Politics and governance

Definitions of Governance

There are broad and narrow definitions of governance. The World’s Bank narrow definition focuses on public sector management, the reduction of transaction costs and contract enforcement. It defines Governance as the traditions and institutions by which authority in a country is exercised for the common good. This includes (i) the process by which those in authority are selected, monitored and replaced, (ii) the capacity of the government to effectively manage its resources and implement sound policies, and (iii) the respect of citizens and the state for the institutions that govern economic and social interactions among them. (See World Bank Governance website)

The UNDP takes a broader view and defines Governance as the exercise of economic, political, and administrative authority to manage a country’s affairs at all levels, comprising the mechanisms, processes, and institutions through which that authority is directed . Good governance is, among other things, participatory, transparent, accountable, and efficient. It promotes the rule of law and equal justice under the law. It also recognises that governance is exercised by the private sector and civil society, as well as the state, all of which have important roles to play in promoting sustainable human development. (See UNDP Governance website)

You will find the following information on this page:

• Reports
• Useful Websites
• Books related to Governance

Reports

• Bagoyoko N. and Gibert M, (2007) IDS – The European Union in Africa: The Linkage between Security, Governance and Development from an Institutional Perspective.
• CIDSE report (2006)  : Governance and Development Cooperation: Civil Society Perspectives on the European Union Approach
• CIDSE report (2006): The World Bank’s Strategy on Governance and Anticorruption - a civil society perspective
• Transparency International (2007) Global Corruption Report
• Trocaire Development Review 2006: Governance and Poverty Reduction

Websites 

NGOs/Non-Profit Organisations/Campaigns 

• AfDevInfo is a commercial, not for profit enterprise committed to harnessing information to strengthen and improve government in Africa.
• Global Witness exposes the corrupt exploitation of natural resources and international trade systems, to drive campaigns that end impunity, resource-linked conflict, and human rights and environmental abuses. Their current campaigns include corruption in oil, gas and mining, and the role of financial institutions.
• ID21 communicates UK sourced research on international development. Their website provides numerous articles on development issues, including governance.  
• OneWorld.net provides information on a number of topics related to governance.
• The Bretton Woods Project seeks to influence the World Bank and IMF, one of their areas of analysis is "Good Governance".
• Transparency International is a global bringing together relevant players from government, civil society, business and the media to promote transparency in elections, in public administration, in procurement and in business. TI’s global network of chapters and contacts also use advocacy campaigns to lobby governments to implement anti-corruption reforms.
• Trocaire have a specific page related to their analysis of Governance

Research Institutes and Think Tanks

• European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes. Aims to promote quality in research and education in development studies. Their website has information on upcoming events, the activities of their numerous working groups, links to publications and information on their research.
• The Institute of Development Studies (IDS), Sussex, UK. The IDS is a global organisation for research, teaching and communications on international development.
• The Overseas Development Institute (ODI).  The ODI is a UK based independent think tank on international development and humanitarian issues.

Multilateral Agencies

• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) The IMF focuses on the global financial system but also provides technical asssistance to developing countries. The IMF, along with the World Bank, have been responsible for imposing Structural Adjustment Policies (SAPs) on developing countries to help them recover from the 1980s Debt Crisis. However, these policies have generally led to increased inequality and poverty.  
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) This is the UN's global development network, which aims to address global and national development challenges. The UNDP produces the annual Human Development Report which looks at key development issues.
• The World Bank provides financial and technical assistance to countries and have taken a strong stance on Governance in recent years. They have developed a Worldwide Governance Indicator.

Gateways

• Development Gateway This is an online resource providing information on development issues.
• Development Gateway Governance Community is part of the Development Gateway family specifically focused on Governance 
• Eldis This site contains over 22,000 documents on a range of topics including Environment. It is one of many "knowledge services" from the Institute of Development Studies in Sussex, UK.

