MODULE

The Concept & Theories of Governance

Introduction
Knowledge is knowledge only when the students do at their best on what they
learn. This module is the first part of the course on Governance and Development. It
is intended to make the teaching and learning process a more inter-active and
productive endeavor. In each lesson are learning activities, concept development and
drills/exercises. Productive and constructive teaching methodologies are presented
and hopefully utilize to build the student's competencies which include among others:
professional writing style, oral presentation skills, critical analytical thinking skills,
political and administrative decision-making systems, discipline-specific knowledge
(government, non-profit management, and corporate management skills), public service
skills, research skills, proper documentation, library skills, technology skills, and
globalization.
This module also builds the knowledge base in governance and eventually will be
applied by students in the latter part of the course. It also prepares and develops
students to succeed as leaders, managers, analysts and administrators in meeting
change and challenges of governance in the public and non-profit sectors.
Hence this module attempts to discuss the concepts of governance according to
different authors and institutions; the key actors in governance as well as the
characteristics of good governance. A governance model of implementation is also
explored as a theoretical alternative that offers the potential to synthesize disparate
models and bring networks into the governance paradigm.
Lesson 1 presents the basic discussions to introduce the nature, concept and
theoretical framework of governance. It also provides students an understanding of the
difference of governance from government as well as its evolution which will eventually
develop students ability to apply these concepts to current issues on governance and
development.
Lesson 2 gives students a critical understanding of the role of the different key
players/actors in the governance process. This will encourage them to develop their
own ideas for enhancing participation in governance and improving accountability of the
state.
Lesson 3 discusses the definition and the elements or characteristics of good
governance as introduced by different institutions and organizations.

Lesson 4 presents the issues and challenges on governance. In here, students are
required to give their insights and opinions with regards to the issues and challenges

2
presented. Reforms, initiatives and solutions to these challenges are also discussed.
The students are likewise welcome to give their comments and suggestions. This is to
realize the CL (Collaborative learning) process. Collaborative Learning
(CL)
encourages active student participation in the learning process. It encompasses a set of
approaches to education, sometimes also called cooperative learning or small group
learning. CL creates an environment "that involves students in doing things and thinking
about the things they are doing", and reaches students who otherwise might not be
engaged. Finally, CL is one teaching strategy among many, each of which can play a
role to make learning an active and effective process.
Before discussing the first part of the module, the teacher explains first the
academic outcomes and the related grading criteria, major course assignments,
deadlines, rationale and other particulars of course.

General Objectives:
Upon the use and application of this module as a guide for learning, the students
should be able to:
1. Describe the development of the definition of governance as well as the current
perspectives on the word governance;
2. Discuss sustainable human development and the new public management;
3. Discuss the functional and critical role of the different key players of governance;
4. Define the meaning and essence of good governance and internalize the
importance of good governance in the development process;
5. Apply governance concepts and perspectives to a variety of real world situations;
6. Appreciate the role of UNDP and other international institutions in the
development processes.
7. Manifest higher order thinking skills such as mental inquisitiveness, critical
thinking as well as reflective thinking when given situations or issues related to
governance.

Overview & Orientation on the Course

Specific Objectives
At the end of the lesson, the student should be able to:
1.

Discuss the purpose and relevance of the Course on Fostering Democratic

Governance;

2.

Set their expectations on the course; on the instructor and on their classmates.

3.

Participate in the group exercises/activities.

Pedagogical Activities:
Before the start of lesson 1, the teacher first gives an introduction of the course.
This orients the students on the rationale, description and objectives of the course.
Students are also introduced to one another.
Below are some examples of activities/exercises to introduce students to one another
and to set their expectations.
Activity 1 Getting to Know You
This activity is divided into three parts:
Part I
The students are given a card on which he/she draws a symbol/icon that would best
represent him/her.
Part II
Each student picks one card with a logo/icon and locates who made the card and
interviews the owner.
Part III
In the bigger class, each student introduces the person he/she interviewed to the group
based on the information gathered.
My Expectations
The class shall be divided into four groups
1. In each groups, each student is given metacards on which to write expectation
on the course, the instructor and peers.
2. Each member of the group reads his/her expectations/
3. The leader facilitates the sharing while the recorder writes the common answers
on a manila paper

Presentation of Objectives and Overview of the Course.

1. Each group presents their expectations to the bigger class.
2. The teacher presents the objectives of the course and discusses the overview
and the course outline.
The teacher also discusses the school rules and policies; his/her house rules and the
grading requirements for the course.
Evaluation:
Essay
What is the significance of the course on Governance and Development?

Lesson 1
THE STUDY OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

What is Political
Science? Getting to a
Definition
This is the first leg of the module on governance. In this module, the instructor
provides a practical introduction in the study of governance and development to analyze
an array of definitions and meaning of the concept of governance. Later on, the
students will be asked to crystallize their own notion of governance and how it may be
applied in the real world.
Specific Objectives
At the end of the lesson, the learners should be able to:
1. Explain the significance of the shift in how people and nations perceive
governance and how it differs from government;
2. Critically define the meaning of good governance;
3. Discuss the inter-relationship between the concept of governance and new public
management (NPM);
4. Comment on and criticize the meanings and implications of various definitions
of governance and develop your own definition of the concept of governance;
5. Trace the evolution of new public management which led to the definition of
governance;
6. Synthesize the related and theoretically related concepts of governance;

7. Critique on the pervasive, shared and global perception of governance as

propagated by various institutions like the World Bank, ADB and United
Nations.
8. Explain the relationship between governance & Sustainable Human Development
9. Discuss the art of governance and identify the activities encompassed in the act
of governing; and
10. Discuss the significance/essence of governance in the development process;
PEDAGOGICAL ACVITITIES:
(Note: The teacher has the discretion to apply any of the
strategies/methodologies/activities listed below.)

suggested teaching

1. Semantic Mapping
The students will be grouped into small groups and each will be asked to come
up with a semantic map on the generic concepts of governance.

2. Multi-Media Presentationperceived and defined.

A slide show on the evolution of how

governance is

3. Brainstorming and Inter-active Discussions on the theories and evolution of

governance.
4. A Panel discussion or an informal debate on the rationale of the course and on the
significance of governance and development.
5. Journey Wall/Wall of Wonder
The students are grouped into five. Each group selects a reporter and a secretary.
Using the Manila paper, the group members make a time line to represent the evolution
of governance. The members are required to jot down or draw ideas on the appropriate
poster per significant period. After which, the group members shall discuss the
following:
1. Link between periods.
2. Importance of knowing the development of the idea of governance.
3. Implications of the events that happened.

6. Team-Oriented/Cooperative Learning
To facilitate greater interaction among students and to enhance team-oriented
and cooperative learning, students in the class will be grouped into teams of five.
Though significant amounts of class time will not be spent on team activities, the
purpose of this learning strategy is to allow for greater clarification, elaboration, and
discussion of the subject matter among team members and to minimize the
impersonality of a large lecture class setting. Frequent use of this learning strategy will
lead to better understanding and enjoyment of the subject matter as well. You will also
develop some skills of team-work, such as task focus, collaboration, listening,
encouragement of each other, and sharing of idea.
7. Concept Paper: Each student is expected to provide one-page write-ups on concepts
discussed on lesson 1. This assignment would be most helpful if the student would
submit each concept page within a week of the concepts discussion in class.
THE CONCEPT OF GOVERNANCE
In most dictionaries government and governance are interchangeably used,
both denoting the exercise of authority in an organization, institution or state.
Government is the name given to the entity exercising that authority. Authority can
most simply define as legitimate power. Whereas power is the ability to influence the
behavior of others, authority is the right to do so. Authority is therefore the based on an
acknowledged duty to obey rather than on any form of coercion or manipulation. Weber
distinguished between three kinds of authority, based on the different grounds upon
obedience can be established; traditional authority is rooted in history, charismatic
authority stems from personality and legal-authority is grounded in a set of impersonal
rules. To study government is to study the exercise of authority. (Heywood, 1997)
Government is closely related to politics.
To study politics is in essence to study government or more broadly, to study the
exercise of authority. Politics is the art of government, the exercise of control within the
society through the making and enforcement of collective decisions. (Heywood 1997)
The realm of politics is restricted to state actors who are consciously motivated by
ideological beliefs, and who seek to advance them through membership of a formal
organization such as a political organization. This is the sense in which politicians are
described as political whereas civil servants are seen as non political, the state as
public and the civil society as private. The institutions of the state (the apparatus of
the government, the courts, the police, the army, the society-security system and so
forth) can be regarded as public in the sense that they are responsible for the
collective organization of the community life. Moreover, they are funded at the publics

expense, out of taxation. In contrast, civil society consists of what Raymund Burke
called the little platoons, institutions such as the family and kinship groups, private
businesses, trade unions, clubs, community groups and so on that are private in the
sense that they are set up and funded by individual citizens. On the basis of this
public/private life division, government is restricted to the activities of the state itself and
the responsibilities which are properly exercised by public bodies. Although civil society
can be distinguished from the state, it nevertheless contains a range of institutions that
are thought as public in a wider access.
One of its crucial implications is that it broadens our notion of the government
transferring the economy in particular from the private to the public realm. Now, the
conception of politics and government move beyond the narrow realm of government to
what is thought as public life or public affairs. Since, the government doesnt only
decide for all and the civil society and the private sectors play vital role in the
community, thus, the conception of the word governance. Governance is a broader
term than government. In its widest sense, it refers to the various ways in which social
life is coordinated. Government can therefore be seen as one of the institutions in
governance; it is possible to have governance without government. (Heywood, 1997)
Governance: Varying Definitions
Governance is:
1. The traditions and institutions by which authority in a country is exercised
Kaufman et al
2. The way power is exercised through a countrys economic, political, and
social institutions. the World Banks PRSP Handbook.
3. The sound exercise of political, economic, and administrative authority to
manage a countrys resources for development. It involves the
institutionalization of a system through which citizens, institutions,
organizations, and groups in a society articulate their interests, exercise their
rights, and mediate their differences in pursuit of the collective good (Country
Governance Assessment 2005).
4. The exercise of economic, political, and administrative authority to manage a
countrys affairs at all levels. It comprises mechanisms, processes, and
institutions through which citizens and groups articulate their interests, exercise
their legal rights, meet their obligations, and mediate their differences. UNDP.
5.

