience, as well as training in the area of public
sector policy and management.
• Its long-term goal is to build the capacity of these
regional and national institutions, with the aim of
improving public administration overall.
• Through such measures as these, the promotion of
good governance now runs like a thread through all
UN system activities

13
concerns

The role of the state/Government
• The post 1991reforms in the forms of structural adjustment
policies focused on the role of the state/ and the government
in the development.
• The World Bank document (1997) envisions a more effective
government by designing its activities to match its
capabilities, and also advocates improving the states
capabilities by reinvigorating public institutions. And market
has been considered as a more effective institution for
allocating the resources.
• Further, the role of the state as a chief in development
questioned. And it is considered that market driven approach
to development strengthens not only the forces of
liberalization and privatization but also provides people
chance equally to play role development:Issues and – seller, buyer and
Governance for
as a champion
14
consumer. concerns

World Development Report
• WDR, 1999/2000 advocates the ideology of
pragmatism and the complementary roles of the
government, market and civil society in development.
• The coordination and overall integration between all
these recommended. More market freedom does not
mean less government but different government
where people are champion in deciding the forces.
• Amartya Sen (Development as Freedom, 2000) stated
that “it is not a question of more or less government,
but what kind of the government? This leads us to the
issue of good governance.

15
concerns

Electronic Governance
• Electronic governance is considered as an important tool of
the good governance E governance has opened many
avenues to all in various areas. Govt. Of India and many
states declared 2001 as the year of E-Governance.
• Similarly the vision 2020 document of Andhra Pradesh
Government considers SMART government, which is
simple, moral, accountable, responsive and transparent
government as good governance.
• The national agenda for governance, the common policy
framework of the present ruling coalition considers that a –
stable, honest, transparent and efficient government
capable of accomplishing all round development is
necessary for good governance.

16
concerns

Why EG?
• Initial experiences show that EG can make system transparent and
accountable together with quality assurance
• Democratic polity- more liberal and lenient
• Flexible models of government- which is treating all subjects as equal
• Rule of law and independent judiciary
• Competitive government- especially in service quality and delivery
• Transparent and serving administrative system
• Responsive and responsible
• Efficiency and efficacy in the persons involved
• Organizational plurality at various levels- macro to micro
• Decentralization of power
• Quality services and performance appraisal
• Moral integrity with high professional standards
• Capacity building and enhancement opportunities
• Maximum choice for people to select from
17
concerns

How does it work ? Governance

• In the community of nations, governance is considered
“good” and “democratic” to the degree in which a
country’s institutions and processes are transparent.
• Its institutions refer to such bodies as parliament and
its various ministries. Its processes include such key
activities as elections and legal procedures, which
must be seen to be free of corruption and accountable
to the people.
• A country’s success in achieving this standard has
become a key measure of its credibility and respect in
the world.

18
concerns

• Good governance promotes equity, participation, pluralism,
transparency, accountability and the rule of law, in a manner that is
effective, efficient and enduring.
• In translating these principles into practice, we see the holding of free,
fair and frequent elections, representative legislatures that make laws
and provide oversight, and an independent judiciary to interpret those
laws.
• The greatest threats to good governance come from corruption,
violence and poverty, all of which undermine transparency, security,
participation and fundamental freedoms.
• Democratic governance advances development, by bringing its
energies to bear on such tasks as eradicating poverty, protecting the
environment, ensuring gender equality, and providing for sustainable
livelihoods. It ensures that civil society plays an active role in setting
priorities and making the needs of the most vulnerable people in
society known.

19
concerns

• In fact, well-governed countries are less likely to be violent
and less likely to be poor. When the alienated are allowed
to speak and their human rights are protected, they are
less likely to turn to violence as a solution.
• When the poor are given a voice, their governments are
more likely to invest in national policies that reduce
poverty. In so doing, good governance provides the setting
for the equitable distribution of benefits from growth.
• The UN system works closely with governments to achieve
these ends. It also works closely civil society, a term which
encompasses a wide range of organizations and groups
from the private sector having varying interests and
objectives, including professional, business, service,
religious and recreational bodies.
20
concerns

Problem of Governance is a
worldwide phenomenon
• Politics is a strong determining factor in development
issues. The 2002 Human Development Report (HDR) was
entitled “Deepening Democracy in a Fragmented World”,
highlighting the importance of political systems in the
developing and developed worlds alike. The second
paragraph of the introduction to the 2002 HDR read as
follows;
• “Politics matter for human development because people
everywhere want to be free to determine their destinies,
express their views and participate in the decisions that
shape their lives. These capabilities are just as important for
human development- for expanding people’s choices- as
being able to read or enjoy good health”.