Books and Articles on Governance 

• Bonefield, W., and Psychopedis (eds) The Politics of Change. Globalisation, Ideology and Critique. Palgrave.
• Court, W. and Minogue, M. (eds) The Internationalisation of Public Management: Reinventing the Third World State. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar
• Doornbos, M. (2001) ’Good Governance: The Rise and Decline of a Policy Metaphor? ’  Journal of Development Studies, Vol 37, No. 6
• Leftwich, A. (1993) ’Governance, Democracy and Development in the Third World’ Third World Quarterly, 14 (3)
• Leftwich, A. (2000) States of Development, On the Primacy of Politics in Development. Cambridge: Polity
• Mackintosh, M., (1992) ’Questioning the State’ in Wuyts, M., Mackintosh, M., Hewitt, T., (eds) Development Policy and Public Action Oxford University Press.
• Mawdsley, E., and Rigg, J., (2003) ’The World Development Report II: Continuity and Change in Development Orthodoxies’, Progress in Development Studies, Vol 3, No 4.
• Miller-Adams, M. (1999) The World Bank, New Agendas in a Changing World, London: Routledge.
• Minogue, M., Polidano, C and Hulme, D. (eds) (1998) Beyond the New Public Management. Changing Ideas and Practices in Governance. Edward Elgar.
• Pierre, J.(ed) (2000) Debating Governance: Authority, Steering and Democracy. Oxford University Press
• Pierre, J. and B.G. Peters (2000) Governance, Politics and the State, London: McMillan.
• Rondinelli, D.A. (2003) and Cheema, G.S (eds) Reinventing Government for the Twenty-First Century, State Capacity in a Globalising Society, Kumarian Press.
• Roy, K.C. and Tisdell, C.A, (1998) ’Good Governance in Sustainable Development: The Impact of Institutions’ International Journal of Social Economics, Vol 25, No 678.
• Schneider B.R and Heredia, B., (eds) (2003) Reinventing Leviatan: The Politics of Administrative Reform in Developing Countries, University if Miami: North South Center Press.
• Turner, M. and Hulme, D, (1997) Governance, Administration and Development. Making the Sate Work. Macmillan.
• UNDP (1997) Governance for Sustainable Human Development, New York, UNDP.
• Weiss, T.G. (2000) ’Governance, Good Governance and Global Governance: Conceptual and Actual Challenges’, Third World Quarterly – Journal of Emerging Areas, Vol 21, No 5.
• World Bank (1994) Governance, The World Bank’s Experience, Washington DC: World Bank
• World Bank (1997) World Development Report 1997. The State in a changing World. Washington DC: World Bank.
• World Bank (2000) Reforming Public Institutions and Strengthening Governance, A World Bank Strategy, Public Sector Group, Washington DC: World Bank.

          Africa

• Crook, R.C and Manor, J (1998) Democracy and Decentralisation in South Asia and West Africa, Participation, Accountability and Performance. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Hadenious A. (2003) Decentralisation and Democratic Governance: Experiences from India, Bolivia and South Africa. Stockholm, Sweden: Expert Group on Development Issues.
• Harrigan, J., Wang. C., El-Said, H., (2004) The Economics and Political Determinants of IMF and World Bank Lending in the Middle East and North Africa. School of Economic Studies, University of Manchester, Discussion Paper Number 04/12.
• Moore, D (1999) ’“Sail on, O Ship of State”: NeoLiberalism, Globalisation and the Governance of Africa’ Journal of Peasant Studies, Vol 27, No 2. 
• Sender, J (1999) ’Africa’s Economic Performance: Limitations of the Current Consensus’, Journal of Economic Perspectives, Vol 13, No 3.

          Asia

• Beeson, M (2001) ’Globalisation, Governance and the Political Economy of Public Policy Reform in East Asia’, Governance, Vol 14, No 4.
• Crook, R.C and Manor, J (1998) Democracy and Decentralisation in South Asia and West Africa, Participation, Accountability and Performance. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
• Hadenious A. (2003) Decentralisation and Democratic Governance: Experiences from India, Bolivia and South Africa. Stockholm, Sweden: Expert Group on Development Issues.
• Jayal, N.G. and Pai, S. (2001) Democratic Governance in India New Delhi: Sage.

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