in governance, citizens are rightly concerned with a governments

responsiveness to their needs and protection of their rights. In general,
governance issues pertain to the ability of government to develop an efficient,
effective, and accountable public management process that is open to citizen
participation and that strengthens rather than weakens a democratic system of
government. The USAID, Office of Democracy & Governance

6.

refers to how any organization, including a nation, is run. It includes all the
processes, systems, and controls that are used to safeguard and grow assets.
(UNDP, 1997)

7.

The systems, processes and procedures put in place to steer the direction,
management and accountability of an organization. Birmingham City Council.
When applied to organizations that operate commercially, governance is often
termed "corporate governance"
8.

"promoting fairness, transparency and accountability" World Bank

9.

"a system by which business organizations are directed and controlled".- OECD

10.

the manner in which power is exercised in the management of a countrys social

and economic resources for development. It is referred to as the quality of the
institutions to make, implement and enforce sound policies in an efficient,
effective, equitable and inclusive man The Asian Development Bank (ADB)

11.

In broad terms, governance is about the institutional environment in which

citizens interact among themselves and with government agencies/officials.
(ADB, 2005).

12.

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.
13. the interactions among structures, processes and traditions that determine
how power and responsibilities are exercised, how decisions are taken, and how
citizens or other stakeholders have their say. Fundamentally, it is about power,
relationships and accountability: who has influence, who decides, and how
decision-makers are held accountable. (IOG 2003)

14. as the exercise of economic, political and administrative authority to manage

the nations affairs at all levels. It comprises of mechanisms, processes and
institutions through which citizens and groups articulate their interests,
exercise their legal rights and obligations and mediate their differences.
Governance is not the sole domain of government but transcends
government to encompass the business sector and the civil society. NEDA
(2006)
The Institute on Governance defines governance as the process whereby
societies or organizations make their important decisions, determine who has voice,

who is engaged in the process and how account is rendered. (IOG, 2006) The Institute
also provides a framework to further establish the concept of governance as shown
1
below .

Figure 1
The need for governance exists anytime a group of people come together to
accomplish an end. Most agree that the central component of governance is decisionmaking. It is the process through which this group of people make decisions that direct
their collective efforts. (See figure 1)

Figure 2
Source: Institute of Governance http://www.iog.ca/
If the group is too large to efficiently make all necessary decisions, it creates an
entity to facilitate the process. Group members delegate a large portion of the decisionmaking responsibility to this entity. In voluntary sector organizations this entity is the
board of directors. One simple definition of governance is "the art of steering societies
and organizations." Governance is about the more strategic aspects of steering, making
the larger decisions about both direction and roles.
Some observers criticize this definition as being too simple. Steering suggests
that governance is a straightforward process, akin to a steersman in a boat. These
critics assert that governance is neither simple nor neat by nature it may be messy,
1

The Institute of Governance (IOG) is a Canadian, non-profit think tank founded in 1990 with the mission to
improve governance for public benefit. For further information visit their website at www.iog.org

tentative, unpredictable and fluid. Governance is complicated by the fact that it involves
multiple actors, not a single helmsman.
These multiple actors are the organization's stakeholders. (See figure 2) They
articulate their interests; influence how decisions are made, who the decision-makers
are and what decisions are taken.

Figure 3
Source: Institute on Governance http://www.iog.ca
Decision-makers must absorb this input into the decision-making process.
Decision-makers are then accountable to those same stakeholders for the
organization's output and the process of producing it. see Fig.3

Governance According to UNDP

The challenge for all societies is to create a system of governance that promotes
supports and sustains human development - especially for the poorest and most
marginal. But the search for a clearly articulated concept of governance has just begun.
Good governance is, among other things, participatory, transparent and
accountable. It is also effective and equitable. And it promotes the rule of law. Good
governance ensures that political, social and economic priorities are based on broad
consensus in society and that the voices of the poorest and the most vulnerable are
heard in decision-making over the allocation of development resources.
Governance has three legs: economic, political and administrative. Economic
governance includes decision-making processes that affect a country's economic
activities and its relationships with other economies. It clearly has major implications for
equity, poverty and quality of life. Political governance is the process of decision-making
to formulate policy. Administrative governance is the system of policy implementation.

Encompassing all three, good governance defines the processes and structures that
guide political and socio-economic relationships.
Governance encompasses the state, but it transcends the state by including the
private sector and civil society organizations. What constitutes the state is widely
debated. Here, the state is defined to include political and public sector institutions.
UNDP's primary interest lies in how effectively the state serves the needs of its people.
The private sector covers private enterprises (manufacturing, trade, banking,
cooperatives and so on) and the informal sector in the marketplace. Some say that the
private sector is part of civil society. But the private sector is separate to the extent that
private sector players influence social, economic and political policies in ways that
create a more conducive environment for the marketplace and enterprises.
Civil society, lying between the individual and the state, comprises individuals
and groups (organized or unorganized) interacting socially, politically and economically regulated by formal and informal rules and laws.
GOVERNANCE & SUSTAINABLE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT:
UNDP believes that developing the capacity of good governance is the primordial
way to eliminate poverty. Notions of good governance and the link between
governance and sustainable human development vary greatly, however, both in
2
academic literature and among development practitioners . (UNDP, 1997)
So, what is sustainable human development?
Human development as expanding the choices for all people in society. This means that
men and women - particularly the poor and vulnerable - are at the centre of the
development process. It also means "protection of the life opportunities of future
generations...and...the natural systems on which all life depends" (UNDP, Human
Development Report 1996). This makes the central purpose of development the
creation of an enabling environment in which all can enjoy long, healthy and creative
lives.
Economic growth is a means to sustainable human development - not an end in itself.
Human Development Report 1996 showed that economic growth does not automatically
lead to sustainable human development and the elimination of poverty. For example,
countries that do well when ranked by per capita income often slip down the ladder
when ranked by the human development index. There are, moreover, marked
disparities within countries - rich and poor alike - and these become striking when
human development among indigenous peoples and ethnic minorities is evaluated

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been at the forefront of the growing
international consensus that good governance and sustainable human development are
indivisible.

separately.
There are five aspects to sustainable human development - all affecting the lives of the
poor and vulnerable:

Empowerment - The expansion of men and women's capabilities and choices

increases their ability to exercise those choices free of hunger, want and
deprivation. It also increases their opportunity to participate in, or endorse,
decision-making affecting their lives
Co-operation - With a sense of belonging important for personal fulfillment, wellbeing and a sense of purpose and meaning, human development is concerned
with the ways in which people work together and interact.
Equity - The expansion of capabilities and opportunities means more than
income - it also means equity, such as an educational system to which
everybody should have access.
Sustainability - The needs of this generation must be met without compromising
the right of future generations to be free of poverty and deprivation and to
exercise their basic capabilities.
Security - Particularly the security of livelihood. People need to be freed from
threats, such as disease or repression and from sudden harmful disruptions in
their lives.
UNDP focuses on four critical elements of sustainable human development:
eliminating poverty, creating jobs and sustaining livelihoods, protecting and
regenerating the environment, and promoting the advancement of women.
Developing the capacities for good governance underpins all these
objectives.

