Good Governance

WHAT IS GOOD GOVERNANCE?


INTRODUCTION

Recently the terms "governance" and "good governance" are being increasingly used in development literature. Bad governance is being increasingly regarded as one of the root causes of all evil within our societies. Major donors and international financial institutions are increasingly basing their aid and loans on the condition that reforms that ensure "good governance" are undertaken.

This article tries to explain, as simply as possible, what "governance" and "good governance" means.

GOVERNANCE

The concept of "governance" is not new. It is as old as human civilization. Simply put "governance" means: the process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented (or not implemented). Governance can be used in several contexts such as corporate governance, international governance, national governance and local governance.

Since governance is the process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented, an analysis of governance focuses on the formal and informal actors involved in decision-making and implementing the decisions made and the formal and informal structures that have been set in place to arrive at and implement the decision.

Government is one of the actors in governance. Other actors involved in governance vary depending on the level of government that is under discussion. In rural areas, for example, other actors may include influential land lords, associations of peasant farmers, cooperatives, NGOs, research institutes, religious leaders, finance institutions political parties, the military etc. The situation in urban areas is much more complex. Figure 1 provides the interconnections between actors involved in urban governance. At the national level, in addition to the above actors, media, lobbyists, international donors, multi-national corporations, etc. may play a role in decision-making or in influencing the decision-making process.

All actors other than government and the military are grouped together as part of the "civil society." In some countries in addition to the civil society, organized crime syndicates also influence decision-making, particularly in urban areas and at the national level.

Similarly formal government structures are one means by which decisions are arrived at and implemented. At the national level, informal decision-making structures, such as "kitchen cabinets" or informal advisors may exist. In urban areas, organized crime syndicates such as the "land Mafia" may influence decision-making. In some rural areas locally powerful families may make or influence decision-making. Such, informal decision-making is often the result of corrupt practices or leads to corrupt practices.


GOOD GOVERNANCE

Good governance has 8 major characteristics. It is participatory, consensus oriented, accountable, transparent, responsive, effective and efficient, equitable and inclusive and follows the rule of law. It assures 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. It is also responsive to the present and future needs of society.

Participation

Participation by both men and women is a key cornerstone of good governance. Participation could be either direct or through legitimate intermediate institutions or representatives. It is important to point out that representative democracy does not necessarily mean that the concerns of the most vulnerable in society would be taken into consideration in decision making. Participation needs to be informed and organized. This 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, particularly those of minorities. 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 also means that enough information is provided and that it is provided in easily understandable forms and media.

Responsiveness

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

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.

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.

CONCLUSION

From the above discussion it should be clear that good governance is an ideal which is difficult to achieve in its totality. Very few countries and societies have come close to achieving good governance in its totality. However, to ensure sustainable human development, actions must be taken to work towards this ideal with the aim of making it a reality.

Voting.

Do you know?

That;
A voting system is a means of choosing between a number of options, based on the input of a number of voters?

That;

Voting is perhaps best known for its use in elections, where political candidates are selected for public office?

That;

Voting can also be used to award prizes, to select between different plans of action, or by a computer program to determine a solution to a complex problem. Voting can be contrasted with consensus decision making?

That;
A voting system consists of the rules for how voters express their desires, and how these desires are aggregated to yield a final result?

That;

The study of formally defined voting systems is called voting theory, a subfield of political science, economics or mathematics? and Voting theory began in the 18th century and has led to several proposals for voting systems?

That;

Most voting systems are based on the concept of majority rule, or the principle that more than half of the voters should get the outcome they want? and Given the simplicity of majority rule, those who are unfamiliar with voting theory are often surprised that such a variety of voting systems exists, or that popular voting systems can produce results not supported by more than half the voters?

That;
If every election had only two choices, the winner would be determined using majority rule alone?

However, when there are three or more options, there may not be a single option that is preferred by a majority. Different voting systems may give very different results, particularly in cases where there is no clear majority preference. Thus, the choice of voting system(s) is one important component of a democratic government.

Now ask yourself;

What should our choice of voting system be? whereas we may continue to ponder on this question, we also have to draw our attention to the importance of voting. As we match on towards 2007, let us realise that our strenght is in our votes. we speak our minds through our votes. We will make considerable difference by our votes.

What then should we do to achieve these?, we only have to look inward and recognise purposeful traits of sincerity in the choices we will be making regarding candidates. Do you prefare to think of immediate gains to taking a stand to do what is right? well, you may ask: what is right?, even as you are thinking about your own answers this minute, you know that it is right that you dont vote for the money you will be getting in the short run!. Seee!, we are the change we need! And when do we start to effect the changes we desire? If i may answer this, i will say the time is now!, if you believe, then post a comment now!

What Virtue Have you?

Virtue is moral excellence of a person. A virtue is a character trait valued as being good. The conceptual opposite of virtue is vice. The English word virtue is derived from the Latin word virtus which is in turn from vir meaning "man" in the masculine sense. The word virtus means "the male function" conceived in terms of strength or force; hence "the power to accomplish". [The unrelated Latin word vis means simply "power" or "violence"; ancient grammarians were unable to distinguish the two words.] Cf. Ernout-Meillet, Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue latine: Histoire des mots.

Due to ancient social norms and these linguistic subtleties, virtus was sometimes identified with the masculine warlike virtues such as courage. This has sometimes led to a sense of irony concerning the supposed etymology. In English the word virtue is often used to refer to a woman's chastity. As the philosopher Leo Strauss expresses it, "The mystery of Western thought is how a term that originally meant the manliness of a man came to mean the chastity of a woman."

Virtue can also be meant in another way. Virtue can either have normative or moral value; i.e. the virtue of a knife is to cut, the virtue of an excellent knife is to cut well (this is its normative value) vs. the virtues of reason, prudence, chastity, etc. (which have moral value).
It is "habitual excellence". It is something practiced at all times. The virtue of perseverance is needed for all and any virtue since it is a habit of character and must be used continuously in order for any person to maintain oneself in virtue.

With the above definitions and explanations, we need not look too far for answers to my question: WHERE IS THE VIRTUE IN OUR POLITICS? Is it in the manner at which we are tranforming politicaly, or the level of imbroglios trailing our transition?. I will not answer the question. i know we all have divergent opinions regarding my question. But whatever happens is only a' test of our strenght and style at democratising!' oops! did i say that? oh yeah i did, we live today in times of great changes in the virtures our leaders are trying to hand to us as legacies, the virture of ''the end justifies the means'', but here we are and the question on our lips remains, What virtue will be left to be emulated come 2007 and beyond?

Think deeply as you read this piece and ask yourself; what have I done to contribute to the search for solutions to our challenges. ours is a country blessed with numerous mineral resources sort after by several economies all over the world, ours is greatness in our human resourses and intelligence, ours has always been individual perfection in any chosen field. We all must make up our minds to leave a life of excellence in our endeavours. look not at the negative virtues of a few individuals in our body polity. You as an individual can change for the best. Chose the best of virtues for that alone is what we all need to turn our country into a greater country for our children and children's children.