‘Governance
is the manner in which power is exercised in the management of a country’s
economic and social resources for development.’ The World Bank
So
it’s a new month, and you all know what that means, a new Wikiprogress theme!
Over the last period we have focused on Post 2015 and Health and
during the next few weeks we will be looking at Governance
in relation to progress and well-being. Responsive and answerable institutions
are key in contributing to societal well-being. Countries with effective,
accountable and transparent governing bodies prosper ‘in a range of dimensions
of human development and social cohesion’ (How’s
Life Report). This blog is a means of introducing our new theme and
highlighting a number of key resources related to governance that we plan to
reference in the coming weeks.
- OECD’s
Better Life Index - The OECD Better
Life Initiative provides a comprehensive understanding of what drives the
well-being of people and nations and identifies what needs to be done to
achieve greater progress for all. The Index uses eleven dimensions, including
Civic Engagement and Governance in an attempt to present accurate, comparable
and comprehensive well-being indicators.
According
to the report a cohesive society is one where a citizens have a high confidence
in their governing institutions and public administration. It seems that more
than ever, citizens are demanding greater transparency from their governments.
In the United Kingdom for example, the ruling parties are under permanent
scrutiny from the country’s media and focus organisations like Transparency
International. The Index cites transparency in communication and open access to
regulations as promoters of government accountability, resulting in high voter
turn out, increased participation in the legislative process and compliance
with rules.
- 4TH
OECD World Forum, New Delhi - At the Forum in November last year, the OECD
ran a session on Building effective and responsive institutions with the likes
of Sue Taylor, the Director of the Social and Progress Reporting of the
Australian Bureau of Statistics and Arun Maira, a member of the Planning
Commission in the Government of India speaking:
‘If
you want to understand well-being ask the citizens. They understand.’ Arun
Maira
The
discussion identified some of the common characteristics of successful
governing institutions including; effective regulatory frameworks, streamlined
and efficient public services and tough anti corruption practices. It concluded
by emphasizing the necessity of NGOs, civil servants and governments to work
collaboratively in an effort to improve the well being of citizens.
- ODI –
Politics
and Governance – The Overseas Development Institute focuses much of its
work on governance, providing resources on Democracies
in Transition, Justice
and Security Sector Reform, Politics
and Service Delivery and Applied
Political Economy. Since two-thirds of the world’s population now lives in
a democracy of some sort, the ODI explores the socio-political and economic
factors that shape transition processes in a bid to support hybrid democracies
that are vulnerable to backsliding. The organization is currently focusing on
elections, the interaction between different dimensions of governance
transitions and political voice and accountability in a bid contribute to the
post 2015 framework.
Finally,
make sure you check out the Wikiprogress page
where all our articles related to the theme are kept. We
look forward to bringing you governance related articles over the next month.
The Wikiprogress Team