Source: Governance for Sustainable Human Development (1997)

A UNDP Policy Document
United Nations Development Programme
Internet Source:
http://magnet.undp.org/policy/

The Art of Governing

To govern is to exercise power and authority over a territory, system or
3
organization. This applies to both government and governance . The exercise of
authority is uppermost in government and remains significance in governance but is no
longer the single focus. This is because the power in governance is not so much
wielded as shared and authority is defined not so much by control of the ruler as by the

The discussions on the Art of Governing is an exceprt from (From Government to Governance)(2005)
Reflections of Ledivina C. Carino of the University of the Philippines, National College of Public
Administration & Governance, (UP-NCPAG) on the Concept of Governance as an off-shoot of the
(World COG)

consent and participation of the governed. Is a state weak under a regime of

governance? Not necessarily for it can be stronger than ever before except that the
acts expected of it are different from the role of the state as government.
In traditional parlance, government rules and controls, but in governance, it
orchestrates and manages. These contrasts may seem overdrawn, but we will flesh out
and qualify them as the discussion proceeds.
Ruling and orchestrating rest on different bases. To rule is to be the sole
authority, for which the appropriate response is to obey. A government that rules relies
on force to exact compliance, and we know from introductory from the introductory
political science that the state has the monopoly of legitimate violence. It enacts laws
binding on all the inhabitants and metes out sanctions according to these laws. It
delivers services to passive recipients who have little influence in the definition of the
programs or their eligibility requirement and methods.
By contrast, to orchestrate is to call on everyone to play a part in moving the
society. Power rests on the trust the players have on the director and on each other.
Because built on trust, transparency in the conduct of governing is essential. Laws still
bind all, but they are laws they had a part in bringing about. Accountability is shared,
and they who have the greatest power bear the greater responsibility.
To control is not to manage, as Landau and Stout maintained in a classic article.
We have not found a definition of governance that uses control instead of management.
To control is to direct what each part of the system must do. It assumes that the
controller knows the goals and is certain how an action it requires can lead to it.
Deviation will be viewed as error in a context of full knowledge.
Controlling assumes a law (using the term in scientific sense) but to manage is to
act on a hypothesis. The manager works on incomplete information and tests if the
hypothesis is borne out in a given situation. A manager then must be open to inputs
from outside him which might provide new information and to methods other than those
originally promulgated that could lead to the specified goal. Governance chooses
management over control because its system is permeable, admits outside the
influences, assumes no omnipotence or omniscience on the part of the decision-maker,
and subjects decisions to the evaluation and critique of all those with a stake in them.
All governing is an act of leadership, of moving a society towards a preferred
direction. While government can have a connotation of being interested only in
maintenance and in preserving peace and order, governance implies leadership toward
societal development. This is shown in the following passage from the International
Institute of Administrative Sciences.

Governance is the process whereby elements in society wield power and

authority, and influence and enact policies and decisions concerning public life,
economic and social development.
This shows that the concept is indeed a product of the late twentieth century
when development became a preoccupation of societies and states. The definition of
development shall be discussed on the succeeding modules.

The Need for Good Governance:

Why Governance Matters
Good governance creates a strong future for an organization by continuously
steering towards a vision and making sure that day-to-day management is always lined
up with the organizations goals. At its core, governance is about leadership.
An effective board will improve the organizations results, both financial and
social, and make sure the owners' assets and funds are used appropriately. Poor
governance can put organizations at risk of commercial failure, financial and legal
problems for directors/trustees or allow an organization to lose sight of its purpose and
its responsibilities to its owners and people who benefit from its success.
The Rights-Based Approach to governance implies that the holders of rights
should also participate fully in deciding how those rights are fulfilled, such as through
participation and greater empowerment. And as the Millennium Declaration
emphasizes, one of the most important requirements for achieving this and the MDG is
governance The report points out that Asia and the Pacific has many diverse forms of
4
democratic governments . In some cases these have involved highly centralized
administrations that have offered a limited space for popular
participation.
Nevertheless, in recent years there have been significant changes.
One of the most
dramatic examples has been in Indonesia, which for decades until the late 1990s had a
strongly centralized administration. Now the democratic Government in Indonesia has
not only offered free and fair elections; it has also enacted a radical process of
decentralization.
Another vital attribute of governance in MDGs is efficient and effective
administration. The Government of India, for example, is determined to be more
responsive and accountable to the public. A further governance priority in Asia and the
Pacific is the fight against corruption, which degrades the quality of governance and hits
hardest at the poorest. The Government of China for example is among those taking
firm measures to combat corruption and promote integrity in governance.

The discussions on the Millennium Declaration as well as the comprehensive discussions of MDG are
reflected on Module 2 of this course.

Theories of Governance
If Max Weber and Woodrow Wilson were to suddenly appear on the landscape of
modern public administration, normative theories in hand, it is likely they would be
unable to recognize the field of governance. The comprehensive, functionally uniform,
hierarchical organizations governed by strong leaders who are democratically
responsible and staffed by neutrally competent civil servants who deliver services to
citizens to the extent they ever existed are long gone. They have been replaced by
an organizational society in which many important services are provided through multi
organizational programs. These programs are essentially interconnected clusters of
firms, governments, and associations which come together within the framework of
these programs (Hjern and Porter, 1981, pp. 212-213).
These implementation structures operate within a notion of governance about
which a surprising level of consensus has been reached. There is a pervasive, shared,
global perception of governance as a topic far broader than government; the
governance approach is seen as a new process of governing, or a changed condition
of ordered rule; or the new method by which society is governed (Stoker, 1998, p. 17).
Similarly, in the scholarship that has followed the Reinventing Government themes of
public effectiveness; much has been written of New Public Management practices by
which governance theory is put into action (Mathiasen, 1996; Lynn, 1996, 1998; Terry,
1998; Kelly, 1998; Peters and Pierre, 1998).
In this complex, devolved mode of service delivery, the unit of analysis for some
students of policy implementation is the network of nonprofit organizations, private firms
and governments. As Milward and Provan note, in policy arenas such as health, mental
health, and welfare, "...joint production and having several degrees of separation
between the source and the user of government funds...combine to ensure that
hierarchies and markets will not work and that networks are the only alternative for
collective action" (2000, p. 243).
The discussions below describe the relationship of governance and other Public
Administration theories, the New Public Management, in particular.
The (mostly European) literature on governance and the increasingly international
scholarship on New Public Management (NPM) describe two models of public service
that reflect a reinvented form of government which is better managed, and which takes
its objectives not from democratic theory but from market economics (Stoker, 1998).
While some use the terms interchangeably (for example, Hood, 1991), most of the
research makes distinctions between the two. Essentially, governance is a political
theory while NPM is an organizational theory (Peters and Pierre, 1998). As Stoker
describes it,

Governance refers to the development of governing styles in which

boundaries between and within public and private sectors have become blurred.
The essence of governance is its focus on mechanisms that do not rest on recourse to

the authority and sanctions of government.Governance for (some) is about the

potential for contracting, franchising and new forms of regulation. In short, it is about
what (some) refer to as the new public management. However, governance is more
than a new set of managerial tools. It is also about more than achieving greater
efficiency in the production of public services (1998, p. 17-18). Peters and Pierre
agree, saying that governance is about process, while NPM is about outcomes (1998, p.
232).
Governance is ultimately concerned with creating the conditions for
ordered rule and collective action (Stoker, 1998; Peters and Pierre, 1998; Milward
and Provan, 2000). As should be expected, all efforts to synthesize the literature draw
from theories found in the separate traditions. Berman owes debts to Van Meter and
Van Horn (1975, 1976) and Goggin, et al (1990), among others. See Kaboolian (1998)
for a description of reform movements in the public sector that collectively comprise
New Public Management (NPM). I adopt her definition of NPM as a series of
innovations that considered collectively embody public choice approaches,
transaction-cost relationships, and preferences for efficiency over equity. notes, the
outputs of governance are not different from those of government; it is instead a matter
of a difference in processes (1998, p. 17).
Governance refers to the development of governing styles in which boundaries
between and within public and private sectors have become blurred. The essence of
governance, and its most troublesome aspect, according to its critics, is a focus on
mechanisms that do not rest on recourse to the authority and sanctions of government
(Bekke, et al, 1995; Peters and Pierre, 1998; Stoker, 1998; Rhodes, 1996, 1997).
Stoker (1998, p. 18) draws five propositions to frame our understanding of the critical
questions that governance theory should help us answer. He acknowledges that each
proposition implies a dilemma or critical issue.
1.

Governance refers to institutions and actors from within and beyond government.
(But there is a divorce between the complex reality of decision-making associated with
governance and the normative codes used to explain and justify government). The
question, as it relates to policy implementation, is one of legitimacy. The extent to which
those with decision-making power are seen to be legitimate (in the normative sense) will
directly impact their ability to mobilize resources and promote cooperation and build and
sustain partnerships. Thus, the normative dilemma has pragmatic overtones. Beetham
suggests that for power to be legitimate it must conform to established rules; these rules
must be justified by adherence to shared beliefs; and the power must be exercised with
the express consent of subordinates (1991, p. 19).

2.

Governance identifies the blurring of boundaries and responsibilities for tackling

social and economic issues. This shift in responsibility goes beyond the public-private
dimension to include notions of communitarianism and social capital. (However, blurring
of responsibilities can lead to blame avoidance or scapegoating). An interesting

research area that has grown in scope and importance following the implementation of
welfare reform is the study of faith-based organizations role and

impact in service delivery. Public agencies have not merely endorsed or encouraged
this partnership, but in some cases have institutionalized these arrangements. This
suggests a shift in responsibility beyond the more traditional notions of contracting out
and privatization. At the same time, all of these activities contribute to uncertainties on
the part of policy makers and the public about who is in charge and who can be held
accountable for performance outcomes. Implementation theory must attend to the
nature and impact of responsibility and accountability.
3.

Governance identifies the power dependence involved in the relationships

between institutions involved in collective action. Organizations are dependent
upon each other for the achievement of collective action, and thus must exchange
resources and negotiate shared understandings of ultimate program goals. The
implementation literature is replete with studies of coordination barriers and impacts (for
example, Jennings and Ewalt, 1998). (Nonetheless, power dependence exacerbates
the problem of unintended consequences for government because of the likelihood of
principal-agent problems.) For implementation scholarship to contribute to a greater
understanding of governance relationships, arrangements for minimizing (and impacts
of) game-playing, subversion, creaming and opportunism must be explored.

4.

