Governance and Good Governance (PPT)

Governance and  Good Governance (PPT)

Introduction

Recently the terms "governance" and Good Governance" are being increasingly used in development literature. Good governance is participatory, transparent and accountable.

Major donors and international financial institutions are increasingly basing their aid and loans on the condition ensuring good governance.

Good governance ensures that political, social and economic priorities are based on broad consensus in society and the voice of the poorest and most vulnerable are heard in decision making.

Bangladesh accomplished a great deal in poverty reduction, women education, children mortality, efficient food production for last few decade. But now the condition of governance is under question.

Definition of Governance

Abercrombie et al. (2006) told that "Governance or Govern mentality refers to the administrative structure of the state, that patterns of self government of individuals and the regulatory principles of modern society".

Governance refers to the process of political management which embraces the normative basis of political authority, the style in which public affairs are conducted and the management of public resources" (Kuper and Kuper, 2005).

Governance refers to all the processes of governing, whether undertaken by a government, market or network, whether over a family, tribe, formal or informal organization or territory and whether through laws, norms, power or language. (Wikipedia, 2015 ).

Principles of Governance

• Constructive partnership
• Mission driven
• Strategic thinking
• Culture of inquiry
• Independent mindedness
• Ethos of transparency
• Compliance with integrity
• Sustaining resources
• Results-oriented
• International board practices
• Continuous learning
• Revitalization

 (Sources: BoardSource.2005).

Types of Governance 

1. Democratic Governance
2. Economic and Financial Governance
3. e-Governance Services
4. Corporate Governance
5. Environmental Governance and Natural Resources

(Sources: Ganore, 2014).

Good Governance

The concept of good governance is as old as the concept of governance itself. However, in the recent times particularly during the last decade of the twentieth century widespread poverty, rampant corruption and other socioeconomic problems prevailing in the world and its linkage with the quality of governance has brought about an interest in the discussion of the issue of good governance (Miazi and Islam, 2012).

Generally good governance emerges as a model to compare ineffective economies or political bodies with viable economies and political bodies (Wikipedia, 2015).

Definition of Good Governance

Good governance is epitomized by predictable, open and enlightened policy making; a bureaucracy imbued with professional ethos; an executive arm of the government accountable for its action and a strong civil society participating in the public affairs; and all behaving under rule of law (World Bank Report. 1993).

Bilney (1994) told that

"Good governance means the effective management of a countries social and economic resource in manner that is open, transparent, accountable, equitable."

Gisslquist (2009) said that 

"Good governance is a term that has become a part of the vernacular of a large range of development institutions and other actors within the international arena. what it means exactly, however, has not been so well established."

Characteristics of Good Governance

(Source:UNDP.1997).

State of Good Governance in Bangladesh
Bangladesh constitution provides most of the essential elements for good governance though the country is yet to fully develop right policies, environment institutions, capacity and practice of good governance.

Bangladesh, in 1990, return to parliamentary democracy following a mass movement and subsequent free and fair elections under neutral caretaker governments but the practice of democracy is not smooth in the country.

Democratic governance which alone can safe guard the constitutional rights and interests of the common citizens. it also ensure better performance of the state functionaries.

in fact, it is clear from evidence that Bangladesh's improvement in the governance realm is not keeping peace.
such a gap implies that political regime management has become a central constraint to further consolidation of democracy as well as improvement of the quality of governance in Bangladesh.

(Source: Miazi and Islam, 2012)

(Source:Kaufmann and Mastruzzi, 2010) 

 Local Government Structure in Bangladesh

Problems of Establishing Good Governance in Bangladesh

The failure in governance in Bangladesh accompanied by a score of specific threats to human security, including the pressures of globalization, poverty, unemployment, an outdated legal system, a weak civil society, lack of political commitment, an insensitive approach to gender issues, etc, (Rahman et al., 2014).

Rahman (20050 identifies four major problems on the path of good governance in Bangladesh. These are:

• A tendency towards encyclopedic wish list in agenda formulation;
• An insufficient appreciation of the institutional and political realities through which reform initiatives have to be carried forward;
• Over focusing on what does not work while ignoring which does work;
• A lack of clarity as to where the governance agenda best interface with poverty reduction goals.

Areas in which Bangladesh has been facing a number of problems in the path of good governance

• Lack of Free and Fair Election
• Problem of Consensus Building
• Ineffectiveness of Parliament
• Lack of Accountability and Transparency
• Political Violence
• Rampant Corruption
• Absence of Rule of Law
• Absences of real Independence of Judiciary
• Lack of Institutionalization of Political Parties
•  Fierce Elite Competition
• Absence of Worthy Leadership
• Confrontational Political Culture
• Inefficient Bureaucracy and Public Administration 
• Biased Press and Media
• Fragile Local Government System
• Social Inequalities and Cleavages

(Source: Miazi and Islam, 2012).

Recommendation to Establish Good Governance in Bangladesh

Legitimacy: Good Governance presupposes a legitimate government i.e. a government elected through free and fair election. An autocratic or illegitimate government can not spectacular economic development. Hence an autocratic or illegitimate government is an anathema to good governance.