21
concerns

Governance on way in many countries
of the world but still many patches
needed:
• Despite making progress in the 1980’s and 1990’s in
opening up political systems across the world, with
eighty-one countries taking steps in advancing towards
democracy, there have been some harsh realities to
deal with.
• Even though 140 out of some 200 countries now hold
regular multiparty elections, it would be incorrect to
class them all as democratic. Some countries have
reversed or relapsed into authoritarian or simply
collapsed as failed states. In some countries where
democracy has been firmly established, citizens feel
powerless to influence national politics.

22
concerns

Majority of people are not satisfied
with the governance world over:
• National governments are more subjected to international
forces which they have little influence in or on.
• In 1999, the Gallup International’s (an international think-
tank) Millennium Survey asked 500,000 people in sixty
countries if their country was governed by the will of the
people.
• With less than a third of answers being yes, many citizens
of the world find that their political systems are not
representative of the needs and wishes of the people. Only
one in ten people asked in the Gallup International Survey
said that their government responded to the people’s will.

23
concerns

Only half of the world’s population
living in fully democratic system:
• The 2002 HDR highlighted many issues that are still true in
2007, the halfway point of the Millennium Development
Goals. The world has never before seen the extent of levels
of democracy, integration of national economies and
technological advances, all of which point towards greater
human freedom and improvements in people’s lives.
• Yet despite this, freedom, personal and social
developments seem to be under ever increasing threats.
And despite impressive figures of 140 out of 200 nations
holding multi-party elections, only eighty (roughly fifty-five
per cent of the world’s population) are fully democratic.
106 countries in 2002 were still limiting civil and political
freedoms.

24
concerns

In a more interdependent world
• Politics and political institutions are even more central to
human development than ever before.
• Conferences take place across the world discussing the
relationship between institutions of governance and
development.
• These issues and discussions are vitally important for
development. When institutions and governments fail, it is
the society’s poorest and most vulnerable that suffer.
• Just as development requires more than an increase in
incomes, governance requires more than just having
effective public institutions; it also needs fair and
accountable institutions that protect human rights and
basic freedoms.

25
concerns

Evidencs
• United Nations evidence shows that a virtuous cycle
for human development requires the promotion of
democratic politics at the onset. Many topics in the
world of development are interrelated, and the issue
of governance is one of these.
• An example of this is the promotion of democracy,
which entails several efforts including spreading
education (so as people play an effective role in
politics) as well as fostering the development of Civil
Society Organizations and other informal institutions
that assist formal institutions in representing the
people.

26
concerns

Global context
• Global interdependence also calls for more
participation and accountability in global decision
making, another reason why governance is such
an important issue when considering
development.
• Globalization now also affects the world of global
decision making and democratic ideals have
taken on a global perspective as international
rules and actors now affect developing and
developed nations as much as their own national
governments.

27
concerns

Lesson from the past
• One lesson to be learned since the end of the Cold War
is that newly created national political institutions are
often not developed enough to be able to keep up
with the governance challenges of the modern,
interdependent and globalized world.
• New democracies often struggle to lay down the
foundations of democratic governance and institutions
that govern people’s lives. New conflicts are tearing
these insecure states apart. The result of this can be
seen in the number of failed states that exist across
the developing world.

28
concerns

Situation
• The countries of the world face several
challenges on the road to development. Many of
these can be met in a united front; problems
such as terrorism and the drug trade are
examples of this.
• They show the importance of popular democratic
governance on both national and international
levels. The need to act is clear.
• However, action in the fields of advancing
democracy, development and expanding human
freedoms around the world is still missing in
many areas across the globe.
29
concerns

Human development approach
• The Human Development Index (HDI) is an index combining
measures of life expectancy, literacy, educational attainment,
and GDP per capita for countries worldwide.
• Developed in 1990, this composite index introduced a new
way of measuring development.
• The HDI approach arose partly as a result of growing criticism
of the development approach of the 1980s, which presumed
a close correlation between national economic growth and
the expansion of individual human choices.
• According to the UNDP, the need for an alternative
development model came about for several reasons
including:
30
concerns