Governance is about autonomous self-governing networks of actors. (The

emergence of self-governing networks raises difficulties over accountability).
Governance networks, in Stokers terms, involve not just influencing government policy
but taking over the business of government (1998, p. 23). The hollow state that
networks have triggered (Milward, 1996; Milward and Provan, 2000) raises questions
about how government can manage public programs when they consist largely of
entities outside the public domain. Network theory and governance issues overlap, and
they are both directly linked to questions of implementation.

5.

Governance recognizes the capacity to get things done which does not rest on the
power of government to command or use its authority. (But even so, government
failures may occur.) It is in this proposition that we find a natural progression from the
more encompassing theory of governance to the more prescriptive notions of New
Public Management. Stoker notes that within governance there is a concerted
emphasis on new tools and techniques to steer and guide. The language is taken
directly from reinventing themes. The dilemma of governance in this context is that
there is a broader concern with the very real potential for leadership failure, differences
among key partners in time horizons and goal priorities, and social conflicts, all of
which can result in governance failure. Stoker draws on Goodin as he suggests that
design challenges of public institutions can be addressed in part by revisability,
robustness, sensitivity to motivational complexity, public defendability, and variability to
encourage experimentation (Stoker, 1998, p. 26, quoting from Goodin, 1996, p. 39-43).
As Peters and Pierre note, governance is about maintaining public-sector
resources under some degree of political control and developing strategies to sustain
governments capacity to act in the face of management tools that replace highly
centralized, hierarchical structures with decentralized management environments where

decisions on resource allocation and service delivery are made closer to the point of
5
delivery (1998, p. 232) .
Evaluation

Essay:
1.) What is your understanding of the concept of governance? and What is
your own concept of governance. Explain.
2.) Explain the shift of government to governance.
3.) Discuss the theories of governance and New Public Management.
4.) Discuss the significance of governance in the development process.
Activities:
1. Make a matrix summarizing the main points stressed by various theories and
concepts and models of governance. Explain your output.
2. Written Report: The Importance of Governance & Development and its interrelationship (individual output)
3. A project: Make a poster/collage/diorama that shows the significance of
governance.
Assessment of the Concept Paper
Each submission will be assessed on the following
1. identification of concept (2 points),
2. description of the concept (4 points),
3. application or example of the concept (4 points).
The report is typewritten and not to exceed one page.
Rubric for the output in the Journey Wall Activity.
The output of the groups will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
-concept relatedness
10points
30%
- creativity
5 points
20%
- teamwork
5 points
20%
- workmanship
5 points
20%
total
25 points
100%

Also refer to Ewalt, Jo Ann G. (2001) Theories of Governance and New Public Management: Links to
Understanding Welfare Policy Implementation; A Second Draft. A Paper Presented at the Annual Conference
of the American Society for Public Administration.

Lesson 2
The Key Actors in Governance
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES: at the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
1. Identify the different actors in governance;
2. Critically explain the role of each player in the governance process;
3. Critique on the current efforts of these key actors in the any governance
endeavors;
4. Illustrate the inter-relationship of the role of the key actors in governance;
5. Discuss some of the lessons and best practices in the governance of
partnerships.
6. Critically assess the involvement of Civil Society organizations and the private
sectors in governance.
Pedagogical Activities:
1. Multi-Media Instruction
Distribution of handouts on Lesson 2
3.2 PowerPoint Presentation on Lesson 2
3.3 Venn Diagram
2. Panel discussion/Debate - Exchange of opinions to analyze, clarify and
reach conclusions about issues, questions and problems on the role of the different
key actors in governance.
3. FGD- Focused Group Discussion. (Meta-planning)
The students are going to answer the focus questions in a meta card.
The answer should only be 5-8 words per meta card. Answers should be written
in BOLD letters.
4. Paper/Oral Presentation: This is designed as a vehicle for the students to
research and describe the role of each key actor in governance as well as their
interplay in the governance process. This is also to express an evaluation of its
impact to any governance endeavors like in policy formulation. The paper is due
after the FGD.
Each group (state, civil society and business sector) will orally

present (maximum of 10 minutes) their paper during the class. Fellow students
listening to the presentation will provide a peer review of the presentations.
Critique and synthesis is done by the instructor at the end of each or all
presentations.
5. Role-Playing- The deliberate acting out of a role.
critical role of each key players of governance.

This is to demonstrate the

LESSON PROPER
The management of public affairs is not an exclusive domain of government and
the concept of governance goes beyond the realm of the state or public sector. It
also involves the Civil Society which comprises of schools/academe, nongovernment organizations (NGO), Peoples Organization, Voluntary Organizations,
and the Private or the Business Sectors. The involvement of these sectors is
based on their common interest and similar aspirations committed to the same
public concerns. As Louise Frechette, Deputy Secretary General of the UN said,
Governance is not something the state does to society, but the way society itself,
and the individuals who compose it, regulate all the different aspects of their
collective life.

Figure 4
Key Actors in Governance
State/
Public
Sector

Civil
Society

Business

Sector

Source: UNDP (1997)

1. The State
The state is the principal actor of government to facilitate participation and
provide an enabling environment to other elements of the society. It is a strong entity
that recognizes the significance and autonomy of the other sectors without
overwhelming them.
1. 1 The state as enabler provides for the legal and regulatory framework and political
order within which firms and organizations can plan and act. It encourages citizens to
act by liberating them from the fear of military reprisals when they criticize policies or
serve marginalized groups. It can assure private firms that policies are fair and not
subject to caprice or whim or the private interest of political officials.
1.2. The state as resource provider facilitates by providing resources to assist
markets and communities. Such resources include information, technical expertise,
research and development programs, physical infrastructure as well as grants-in-aid or
incentive schemes.

As part of the state, the local government performs a crucial role in the efforts of
the national government in implementing its programs and projects. The Local
government is the real actor in effecting governance and development.
The Local Government
The Local Government is an avenue where the civil society groups at the
community level can participate meaningfully in the decision making processes. By
virtue of the powers and authority provided in the Local Government Code of 1991, local
government formulates and defines the legal and regulatory framework. This serves as
the basis for the involvement and participation of the various organizations and groups
in the governance of the community.
The Local Government also maintains a political order and provides the
necessary resources such as technical expertise and infrastructure to the various
groups, most especially to those who are places at disadvantaged position.
As an enabler, the local government likewise provides the environment for the
development of full potentials of its citizens guided by the overarching goals of
respecting, protecting and fulfilling basic human rights for all and of empowering
everyone to shape their own destiny under a regime in which the realization of basic
rights is guaranteed (J. Natividad, Rights-Based Philippine Governance Review, DAP,
2005: 21)
ADB also outlined the role of the STATE and the key milestone in governance as
shown below.
Roles of the States and Key Milestones in Governance
Table 1
Key Milestones
Sound Development
Management Roles of the
State
1. Creating a conducive
economic environment

2. Protecting the Vulnerable

Enact and enforce laws that promote

economic competition
Decentralize economic decision making and
stabilize inflation
Reduce public deficit and free market to set
prices for privately produced goods and
services
Ensure the survival of pension systems
Create or maintain reasonable
unemployment benefits
Establish and maintain a system of private
health and social insurance
Maintain social assistance programs for the
disabled and disadvantaged

3. Improving government
efficiency and responsiveness

4. Empowering people and

democratizing the political system

5. Decentralizing the
administrative system

6. Reducing gaps between rich

and poor
7. Encouraging cultural diversity
and social integration

8. Protecting the environment

Table 1

Attract qualified, competent, honest and

realistically paid individuals into public
service
Establish a civil service system that relies on
merit-based recruitment and promotion,
incentive-based compensation, and rewardoriented career paths that are clearly defined
Attract and retain a corps of professionals
who are responsible for formulating and
implementing economic policies and support
them with good training, appropriate degree
of independence and professional reward
structures.
Protect professional civil servants from
political interference in carrying out their
responsibilities
Establish a civil service system that is
flexible enough to facilitate communication
between the public and private sectors
Establish a conducive institutional
environment comprising properly functioning
parliaments, legal and judicial systems, and
electoral processes.
Respond quickly to local needs and
conditions
Redistribute authority, responsibility and
finances for public services among different
government levels
Strengthen sub-national units of
governments
Respect traditional structures of authority as
well as traditional mechanisms for resolving
conflicts and managing common property in
society
Reduce social disparities
Maintain cultural identity and roots while
promoting social cohesion
Ensure political systems are accessible to all
and that legal systems afford equal
opportunities
Integrate economic and environmental
accounting
Promote interregional equity

Source: Asian Development Bank (2005) Country Governance Assessment

*

The Country Governance Assessment of the Philippines is prepared by the Philippine Governance Assessment
Study Team headed by the Team Leader Alex B. Brillantes Jr. of the UP National College of Public Administration
& Governance.

2. The Private or Business Sector - Corporate Governance

In governance parlance, the private/business sector serves as the engine of the
society. It is an important collaborator in the economic development of the community.
It generates jobs and incomes for the people in the community. Because of its
resources such as financial and technical expertise, it can assist the local government in
coming up with an economic plan for the community and help in the implementation of
the plan. It can also provide the needed resources for the government to enable it to
pursue big and wide scale projects that are beyond the local governments financial
capability. Efficiency and economy are expected outputs or products of corporate
governance. The state provides a level playing field for those able to compete, and
turns its attention to the provisions of safety nets for those unable to do so.
In the field of information technology, the private sector can help the local
government in the development of technologies that would help proper the growth and
development of the economy of the community. In this connection, the private sector
can assist the local government promote the transfer of technology such as the
application of spatial planning and decision support systems for effective local
governance.
The participation of market and civil society in governance adds new role to the
state and that is of building partnerships and linkages to the two sectors. Moreover,
their engagement of the state shifts the social picture from elite control to active
citizenship.