Protection of Human Rights: Another important recommendation of good governance is ensure human rights. It is impossible to ensure if the Custodial deaths, torture, degrading treatment of victims by law enforcing agencies is still continuing.

Rule of Law: The rule of law implies that all citizens irrespective of their race, religion, sex and political affiliation are equal in the eye of law and are entitled to equal legal protection.

Judicial Activism: For the sake of good governance, the higher judiciary should come forward on its own volition to enforce in public interest the rights of person or authority.

Decentralization: Maximum powers in terms of planning and implementation of development projects and mobilization of resources should be decentralized at different levels of local government bodies.

Transparency: For establishing good governance, the government should be transparent and people should have easy access to information.

Reduction of Corruption: There cannot be a coexistence between corruption and good governance. The Anti- Corruption Commission must be made by honest and courageous people so as to daunt the corrupt elements. It should have its own intelligence unit to collect information on corruption and should not merely depend on allegations.

Watchdog: Print and electronic media, a vibrant civil society and responsible opposition parties can create public opinions to check the misuse of authority by the rules and their cohorts.

Administrative Culture: If appointments, transfers and promotions of government servants are made on the basis of well-defined criteria and their jobs are well protected by law, there will be no scope of using them in party/personal interest. Public servants must maintain neutrality, which is the fundamental characteristic of bureaucracy and this ensure good governance in Bangladesh.

Accountability: Accountability is the hallmark of good governance and lack of it breeds corruption and encourages highhandedness and excesses on the part of the executive organ of the state.

Efficiency: Efficiency, an important component of good governance, depends on proper recruitment, training, posting and promotion on the basis of merit and not on any extraneous factor.

Political Culture: Political culture has important bearing on good governance. Success of a democracy depends inescapably on our actual behavioral patterns and the working of political and social. It also ensure good governance in our country.

(Source: Rahman, 2012)

Some Other Recommendation to Establish Good Governance in Bangladesh

• Responsibility for policy making should be given the political leaders and senior civil servant.

• The Public Accounts Committee and Public Undertaking Committee must always be chaired by senior members of opposition.

• The political will of the government must be demonstrated in a way so that the bureaucrats cannot dare to defy Ministers order.

• The Election Commission should be independent enough so that it can hold the election both at the local and national level freely and fairly without any fear and intimidation.

• The national parliament has to be made effective with the participation of all political parties.

• Local government has to be made free from government interference.

 (Source: Miazi and Islam, 2012).

 Conclusion

Good  governance  is  an  umbrella  and  elusive  concept.  It  includes  a variety  of  factors  which  are  inter-related  to  each  other. Political  and  social  factors  seem  to  be  the  dominant  ones  behind  the process  of  good  governance. The current state of governance of Bangladesh is poor as almost all the aspects of good governance are severely absent in the country. At present,  Bangladesh  has  been  facing  a  number  of challenges in the path of  democratic  or  good  governance  like  institutionalized  political  parties,  lack  of  accountability  and transparency, lack of rule of  law,  inefficient  leadership,  ineffective political institutions, rampant corruption, and widespread poverty and  so on. 

References:

 Abercrombie, N.; Hill, S. and Turner, B. S. 2006. The Penguin Dictionary of Sociology. Penguin Group, London

Bilney, Q. 1994. Good Governance and Participatory Development in Australia’s Aid Program. Development Bulletin, 32():17

BoardSource. 2005. Twelve Principle of Governance That Power Exceptional Boards. BoardSource Report, Washington, DC

Ganore, P. 2014. types of governance. Accessed on February 17, 2015, Retrieved from     [http://www.esds.co.in/blog/types-of-governance/ ]

Gisselquist, R. 2009. What does “good governance” mean?  Accessed on February 17, 2015, Retrieved from [http://unu.edu/publications/articles/what-    does-good-    governance-    mean.html]

Kuper, A. and Kuper J. 2005. The Social Science Encyclopedia 2nd. Routledge, London

Miazi, M. A. N and Islam, M. N. 2012. Prospect of good governance in Bangladesh: A Review.     Prime University Journal, 6(2):69-    96

Rahman, M. M. 2012. How to ensure good governance in Bangladesh. Accessed on February 17, 2015, Retrieved from [http://www.thefinancialexpressbd.com/old/index.php?ref=MjBfMTJfMTFfMTJfMV85Ml8xNTI4 MjM=]

Rahman, Z. H. 20o5. Engaging on Good Governance: A Search for Entry Points. The Weekly Holiday, February 25, 2005, Accessed on February 25, 2015, Retrieved from [http://epaper.weeklyholiday.net:98/04072014.html]

UNDP. 1997. Governance for Sustainable Human Development. United Nations Development Program Report,  New York City

Wikipedia. 2015. Good governance. Wikipedia, A Free Encyclopedia, Accessed on February 17, 2015, Retrieved     from     [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_governance#Forms]

World Bank Report. 1993. Good Governance and Sustainable  Development: A UND Policy. World Bank Report, Washington, DC

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