Good Governance
Meaning and Concept

Concept of Good Governance

•       Good governance is a system in which all the stakeholder of the state arrive at a common social consensus on goals and rules.

•       Good governance is a process of executing a coherent governing plan for the nation based on the interests and priorities of people. It purports to create a just society based on the principles of human essence, such as inclusiveness, liberty, equality and cooperation.

•       It ensures equitable access to resources without regard to gender, social, class, ethnic or religious affiliation. It underlies the process of realizing real freedoms and capabilities, along with subsequent achievements in poverty reduction and human development.

•       Good governance is also confined to "surveillance over macroeconomic policies, transparency of government accounts, effectiveness of public resources management and the stability and transparency of the economic and regulatory environment for private sector activity.

In good governance, it is expected 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

•       The concept of good governance emerged at the end of the 1980s, at a time of unprecedented political changes.

•       The collapse of the Berlin wall on 9th November 1989 set off the disintegration of the Soviet Union which as a consequence thereof also led to the decay of the political and economic alliances of the Eastern bloc.

•       These political changes created the breeding ground and gave way for a serious discussion on how a state has to be designed in order to achieve (economic) development, like good governance.

Human Development Report 2002

Human Development Report 2002 has summarized the substance of good governance as follows:

•       People's human rights and fundamental freedoms are respected, allowing them to live with dignity.

•       People have say in decisions that affect their lives.

•       People can hold decision-makers accountable.

•       Inclusive and fair rules, institutions and practices govern social interactions.

•       Women are equal partners with men in private and public spheres of life and decision making.

•       People are free from discrimination based on race, ethnicity, class, gender or any other attribute.

•       The needs of future generations are reflected in current policies.

•       Economic and social policies are responsive to people's needs and aspirations.

•       Economic and social policies aim at eradicating poverty and expanding the choices that all people have in their lives.

Criteria of Good Governance

•       Observance of the rule of law.

•       Implementation of writ of the government

•       Effective checks and balances to prevent abuses of authority

•       Independence of judiciary

•       Freedom of press

•       Improving public sector accountability

•       Fiscal discipline

•       Eradication of corruption, exploitation, discrimination on any basis; and

•       Protection of human rights and individual freedoms.

Participation

•       As a core principle of democracy, every citizen has right to participate in the management of public affairs.

•       Participation could be either direct or through legitimate institutions or representatives.

•       But such participation should be well informed, organized and non-discriminated in any ground (gender, caste, ethnicity, religion etc).

•       It 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.

•       It also requires full protection of human rights.

•       Impartial enforcement of laws requires an independent judiciary and an impartial and incorruptible police force.

Transparency

•       Transparency means that decisions taken and their enforcement are done in a manner that follows rules and regulations.

•       It also means that information is freely available and directly accessible to those who will be affected by such decisions and their enforcement.

•       It ensures public access to decision making and effective participation.

Responsiveness

•       Good governance requires that institutions and processes try to serve all stakeholders within a reasonable timeframe.

•       Crisis of governance springs from non-responsive of the governors, loss of legitimacy and corruption.

Consensus oriented

•       There are several actors and as many view points in a given society.

•       Good governance requires 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 broad and long-term perspective on what is needed for sustainable human development and how to achieve the goals of such development.

•       This can only result from an understanding of the historical, cultural and social contexts of a given society or community.

Equity and inclusiveness

•       A society’s well being depends on ensuring that all its members feel that they have a stake in it and do not feel excluded from the mainstream of society.

•       This requires all groups, but particularly the most vulnerable, have opportunities to improve or maintain their well being.

•       This will not only enhance ownership but also reduce risk of alienation and conflict.

Effectiveness and efficiency

•       Good governance means that processes and institutions produce results that meet the needs of society while making the best use of resources at their disposal.

•       The concept of efficiency in the context of good governance also covers the sustainable use of natural resources and the protection of the environment.

Accountability

•       Accountability is a key requirement of good governance.

•       Not only governmental institutions but also the private sector and civil society organizations must be accountable to the public and to their institutional stakeholders.

•       Who is accountable to whom varies depending on whether decisions or actions taken are internal or external to an organization or institution.

•       In general an organization or an institution is accountable to those who will be affected by its decisions or actions.

•       Accountability cannot be enforced without transparency and the rule of law.