3. The Civil Society

The Civil Society consists of the complex of citizens and groups outside government
working in the public arena. It is often called as CSOs- civil society organizations and
also sometimes referred to as the Third Sector.
The civil society comprises the academe or schools, NGOs e.g. Association of
Schools of Public Administration in the Philippines, Inc. (ASPAP, Inc) housed at the
National College of Public Administration and Governance which is religiously
collaborating with Government and NGOs (GOP-UNDP Programme, Galing-Pook
Foundation, Social Watch Philippines, TAN, TI etc.) in promoting governance and
development.). Other civil society groups include POs and the voluntary groups.
This sector plays an important role in the facilitation and interaction among the
key players of local governance. It mobilizes the various groups or organizations in the
community to participate in planning and decision-making process.

The Philippines has a large and very vibrant Third Sector with a long history
dating back to its colonial years. The total number of civil society organizations is
estimated to between a low of 249,000 to a high of 497,000 (Cario, 2002: 84). Ma.
Oliva Z. Domingo also discussed in her paper entitled: Third Sector Governance:
Meanings, Issues, and Challenges in the Philippines, the Civil Society is the third
sector governance.
The extensive use of the term governance in the literature and day-to-day
operations of Third Sector organizations precedes the now current, broader meaning
popularized by the UNDP. Brian OConnells work published in 1985, identifies
governance as a basic role for the boards of voluntary organizations (1985: 22). An
even much earlier work describes alternative governance models for nonprofit
universities (Baldridge et al, 1997). Scholars writing on Third Sector organizations make
fine distinctions between governance and management (Wood, 1996: 3-4), or even with
administration (Lyons, 2001: 123-124), but affirm that the term governance captures the
scope of the special kind of management applicable to these organizations.
Within the broad view of governance, Third Sector organizations play a key role
as they engage in programs and deliver services in areas where government is absent
or where the private sector is not interested in. They facilitate political and social
integration by mobilizing and empowering people to participate in economic, social, and
political activities. Within the Third Sector itself, governance generally refers to the
exercise of governing functions by responsible persons. In this sense, the term has an
inward looking perspective, an internal relevance for Third Sector organizations.
Whether in the broad or the internal point of view, Third Sector organizations are
called upon to respond to the challenge of good governance. In order to do so, the
Sector needs to clarify the meanings, issues, and role expectations associated with the
concept of governance.
In local governance, a critical role that the civil society plays is that it provides the
forum for the airing of grievances, complaints, concerns, issues and problems among
the populace. Specifically, it provides voice to the inarticulate and the unarticulated. It
also performs some political role in the community by serving as an instrument of
checks and balances on the power of the state or local government and the business
sector behavior. It is seen as a claim holder of basic human rights. And most of all, it
can serve as an alternative delivery mechanism for the frontline services.
Some civil society organizations engage primarily in the critique of existing policy
and the advocacy of what to them are more appropriate policies for the good of the
nation. In authoritarian regimes which close avenues of citizen access to policy
formulation, some groups maybe forced to go underground and work for the ouster of
the regime itself. But even in the most democratic states, there will be no lack of critics

that press for regime change and drastic policy reversals. NGOs may also go beyond
opposition and debate into competing with governments own delivery system,

demonstrating that the alternative mechanisms they advocate are capable of being
implemented on the ground.
Other civil society organizations may extend the governments delivery system by
mobilizing people to prove themselves eligible to receive government social services, or
providing their own services in areas unreached by the public bureaucracy. The
government may complement NGOs in turn by providing the needed scaling up and
referral system for their relatively smaller programs.
In relations to this, there are other possible directions to strategic directions for
active civil society participation in good governance. In general terms, this means
supporting efforts to promote partnerships between government and civil society.
These maybe in designing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating programs and
projects. This can also mean identifying areas where civil society can either
complement or supplement the efforts of the Government to deliver services, or even
serve as alternative mechanisms altogether. ADB (2005)
3. The Private or Business Sector - Corporate Governance
In a governance parlance, the private/business sector serves as the
engine of the society. It is an important collaborator in the economic development of the
community. It generates jobs and incomes for the people in the community. Because
of its resources such as financial and technical expertise, it can assist the local
government in coming up with an economic plan for the community and help in the
implementation of the plan. It can also provide the needed resources for the
government to enable it to pursue big and wide scale projects that are beyond the local
governments financial capability. Efficiency and economy are expected outputs or
products of corporate governance. The state provides a level playing field for those
able to compete, and turns its attention to the provisions of safety nets for those unable
to do so.
In the field of information technology, the private sector can help the local
government in the development of technologies that would help proper the growth and
development of the economy of the community. In this connection, the private sector
can assist the local government promote the transfer of technology such as the
application of spatial planning and decision support systems for effective local
governance.
The participation of market and civil society in governance adds new role to the
state and that is of building partnerships and linkages to the two sectors. Moreover,
their engagement of the state shifts the social picture from elite control to active
citizenship.

Figure 5
Urban
Actors

Source: United Nations Economic & Social

Commissions for Asia and the Pacific (UN
ESCAP) (2001) Internet Source: http://www.unescap.org/huset/gg/governance.htm

As mentioned earlier, government is one of the key 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 5 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.
( http://www.unescap.org/huset/gg/governance.htm)

In developed and developing countries alike, the state is being compelled to redefine
its role in social and economic activity - to reduce it, reorient it, reconfigure it. The
pressures for change stem from three sources:

The private sector wants a more conducive market environment and a better
balance between state and market.

Citizens want increased accountability and responsiveness from government, as

well as greater decentralization.

Global pressures from supranational and worldwide social and economic trends
are challenging the identity and nature of the state.

Relationships between Governance and Human Development as performed by

each Domain of Governance
Each domain of governance - the state, the private sector and civil society - has
a unique role in promoting sustainable human development.
The state
In countries where electoral processes exist, the state is composed of an elected
government and an executive branch. The state's functions are manifold - among them,
being the focus of the social contract that defines citizenship, being the authority that is
mandated to control and exert force, having responsibility for public services and
creating an enabling environment for sustainable human development. The latter means
establishing and maintaining stable, effective and fair legal-regulatory frameworks for
public and private activity. It means ensuring stability and equity in the marketplace. It
means mediating interests for the public good. And it means providing effective and
accountable public services. In all four roles, the state faces a challenge - ensuring that
good governance addresses the concerns and needs of the poorest by increasing the
opportunities for people to seek, achieve and sustain the kind of life they aspire to.
The state, of course, can do much in such areas as upholding the rights of the
vulnerable, protecting the environment, maintaining stable macroeconomic conditions,
maintaining standards of public health and safety for all at an affordable cost, mobilizing
resources to provide essential public services and infrastructure and maintaining order,
security and social harmony.
State institutions can also empower the people they are meant to serve providing equal opportunities and ensuring social, economic and political inclusion and
access to resources. But people can be empowered only if their legislatures, electoral
processes and legal and judicial systems work properly. Parliaments of freely and fairly
elected members representing different parties are crucial to popular participation and
government accountability. Effective legal and judicial systems protect the rule of law
and the rights of all. Open elections mean public confidence and trust - and so political
legitimacy. States should also decentralize political and economic systems to be more
responsive to citizens' demands and to changing economic conditions.
In developed and developing countries alike, the state is being compelled to redefine
its role in social and economic activity - to reduce it, reorient it, and reconfigure it. The
pressures for change stem from three sources:

The private sector wants a more conducive market environment and a better
balance between state and market.

Citizens want increased accountability and responsiveness from government, as

well as greater decentralization.

Global pressures from supranational and worldwide social and economic trends
are challenging the identity and nature of the state.

The private sector

The state is a big force for development - but it is not the only one. Sustainable
human development depends in part on creating jobs that provide enough income to
improve living standards. Most states now recognize that the private sector is the
primary source of opportunities for productive employment. Economic globalization is
fundamentally changing the ways in which industries and enterprises operate. In many
developing countries, private enterprise must be encouraged and supported to be more
transparent and competitive in the international marketplace.
Equitable growth, gender balance, environmental preservation, expansion of the
private sector and responsible and effective participation in international commerce
cannot be achieved by the market alone, however. States can foster private sector
development that is sustainable by:

Creating a stable macroeconomic environment.

Maintaining competitive markets.

Ensuring that the poor (especially women) have easy access to credit.

Nurturing enterprises that generate the most jobs and opportunities.

Attracting investment and helping to transfer knowledge and technologies,

particularly to the poor.

Enforcing the rule of law.

Providing incentives for human resource development.

Protecting the environment and natural resources.

Civil society
Civil society also has to protect the rights of all citizens. As the state and the
private sector are being reshaped and their relationships redefined, civil society is
changing in important ways. Unresponsive government and unrelenting economic and
social pressure have undermined some traditional civil society organizations and
strengthened others - and in many cases forced people to organize in new ways. Civil
society is thus more than just society. It is the part of society that connects individuals
with the public realm and the state - it is the political face of society.

