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Human
Resource Development (HRM-627)
VU
Lesson
41
GOOD
GOVERNANCE
The
terms governance and
good
governance are
increasingly being used in development
literature.
Governance
describes the process of decision-making
and the process by which
decisions are implemented
(or
not
implemented). Hereby, public institutions
conduct public affairs, manage
public resources, and
guarantee
the
realization of human rights. Good
governance accomplishes this in a manner
essentially free of abuse
and
corruption,
and with due regard
for the increasingly basing
their aid and loans on the
condition that reforms
ensuring
good governance are
undertaken.
Good
governance can be understood as a set of
8 major characteristics:
·
participation,
·
rule
of law,
·
transparency,
·
responsiveness,
·
consensus
orientation,
·
equity
and inclusiveness,
·
effectiveness
and efficiency
·
accountability
These
characteristics assure
that
·
corruption
is minimized,
·
the
views of minorities are
taken into account
and
·
that
the voices of the most vulnerable in
society are heard in
decision-making
Participation
·
Participation
by both men and
women.
·
Participation
could be either direct or through legitimate intermediate
institutions or representatives.
·
Participation
also means freedom of association
and expression on the one hand
and an organized civil
society
on the other hand.
Rule
of law
·
Good
governance requires fair
legal frameworks that are
enforced impartially.
·
Full
protection of human rights, particularly
those of minorities.
·
It
also means independent judiciary and an
impartial and incorruptible police
force.
Transparency
·
Decisions
taken and their enforcement
are done in a manner that
follows rules and
regulations.
·
Information
is freely available and directly
accessible to those who will
be affected by such
decisions
and
their enforcement.
Responsiveness
·
Institutions
and processes try to serve
all stakeholders within a
reasonable timeframe.
Consensus
orientation
·
Need
of mediation of the different interests in
society to reach a broad consensus in
society on what is
in
the best interest of the whole community
and how this can be
achieved.
·
It
also requires a long-term
perspective for sustainable
human development and how to
achieve the
goals
of such development.
Equity
and inclusiveness
·
Ensuring
that all members of society
feel that they have a stake in it
and do not feel excluded
from the
mainstream.
·
This
requires all groups, and
especially the most vulnerable to have
opportunities to maintain or
improve
their well being.
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Human
Resource Development (HRM-627)
VU
Effectiveness
and efficiency
·
Processes
and institutions produce
results that meet the needs
of society while making the best
use of
resources
at their disposal.
·
It
also means sustainable use
of natural resources and the protection
of the environment.
Accountability
·
Governmental
institutions as well as the private
sector and civil society
organizations must be
accountable
to the public and to their
institutional stakeholders.
·
In
general organizations and
institutions are accountable to
those who will be affected
by decisions or
actions.
A
basic practical example of
good governance would be
where a member of a committee,
with a vested
interest
in
a topic being discussed at committee,
would absent themselves from
the discussion and not attempt to
exert
influence.
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_governance
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