Relationship between spread
economic benefits and poverty
• Growing evidence that did not support the then prevailing
belief in the “trickle down” power of market forces to spread
economic benefits and end poverty.
• The human costs of Structural Adjustment Programmes
became more apparent.
• Problems either stagnant or continued : Social ills (crime,
weakening of social fabric, HIV/AIDS, pollution, etc.) were still
spreading even in cases of strong and consistent economic
growth.
• A wave of democratization in the early 90’s raised hopes for
people-centered models.

31
concerns

New approach
• Therefore a new theoretical framework for examining
development was to be introduced as part of the broader
human development approach.
• This approach is defined as the process of enlarging people’s
choices and enhancing human capabilities and freedoms,
enabling them to live a long and healthy life, have access to
knowledge and a decent standard of living, and participate
in the life of their community and decisions affecting their
lives.
• It was from this approach that the HDI emerged as a
convenient, single figure, statistical measure of human
development.
32
concerns

Philosophy behind HDI
• Inspired by the work of Amartya Sen, the Nobel Laureate in
Economics and Professor of Economics at Harvard University.
Although Sen, amongst others, has argued that index is a
somewhat crude measure of human development, he argues
that it is less crude than a simple, single indicator, measure
such as GDP or GNP.
• However, it should be noted that due to the extreme
complexity of the human experience, no single figure could
ever represent the true conditions that people face in their
lives.
• According to Sen, although the HDI has its flaws, it is
concerned with the “basic development idea: namely,
advancing the richness of human life, rather than the richness
of the economy in which human beings live, which is only a
Governance for development :Issues and
part of it [the human experience]." concerns 33

Human Development Reports

• The Human Development Report (HDR) is an
independent report.
• It is commissioned by the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) and is the
product of a selected team of leading
scholars, development practitioners and
members of the Human Development Report
Office of UNDP.

34
concerns

Goal
• The report was first launched in 1990 with the goal of putting
people at the centre of the development process rather than
markets and other economic processes.
• The goal was to go beyond income in assessing the level of
people’s long-term well-being. The UNDP believe that such an
approach is an effort to bring about development of the
people, by the people, and for the people, and emphasizing
that the goals of development are choices and freedoms, not
simply economic growth.
• The philosophy behind this approach was to highlight that it is
not the level of income that matters when examining
development, but the use and freedom to use that income
to live the lives people value.
35
concerns

Role of HDR
• Each year the HDR examines a topic relating to human
development.
• The Reports present data and analysis and calls international
attention to issues and policy options that put people at the
centre of strategies to meet the challenges of development.
• Topics in previous years include climate change (2007/2008),
water scarcity (2006), cultural liberty (2004), the Millennium
Development Goals (2003) and human rights (2000).
• The HDI forms an important part of the annual reports. As
well as examining a highly topical theme in the current
development debate the report contains a set of world
rankings of the HDI.
36
concerns

Contd…..
• The report ranks 177 countries and divides them into high,
medium and low human development groups.
• A country’s rank indicates its human development status in a
given year, and a change in rank from year to year indicates
the progress (or otherwise) that country is making in relation
to all others.
• Inge Kaul (Director, HDR 1990 - 1994) believes that the
publication of the HDI within the HDR has helped to develop
political competition.
• Just as competition in economic markets is good for
efficiency, so too is political competition between countries
when the goal is increased human development.
37
concerns

Summary
• Governance is a big issue all over world.
• In least developed countries governance is
more complicated and highly complex with
opportunities based on compound
discriminations.
• It seems there is a straight link between
governance and poverty and other adverse
socio-economic situations.
• Good governance means equal opportunity to
all and system runs fast and works for all
38
without any onstruction. oncerns

Contd….
• Experiences show that participation of civil society
(NGOs, CBOs) in governance also does not produce
expected result, for example Indian government
experimented and ensured civil society involvement
through NGOs, PDS, bids, tenders and auctions.
• The root cause may be related to economic
insecurity, consumerism, increased individualism,
fragmentation of people based on interests, value
for material than human, and ignoring professional
ethics.
39
concerns

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