Civil society organizations channel people's participation in economic and social

activities and organize them into more powerful groups to influence public policies and
gain access to public resources, especially for the poor. They can provide checks and
balances on government power and monitor social abuses. They also offer
opportunities for people to develop their capacities and improve their standards of living
- by monitoring the environment, assisting the disadvantaged, developing human
resources, helping communication among business people.
More fundamentally, civic networks ease the dilemmas of collective action by
institutionalizing social interaction, reducing opportunism, fostering trust and making
political and economic transactions easier. Well-developed civic networks also amplify
flows of information - the basis for reliable political, economic and social collaboration
and public participation of civil society members. These relationships and social norms
make up a nation's social capital.
Civil society organizations do not always pursue the qualities of good
governance. Nor are they always the most effective development agents. That is why
states, while recognizing and protecting the democratic rights of civil society
organizations, must also ensure that the rules of law and values that reflect societal
norms are adhered to. Democratic institutions, particularly local ones, can be important
in ensuring that all in society have a voice, as well as ensuring that there are
transparent and fair ways to reach consensus.
Like private enterprises, civil society organizations need adequate capacities to
fulfill their potential. They also need an enabling environment, including a legislative and
regulatory framework that guarantees the right of association, incentives to facilitate
support and ways for civil society organizations to be involved in public policy-making
and implementation.
Strengthening the enabling environment for sustainable human development
thus depends not only on a state that governs well and a private sector that provides
jobs that generate income. It also depends on civil society organizations that make
political and social interaction easier and that mobilize society to participate in
economic, social and political activities. UNDP (1997)
Apart from three key players of governance above, the Institute on Governance
considers a fourth player, the Media, which provides for a flow of information between
the major players, and between the players and society at large. However, media, even
if not controlled by the state, is part of the private sector and therefore not a
dispassionate player. The relative size and strength of each of the players varies
depending on the history, culture and politics of the country. There are no firm
boundaries between these players (and in fact they often overlap) because the borders
of these sectors are permeable (e.g. state-owned organizations may have a foot in both

government and the private sector; government-funded NGOs also straddle two
camps). Edgar et. al (2006)

EVALUATION:

Critical Thinking Assessment

Essay
1.

In one paragraph discuss the inter-relationships of the 3 major actors in governance.

You may provide a matrix or diagram to illustrate your answer. (20 points)
2. In your own perspective, what is view on the role of government in any governance
efforts?
3. What can you suggest to the government, the private sector and the civil society to
further improve their services?
2. FGD- Focused Group Discussion. (Meta-planning)
The students are going to answer the focus questions in a meta card. The answer
should only be 5-8 words per meta card. The FGD question is listed below.

1.

Critical-Thinking Assessment on the Oral Presentation:

Measures/Criteria
Ability to respond to questions from peers and faculty; evidence of advance preparation.
2. Sharing of relevant materials/articles with the class.
3. Mastery of an understanding of facts, concepts, and the theories presented in the course
4. Demonstration a
good command of the English language and language of the
subject matter.

Action Areas

What are the specific What

are
the
activities
gaps/constraints in the
conduct
of
these
being implemented
activities
in
partnership
with jointly
implemented
other organizations?

Policy Formulation
Service Delivery

Education
Advocacy

&

Monitoring
Evaluation

&

What
other
opportunities/potentials for
complementation
and partnership can you
suggest?

LESSON 3
The Characteristics of Good Governance
Specific Objectives
At the end of the lesson, the learners should be able to:

1. Identify and enumerate the eight characteristics of good governance according

to UNDP;
2. Describe each element or indicators of good governance;
3. Determine how can these indicators be utilized in the measurement of
performance of the government or assess whether these indicators are present
in the government;
4. Illustrate the inter-linkages among the different elements of governance; and
5. Present some examples of best practices in good governance;
Pedagogical Activities
1. Multi-Media Instruction
1.1 Distribution of handouts on Lesson 3
1.2 PowerPoint Presentation on Lesson 3
2. Inter-active Discussion on the Characteristics of Good Governance
3. Field
Conduct a simple survey in your locality on the implementation of some of its
policies/programs/projects and assess whether they reflect the 8 characteristics of
good governance as cited by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The outputs will be presented in class for discussions and critiquing.

4. Collage-making
The students are going to prepare a collage depicting the good practices on good
governance.

Wha t is g o o d g o ve r na nc e ?
Like government, governance can be good or bad. Bad government and bad
governance have similar characteristics: Corruption, Whimsical and Expedient Decision6
Making, Shortsightedness, disregard for the concern of the many and decisions . In the
same vein, the criteria for good governance and would be the same
as good governance. They include accountability and ethics in decision-making and
implementation, transparency and predictability, rule-bound decision-making and action,
responsiveness, a long term view of the public interest. The public should therefore
have a right to expect laws, a fair judicial system, politically accountable lawmaking and
an effective and reform-minded bureaucracy.
One goal of good governance is to enable an organization to do its work and
fulfill its mission. Good governance results in organizational effectiveness.
A lot of attention has been focused on good governance practices in the private
sector in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere. In the
corporate world of business, the bottom line provides a helpful focus point, but even
here there can be difficult questions of judgment as to what constitutes good
governance. Current debate about corporate governance is just starting to look at
questions about the broader purposes of private corporations. The private sectors are
expected to provide corporate social responsibility which seeks to include sustainable
development and the need to address the social, economic and environmental impact of
various operations.
In the public and non-profit sectors, the question of what constitutes good
governance is often more complex. In public purpose organizations, good governance is
about more than getting the job done. Especially in non-profits, government agencies
and the like, where values typically play an important role in determining both
organizational purpose and style of operation, process is as important as product. Good
governance becomes more than only a means to organizational effectiveness and
becomes an end in itself.
Good governance is about both achieving desired results and achieving them in
the right way.
Since the "right way" is largely shaped by the cultural norms and values of the
organization, there can be no universal template for good governance. Each
organization must tailor its own definition of good governance to suit its needs and
values.

The Concept of Governance, Ledivina V. Carino, From Government to Governance, Reflections on the 1999
World Conference on Governance. 2000.

There is plenty of room for different traditions and values to be accommodated in

the definition of good governance. At the same time, all is not relative. There are some
universal norms and values that apply across cultural boundaries.
A number of multilateral organizations and institutions (e.g. the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP), the Organization for Economic Cooperation &
Development (OECD), the Asian Development Bank) have reflected on the elements of
good governance and on their relation to development. As the ethos and experience of
these institutions vary, so, too do their perception of what constitutes good governance.

The challenge for all societies is to create a system of governance that promotes,
supports and sustains human development - especially for the poorest and most
marginal. But the search for a clearly articulated concept of governance has just begun.
Good governance is, among other things, participatory, transparent and
accountable. It is also effective and equitable. And it promotes the rule of law. Good
governance ensures that political, social and economic priorities are based on broad
consensus in society and that the voices of the poorest and the most vulnerable are
heard in decision-making over the allocation of development resources.

THE EIGHT CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD GOVERNANCE BY UNDP

Good governance 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 decisionmaking. It is also responsive to the present and future needs of society. Much has been
written about the characteristics of efficient government, successful businesses and
effective civil society organizations, but the characteristics of good governance defined
in societal terms remain elusive.
Interrelated, these core characteristics are mutually reinforcing and cannot stand
alone. For example, accessible information means more transparency, broader
participation and more effective decision-making. Broad participation contributes both to
the exchange of information needed for effective decision-making and for the legitimacy
of those decisions. Legitimacy, in turn, means effective implementation and encourages
further participation. And responsive institutions must be transparent and function
according to the rule of law if they are to be equitable.

These core characteristics represent the ideal - and no society has them all. Even
so, UNDP believes that societies should aim, through broad-based consensus-building,
to define which of the core features are most important to them, what the best balance

is between the state and the market, how each socio-cultural and economic setting can
move from here to there.
UNDP is faced increasingly with post-crisis situations and disintegrating societies.
For them, the issue is not developing good governance - it is building the basic
institutions of governance. The first step is towards reconciliation - building society's
ability to carry on a dialogue on the meaning of governance and the needs of all citizens
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 All
men and women should have a voice in decision-making, either directly or through
legitimate intermediate institutions that represent their interests. Such broad
participation is built on freedom of association and speech, as well as capacities to
participate constructively. 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
Legal frameworks should be fair and enforced impartially, particularly the laws on
human rights.
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 is built on the free flow of information. Processes, institutions and
information are directly accessible to those concerned with them, and enough
information is provided to understand and monitor them.

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
Institutions and processes try to serve all stakeholders. Good governance
requires that institutions and processes try to serve all stakeholders within a
reasonable timeframe.
Consensus oriented
Good governance mediates differing interests to reach a broad consensus on what
is in the best interests of the group and, where possible, on policies and procedures.
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
All men and women have opportunities to improve or maintain their well-being.
A societys 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.

