GSDRC newsfeed on Governance indicators

Measuring the Impact and Value for Money of Governance Programmes

Chris Barnett et al. — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

How can value for money best be measured in governance and conflict programming? This study reviews options for a VFM approach in relation to governance programmes, including those in conflict-affected and failed states, for the UK's Department for International Development. VFM involves examining economy, efficiency and effectiveness, identifying the links between them and drawing conclusions based on evidence about how well they perform together. It is an optimal balance that is important, as opposed to a maximum productivity ratio. The cheapest option does not always represent the best value for money.

Governance and Conflict Indicators Report

Chris Barnett et al. — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

How can a robust and clear set of indicators be established to monitor effectively the progress of a programme? Which indicators show best that a programme has achieved what it set out to achieve? This study tests the relevance and robustness of a list of indicators for the Department for International Development's (DFID's) conflict and governance programmes. The list consists of fifteen separate sets, or suites, of outcome and output indicators and covers a spectrum of related programme areas, including security and justice, elections, civil service reform and corruption. It suggests that a good results framework that enables programme progress to be effectively monitored and explained is critical, particularly in times of financial austerity.

Success Stories from 'Emerging Africa'

Steven Radelet — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

What changes have occurred among sub-Saharan African nations since the mid-1990s? This essay highlights 17 African countries that have achieved dramatic improvements in economic growth, poverty reduction and political accountability. Another six 'threshold' countries have experienced promising change. The turnaround was ignited by a combination of economic reform and political change. While the countries of 'emerging Africa' face challenges and risks, they seem likely to continue their progress.

What Makes a Good Governance Indicator?

Gareth Williams — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

What are the most common pitfalls associated with the use of governance indicators? How can these be avoided? This brief examines the different types of governance indicator, their use and their misuse. Users need to ask critical questions about what exactly indicators are measuring, and to remember the limited ability of broad governance indicators to demonstrate causality. Process indicators are most relevant to understanding causal mechanisms. Providers of indicators should ensure full transparency in the publication of methodology and source data, and should be subject to greater scrutiny, evaluation and peer review.

The Worldwide Governance Indicators: Six, One, or None?

Laura Langbein and Stephen Knack — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

What is the validity and reliability of aggregate indexes of the quality of governance such as the Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGIs)? This study uses factor, confirmatory factor and path analysis to test both measurement and causal models of the six WGIs. Rather than distinguishing among aspects of the quality of governance, this paper finds that they appear to be measuring the same broad concept. The WGI authors should publicly release the sub-indicators to allow further investigation.

Power, Politics, and Change: How International Actors Assess Local Context

Jenna Slotin, Vanessa Wyeth and Paul Romita — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Do assessments actually affect decision making, planning and programming? This report presents observations from an informal analysis of conflict, governance, and fragility/stability assessment tools developed by bilateral and multilateral actors. Use of assessments is affected by clarity of purpose, timing, incentives, staff competencies and linking assessment into a broader strategy. It is important to be realistic about what assessments can accomplish, link assessments to a planning cycle and build a culture of analysis.

Governance Assessments and Domestic Accountability: Feeding Domestic Debate and Changing Aid Practices

Stefan Meyer — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

How is it possible to manage the competing tensions that arise in aid accountability? Based on governance assessments, this paper analyses current developments in mutual accountability relations between donors and aid recipients and how these relate to the domestic accountability of governments to their citizens. Donors are challenged by inaccurate perceptions of themselves and their operations, and often have little experience in engaging with the local public sphere. Donors should make better use of available indicators, adhere to existing initiatives, devise public relations strategy at a local level, and support local research capacities.

Fragile States: CRISE Overview 3

Frances Stewart and Graham Brown — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

How can the concept of fragile states be operationalised for development policy? This paper offers a working definition of fragile states as states that are failing, or at high risk of failing, in their: 1) authority to protect citizens, 2) comprehensive provision of basic services, or 3) governance legitimacy. To design appropriately differentiated policies, policymakers must first identify the dimension(s) of fragility in a country and then the main causes of the failures in each dimension. The most challenging situations are where governments are opposed to inclusive policies.

On Measuring Governance: Framing Issues for Debate

Daniel Kaufmann and Aart Kraay — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

How can the measurement of governance be enhanced? This World Bank paper highlights key issues for users and providers of governance indicators. It contends that: (1) all governance indicators have weaknesses; (2) there are no easy solutions in measuring governance; and that (3) the links from governance to development outcomes are complex. Policymakers should view the different types of indicators as complementary rather than competing.

Does More Transparency Go Along With Better Governance?

Roumeen Islam — Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

How are information flows linked to governance? This paper from Economics and Politics presents a new indicator, the transparency index, to measure the frequency with which governments update economic data made available to the public. It also uses the existence of a Freedom of Information Act as an indicator of transparency. Cross-country analysis shows that countries with better information flows, as measured by these indices, have better quality governance.

