Latest Resources
Citizen-led accountability Recommendations and key research findings for the post-2015 agenda
Article / Working Paper, Civil Society, Academic/Think TankPeople living in the greatest poverty and marginalisation want institutions at all levels that they can trust and are accountable, responsive and effective. According to the poorest and most marginalised groups in over 100 countries, a global framework must guarantee development that leaves no one behind; which does not demand impossible choices of the poorest and most vulnerable; which...
Are we making progress with building governance into the post 2015 framework?
Civil Society, Governance and MDG, Academic/Think TankMomentum is building for governance and accountability issues to have a greater profile in the post 2015 framework, and there is a growing recognition that we cannot afford to ignore governance even if it is politically challenging to incorporate. This briefing provides an assessment of some of the main proposals on the table that have been gaining traction in the debate, as...
Uses and Abuses of Governance Indicators
Article / Working Paper, Democracy, Inter-Governmental OrganizationRapidly rising attention to the quality of governance in developing countries is driving explosive growth in the use of governance “indicators” by international investors, donors of official development assistance, development analysts and academics. This study helps both users and producers of governance indicators to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the best and most widely used...
Measuring Governance
Article / Working Paper, Democracy, Inter-Governmental OrganizationThe use of governance indicators, as applied to developing countries, has grown spectacularly in recent years. Following the maxim that you cannot manage what you cannot measure, international investors and official development aid agencies, together with academics and the media, have turned widely to using quantitative governance indicators for both analytical and decision-making purposes –...
SADC Gender Barometer 2011
Global Index, Inter-Governmental OrganizationThe third Southern Africa Gender Protocol of 2011 Barometer which moves into high gear with the introduction of the SADC Gender and Development Index (SGDI) that complements the Citizen Score Card (CSC) that has been running for three years. With empirical data on 23 indicators in six sectors, the SGDI puts SADC countries at 64% of where they need to be by 2015: the target date for meeting the...
Building governance into a post-2015 framework I Exploring transparency and accountability as an entry point
Civil Society, Governance and MDG, Report, Civil SocietyThis research report by Bergh et al. of ODI, discusses the role of governance post-2015. As the debate on the post-2015 agenda gains momentum, some are arguing that there is a need to increase the focus on governance in a future agreement. Although this responds to people’s aspirations for political freedoms and greater participation, it remains politically controversial, and it’s...
Examining the State: a Foucauldian perspective on international ‘governance indicators’
Article / Working Paper, Civil SocietyThis paper offers a critical perspective on the growing phenomenon of governance indicators in international politics. I employ a governmentality approach to shed light on the political meanings and outcomes of the increasing tendency of various international actors to rate and rank the governance capacities and performances of states. In particular, I argue that, beyond being an analytic tool...
Improving Public Governance: Closing the Implementation Gap Between Law and Practice
Academic/Think Tank, Global IntegritySound laws are a key foundation of democratic governance and economic development in every country. Yet, formulating such laws is only half of the puzzle. The other, more challenging, half is ensuring that the legal framework is properly implemented. All too often the act of adopting a legal framework is regarded as an end in itself as it assumes that laws are administered and services...
2012-IIAG-summary-report.
Africa, Local Governance and Decentralization, Report, Civil SocietyThis is the sixth year in which we have measured governance outcomes in Africa, looking at both country and regional performances across four major categories – Safety & Rule of Law, Participation & Human Rights, Sustainable Economic Opportunity and Human Development – and 88 component indicators. Once again, the data point to some important findings that can assist leaders and citizens...
AfroBarometer Questionnaires
Africa, Civil Society, Democracy, Questionnaire , Civil SocietyThe Afrobarometer is an independent, nonpartisan survey that measures the social, political, and economic atmosphere in Africa.The barometer collects and disseminates information regarding Africans’ views on democracy, governance, economic reform, civil society, and quality of life. Round 1 surveys were conducted between 1999 and 2001. At that time, the project covered seven countries in...