Figure 6
Characteristics of good
governance

Source: Governance for Sustainable Human Development

A UNDP Policy Document (1997)

Effectiveness and efficiency

Processes and institutions produce results that meet needs while making the best
use of resources.
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
Decision-makers in government, the private sector and civil society organizations
are accountable to the public, as well as to institutional stakeholders. This
accountability differs depending on the organization and whether the decision is
internal or external to an organization.
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.
Strategic vision
Leaders and the public have a broad and long-term perspective on good
governance and human development, along with a sense of what is needed for such
development. There is also an understanding of the historical, cultural and social
complexities in which that perspective is grounded.
The World Bank on the other hand, cites 4 dimensions of governance which are:
Public Sector Management, Accountability, and Legal Framework for Development and
Transparency & Information
The World Banks interest in governance stems from its concern with the
effectiveness of the development efforts it supports. From this perspective, sound
development management is critical in ensuring adequate returns and efficacy of the
programs and projects financed and for the World Banks underlying objectives of
helping countries reduce poverty and promoting sustainable development growth.

Four Basic Elements of Good Governance according to ADB

ADB likewise regards governance as synonymous with sound development
management. It relates to governance to the effectiveness with which development
assistance is used, the impact of development programs and projects and the
absorptive capacity of borrowing countries. To address governance issues, the Asian
Development bank has built upon the approach of the World Bank and has identified
four basic elements of good governance:

1. Accountability
Accountability is imperative to make public officials answerable for
government behavior and responsive to the entity from which they derive their
authority. This maybe achieved differently in different countries or political
structures, depending on the history, cultural milieu, and value systems involved.
Accountability also means establishing criteria to measure the
performance of public officials, as well as oversight mechanisms to ensure that
standards are met. The litmus test is whether private actors in the economy
have procedurally simple and swift recourse for redress of unfair actions or
incompetence of the executive authority. Lack of accountability tends in time to
reduce the states credibility as an economic partner. It undermines the capacity
of governments to sustain the long-term business confidence essential for
growth-enhancing private sector investment. Looked at from this angle,
accountability can help reduce sovereign risk.
The accountability of public sector institutions is facilitated by evaluation of their
economic and financial performance. Economic accountability relates to the
effectiveness of policy formulation and implementation, and efficiency in resource
use. Financial accountability covers accounting systems for expenditure control,
and internal and external audits.

2. Participation
The principle of participation derives from an acceptance that people at
the heart of development. They are not only the ultimate beneficiaries of
development but are also the agents of development. In the latter capacity, they

act through groups or associations (e.g. trade unions, chambers of commerce,

NGOs, political parties) and as individuals. (e.g through letters to newspaper
editors, participating in radio and television talk shows, voting) . Since
development is both for and by the people, they need to have access to the
institutions that promote it.
Participation is often related to accountability but not necessarily so. In
representative democracies, where citizens participate in government through
the electoral process, public officials are indeed accountable ultimately to the
electorate. This may not be the case however, in other political systems. For all
economies though, the benefits of participatory approaches can be considerable.
These include improved performance and sustainability of policies, programs,
and projects as well as enhanced capacity and skills of stakeholders.
At the grassroots level, participation implies that government structures
are flexible enough to offer beneficiaries and others affected, the opportunity to
improve the design and implementation of public programs and projects. This
increases ownership and enhances results. At a different level,
the
effectiveness of policies and institutions impinging on the economy as a whole
may require the broad support and cooperation of major economic actors
concerned. To the extent that the interface between the public agencies and the
private sector is conducive to the latters participation in the economy, national
economic performance will be enhanced.
Participation in economic life by agents other than the state would cover
not only the role of the private sector but also the activities of NGOs. These
elements of civil society offer an alternative means of channeling the energies of
private citizens. They can be helpful in identifying peoples interests, mobilizing
public opinion in support of these interests and organizing action accordingly.
Being close to their constituents, NGOs can provide governments with a useful
ally in enhancing participation at the community level and fostering a bottom-up
approach to economic and social development.
3. Predictability
Predictability refers to the existence of laws, regulations and policies to
regulate society; and their fair and consistent application. The importance of
predictability cannot be overstated since, without it, the orderly existence of
citizens and institutions would be impossible. The rule of law encompasses both
well-defined rights and duties, as well as mechanisms for enforcing them, and
settling disputes in an impartial manner. It requires the state and its subsidiary
agencies to be as much bound by and answerable to, the legal system as are
private individuals and enterprises.

The importance of rules-based systems for economic life is obvious. They

are essential component of the environment within which economic actors plan
and take investment decisions. To the extent, therefore, that legal frameworks

help ensure that 1. business risks can be assessed rationally, 2. transaction

costs are lowered and 3 governmental arbitrariness is minimized, they should
prove conducive to risk taking, growth and development. In an opposite
scenario, the capricious application of rules generates uncertainty and inhibits
the growth of private sector initiatives. Regulatory uncertainty also tends to raise
the cost of capital by increasing the risk of investment.
Besides legal and regulatory frameworks, consistency of public policy is
also important. Government policies affect the investment climate directly and
economic actors require reasonable assurance about the future behavior of key
variables such as prices, the exchange rates, and the employment levels.
However, consistency does not mean rigidity. Governments do need to respond
flexibly to changing circumstances and to make midcourse corrections as
necessary. Also when governments change, the successor administration will,
understandably, want public policy to reflect its priorities, rather those of its
predecessor.
4. Transparency
Transparency refers to the availability of information to the general public
and clarity about government rules, regulations and decisions. Thus, it both
complements and reinforces predictability. The difficulty with ensuring
transparency is that only the generator of information may know about it, and
may limit access to it. Hence, it maybe useful to strengthen the citizens right for
information with a degree of legal enforceability, for similar reasons. Broadly
restrictive laws that permit public officials to deny information to citizens need to
provide for independent review of claims that such denial is justified in the
greater public interest.
Transparency in government decision making and public policy
implementation reduces uncertainty and can help inhibit corruption among public
official. To this end, rules and procedures that are simple, straightforward, and
easy to apply are preferable to those that provide discretionary powers to
government officials or that are susceptible to different interpretations.
In relation to the above-mentioned indicators/elements of good governance the
Key Dimensions and specific areas of actions are identified by ADB as provided on

Table 2
Basic Elements of Good Governance
Key Dimensions
Basic Elements of
Specific Areas of
Good Governance
Action
1. Accountability means
Establishing criteria to
Public Sector
making public officials
measure performance of Management
answerable for
public officials
Public Enterprise
government behavior and Institutionalizing
Management
responsive to the entity
mechanisms to ensure
Public Financial
from which they derive
that standards are met
management
Civil Service Reform
authority
2. Participation refers to Undertaking development Participation of
enhancing peoples
for and by the people
beneficiaries and affected
access to and influence
groups
on public policy
Interface between
processes
government and the
private sector
Decentralization of public
and service delivery
functions (empowerment
of Local Governments)
Cooperation with NonGovernment
Organizations
3. Predictability refers to Establishing and
Law and development
the existence of laws,
sustaining appropriate
Legal Frameworks for
regulations and policies
legal and institutional
Private Sector
to regulate society and
arrangements
Development
the fair and consistent
Observing and upholding
application of these
the rule of law
Maintaining consistency
of public policies
4. Transparency refers to Ensuring access to
Disclosure of Information
the availability of
accurate and timely
Information to the general information about the
public and clear
economy and
government rules,
government policies
regulations, and
decisions
Source: Asian Development Bank (2005) Country Governance Assessment

Institute On Governance Five Principles of Good Governance

The Five Good Governance Principles (See the reader volume for the discussions)
The UNDP Principles and related UNDP text on which they are based
The Institute on Governance has identified five principles of governance, using as basis
the UNDPs indicators of good governance.
1. Legitimacy and Voice
Participation all men and women should have a voice in decision-making, either
directly or through legitimate intermediate institutions that represent their intention. Such
broad participation is built on freedom of association and speech, as well as capacities
to participate constructively.
Consensus orientation good governance mediates differing interests to reach a broad
consensus on what is in the best interest of the group and, where possible, on policies
and procedures.
2. Direction
Strategic vision leaders and the public have a broad and long-term perspective on
good governance and human development, along with a sense of what is needed for
such development. There is also an understanding of the historical, cultural and social
complexities in which that perspective is grounded.
3. Performance
Responsiveness institutions and processes try to serve all stakeholders.
Effectiveness and efficiency processes and institutions produce results that meet
needs while making the best use of resources.

4. Accountability
Accountability decision-makers in government, the private sector and civil society
organizations are accountable to the public, as well as to institutional stakeholders. This
accountability differs depending on the organizations and whether the decision is
internal or external.
Transparency transparency is built on the free flow of information. Processes,
institutions and information are directly accessible to those concerned with them, and
enough information is provided to understand and monitor them.

5.Fairness
Equity all men and women have opportunities to improve or maintain their well being.
Rule of Law legal frameworks should be fair and enforced impartially, particularly the
laws on human rights.
As reflected on the discussions above, the different institutions and organizations
have their own indicators or criteria of good governance which they can apply in their
own organizations or as useful tool of government as measures in good governance.