The Politics of Governance Ratings

Christiane Arndt — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

What explains the popularity and misuse of the prominent governance indicators produced by the World Bank and others? This article in the International Public Management Journal argues that producing and using a range of more targeted, transparent indicators will benefit all stakeholders. Among hundreds of existing governance indicators, the most popular are perception-based composite indicators, primarily of use to international organisations, donors, investors and the media. These indicators summarise vast amounts of data that exists for a large number of countries, but the drawbacks of relying heavily on them are significant.

Measuring and Monitoring Governance By Listening to the People and Not the Interest Groups

Maksym Ivanyna, Anwar Shah — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

How can governance measurement be improved? Governance indicators influence development work and foreign direct investment, but this World Bank paper argues that current indicators are inadequate because they fail to conceptualise governance or to capture citizen opinion. It offers instead a citizen-centric framework for measuring governance quality based on four dimensions: responsiveness, fairness, responsibility and accountability. Governance is "an exercise of authority and control to preserve and protect public interest and enhance the quality of life enjoyed by citizens".

Survey of Donor Approaches to Governance Assessment

OECD — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Many development agencies are engaged in assessing governance. What are their approaches and how can these be more effectively harmonised? This study from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development surveys donors' use of general and thematic governance assessments. Most approaches are driven by policy dialogue, detailed planning of governance enhancement activities and strategic decisions regarding aid to specific countries. Linkage to a donor's programme, demand from the field and removal of institutional disincentives are important in determining how governance assessments are used.

The Practitioners' Guide to the Household Economy Approach

Tanya Boudreau — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The Household Economy Approach (HEA) is a livelihoods-based framework for analysing how people obtain access to the things they need to survive and prosper. This Practitioners' Guide from the Regional Hunger and Vulnerability Programme (RHVP), FEG Consulting and Save the Children provides tools for those involved in fieldwork and analysis of HEA assessments. Central issues in HEA analysis include: how people in different social and economic circumstances get the food and cash they need; their assets, opportunities and constraints; and the options open to them at times of crisis.

Outcome-Based Conditionality: Too Good To Be True?

Nuria Molina — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Does linking aid disbursement to a results agenda (outcome-based conditionality) actually build recipient ownership and development effectiveness? This report for the European Network on Debt and Development (EURODAD) analyses the different interpretations of outcome-based aid delivery adopted by the World Bank (WB), International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Commission (EC). It examines EC experience in piloting the approach in Burkina Faso, Mozambique and Tanzania. Outcome-based conditionality is a strategic step towards giving recipients ownership of their own development. However, experience is limited and it is hard to tell if there has been real impact on poverty reduction.

Making Statistics Work for Development

DFID — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

How can statistics be used to improve development policies and their outcomes? This booklet outlines how the Department for International Development (DFID) is working to promote the availability and use of evidence at country, regional and international levels. It sets out DFID's statistics strategy and how statisticians contribute to better development policies, more effective use of resources, more accountable partner governments, and more responsive donors. DFID calls for increased resources for statistical capacity building, especially for the 2010 Census Round which many countries are unable to fund.

Public Governance Indicators: a Literature Review

M G Mimicopoulos and L Kyj — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

How can governance best be measured? This paper from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) gives an overview of governance indicators and discusses their advantages and disadvantages. It argues that new transforming factors such as the Information Age, globalisation and decentralisation should be taken into account in governance assessments. Citizens' requirements should be more accurately ascertained and indicators should be more objective and geographically disaggregated in order to implement good governance mechanisms.

Measuring Governance: What Guidance for Aid Policy?

J Court, V Fritz and E Gyimah-Boadi — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

How can aid policy be rigorously and systematically linked to governance situations in developing countries? This paper from the Overseas Development Institute examines current techniques for measuring governance applied to the issue of scaling up Irish Aid. There are a growing number of sources of governance indicators which should be used to inform aid decisions. However, these must be judged with awareness of their limitations and alongside other factors including political context assessments.

Good Enough Governance Revisited - 2007

M S Grindle — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Given limited resources of money, time, knowledge and capacity, what are the best ways to move towards better governance in a particular country? This article from the Development Policy Review argues that the concept of good enough governance falls short as a tool to guide decisions in real world contexts. Rather the feasibility of particular interventions can be assessed by analysing the context for change and the implications of the content of the intervention being considered.

Governance Matters VI: Governance Indicators for 1996-2006

World Bank — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

This paper from the World Bank presents the latest update of the Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) research project. It covers 212 countries and territories and measures six dimensions of governance between 1996 and 2006: Voice and Accountability, Political Stability and Absence of Violence, Government Effectiveness, Regulatory Quality, Rule of Law, and Control of Corruption. In less than a decade, a substantial number of countries have exhibited statistically significant improvements in at least one dimension of governance, while other countries have exhibited deterioration in some dimensions.