Evaluation

Critical Thinking Assessment

Essay
1.) Give your own definition of good governance.
2.) Describe each characteristics of good governance. You may cite examples of an entity that shows
Product-based assessment on the Collage
The students output will be assessed in terms of the following criteria:
- content-relatedness 30%
- creativity
-organization
-neatness
-teamwork
Total

20%
15%
15%
20%
100%

Lesson 4
Issues & Challenges on Governance
Specific Objectives
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
1.) Describe the processes/factors pushing for governance and the capacities needed
for good governance;
2.) Highlight some of the key issues facing policy makers as they seek to advance the
growth and adoption of good governance in their domestic environment;
3.) Identify the key issues and questions where collaboration and cooperation are
needed;
4.) Cite the different problems, challenges and issues encountered by the different
actors in governance e.g the issue on corruption and the efforts to fight it at the
supranational level.
5.) Discuss the trends, efforts and challenges for good governance; and
6.) Identify the lessons learned and recommend solutions to realize good governance.

PEDAGOGICAL ACTIVITIES
Panel Discussion
The students are required to formulate their own ideas/perspectives on the
issues on governance. After which, a question and answer portion is allotted to give
light to issues regarding the topic and the teacher gives his/her synthesis at the end of
lesson.
Survey/ Interview
Interview any stakeholder in governance and ask the issues and challenges that
they encounter in any particular governance efforts like policy formulation and
implementation, advocacy, technical assistance etc. The data and information will be
used in the FGD to be conducted inside the classroom.

Meta-Planning /Technology of Participation (TOP Method)

The students will be given the following focused questions:
1.
What are the issues and challenges that confronts the different key players of
governance today?
2.
What recommendations can you give to address these problems, issues and
challenges?
The students will write, in bold letters their answers on a meta-card with a
maximum of 8 words. After which the group leader collects each meta-cards from
the members and together they will cluster the answer and give corresponding
labels.

Lecture Discussion
The teacher requests the posting of results on the blackboard. Then he/she reads
the sentences formulated and makes pertinent comments.
Other Suggested Exercises and Activities
The following activities are lifted form The Social Artist's Field Handbook: Book
One of Dr. Jean Houston & Jan Sanders (2004). The teacher may opt to use this
exercises inside the class to facilitate creative and collaborative learning.
The teacher is advised to read about the trim tab factor and its parts namely:
chaos theory, trim tab, tipping point & keystone specie. This is to understand what each
part mean and in so doing, be able to apply to principles in real situation.
The Trim Tab Factor
Chaos Theory
7

In 1977, Ilya Prigogine won the Nobel Prize for his articulation of the
Chaos Theory which simply stated, is that, as a structure takes in more chaos
and information, eventually a new order of synthesis can, and will, emerge. One
needs to watch for the bifurcation point in an open system, often a place of quiet,
a still point, or a vortex in which a higher level of synthesis can emerge. This is a
choice moment. It would be like knowing the moment was right for doing
development differently
Chaotic situations make us uncomfortable. They involve the unknown;
they can be dangerous; only the nave, the idealistic, and the inexperienced
7

The activities above were introduced by Dr. Jean Houston, founder and program director of the International
Institute of Social Artistry during the trainors training on Decentralizing the Millennium Development Goals
Through Innovative Leadership: Using the Social Artistry

in an ordered society. Therefore embracing chaos requires conscious shift in our

relationship to instability. Embracing chaos does not mean abandonment to a
willingness to support and promote all unknown factors or reckless conditions.
The Chaos theory requires a critical and balanced discernment of the social
situation in order to recognize when chaotic conditions are actually in the process
of giving rise to an emerging social order. Like plants emerging from the soil, a
new social era does not spring forth spontaneously, suddenly, without having
established a foundation over a period of time. Being able to sense the still
point, to see the seeds, the emerging social trends, is, in itself, a social art. The
system transition point makes conditions optimal for trim tab projects

The Trim Tab

The Trim Tab Factor metaphor emerged from the fact that on the back of
the rudder of a huge ship there is much smaller rudder called trim tab. By
moving the trim tab rudder even slightly, the larger rudder is gradually moved,
which in turn changes the direction of the massive ship. This metaphor was
applied by Bukminster Fuller to the challenge of turning massive civilizations in a
more positive direction. The social artist can use this metaphor persuasively
when trying to help organizations change.
Under certain conditions, when a system is far from the equilibrium,
creative individuals can have an enormous impact, says Margaret Wheatley.
The initiatives, the projects of creative individuals, in chaotic circumstances, have
the leveraged effect of a ships trim tab, in bringing forth the emerging social era.
These initiatives may be in any area of society, culturally or financially unfeasible.
They typically involve a disenfranchised segment of the population. The
Grameen bank is a high profile example of a trim tab project; begun in 1976 in
Bangladesh by Muhammad Yunus, it loans funds to over two million customers,
st
94% of them women. In the 21 century, we see innovative initiatives involving
women, youth, community, education, culture and ecology.
The Tipping Point
This is an image from biology and physics. In his bestseller, The Tipping Point,
Malcolm Gladwell points to the epidemic nature of social problems, from teenage delinquency to traffic jams. He demonstrates that they are capable of
spontaneous and often very large and surprising reversals in direction. You can
input a lot of effort over a lot of years in behalf of something and nothing much
happens. Then you have some activity or intervention at the right moment and
swooping changes occur, affecting many other systems. This happens in
bacterial diseases which reach a point of overwhelming the immune system in
one last exponential multiplication or in a wave as it tips over to turn a ripple on
the surface of the water into a thundering wall that crashes onto the beach. The
tipping point is the moment of transformation from one form to another entity.

Although the drama seems spontaneous, such as a seed emerging through the
ground, these transformations are actually the predictable results of previous

inputs, perhaps directed positively by trim tab projects.

Keystone Species
The Keystone Species are the anchors of the new society. Certain
organizations or activities are necessary for the existence of many other activities
or organizations. A keystone species is a species whose very presence
contributes to a diversity of life forms and its extinction would consequently lead
to the extinction of many other forms of life. In the semi-fragile prairie
ecosystem, a colony of prairie dogs is a keystone species which support some
two hundred other species. In meeting the MDG for example, supporting
strategic organizations and activities can provide a stable environment for many
associated initiatives which depend upon them to thrive.
GUIDE QUESTIONS FOR ACTION PLANNING EXERCISE
1. What is the current chaos around governance?
2. What is the keystone species?
3. What tipping point can we foresee?
4. What Trim Tab initiative would be most catalytic to realize the vision
on good governance?
5. What is the role of each sector in the Trim Tab?
6. What is my role in the Trim Tab?
VALUES TO CONSIDER IN SELECTING A TRIM TAB PROJECT:
1. Fosters Multi-Sectoral Partnerships
2. Fosters Multi-Cultural Partnerships
3. Use Social Artistry Leadership
4. Use a Decentralized Approaches Involving Sub-National Levels of
Government
5. Demonstrates or supports the National Action Plan
Lesson Proper
FACTORS/PROCESSES PUSHING FOR GOVERNANCE
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) identified several factors/processes pushing for
governance, good governance, in particular. These are:
1.
2.
3.
4.

the quest for growth and development

the environmental movement
globalization
consolidation

1. The Quest for Growth & Development

This is the key factor pushing for governance. Since the Industrial Revolution,
the market had the principle role in growth, with the state needed only to nurture the
climate that would allow it to grow. However, the quarter century after World War II
swung the pendulum to the state. In the West, John Maynard Keynes gave
theoretical justification for the state to manipulate price signals and fight
unemployment and business downswings. Meanwhile, the socialist states installed
and consolidated central planning systems.
In the Third World, the state also reigned supreme as the principal planner,
energizer, promoter and director of the accelerated development effort (Lewis,
1964:26). In the attempt to assume a central role in planning for the whole economy
and society but also to create its own enterprises. However, at its best, the state
had to saddle these economic institutions with social functions, making it difficult to
compete on equal terms in the economy. At the extreme, elite control of the
enterprises or of the state itself made them subject to rent seeking and corruption,
leading to losses that were shouldered not by those responsible for them, but all
taxpayers in a country. In many states where the taxation system was regressive,
the losses were borne primarily by the poor.
Thus, a quarter century of the interventionists state saw a widespread
dissatisfaction about it from all fronts. In the First World, the trigger was the
burgeoning welfare bill, in the Second World, the failure of state planning symbolized
by the collapse of the Soviet Union, and in the Third World, the inability of states,
even when achieving some economic prosperity, to check growth of inequality and
poverty in their territories. Governmental rent seeking, inefficiency and corruption
led the demands for privatization, which pushed the state away from its central role.
However, the private sector by itself could not consider the distributional questions
that led to the rethinking of development as economic growth in the first place.
The inability of economic gains to produce acceptable levels or redistribution,
poverty reduction and political freedoms woke up civil society. But they could
criticize government and set up alternative delivery systems but could not provide
nationwide coverage. Similarly, they decried the private sweatshops but could not
set up the industries to take their place. Clearly, no one sector could manage
society by itself but each had a role to play in making it move forward.
2. The Environmental Movement
The concept of development has changed from the exclusive focus on
economic growth of the 1950s to the inclusion of distributional goals like the
reduction of poverty and inequality during the UN Development Decades, to the
current battle cry for sustainable human development. Although SHD as a term
is espoused primarily by the United Nations, its incorporation of concerns for

people and nature not only for the present but also for later generations is now
widely accepted by state, market and civil society worldwide. People-

centeredness as an aspect of development recognized that growth alone may

affect human lives adversely. Therefore the concern for people must be central
and not just be a by-product or a trickling down of economic achievement. The
incorporation of nature into the equation owes much to the environmental
movement which brought home the point that everyone is indeed only one
planet, and the depletion of resources in one area is felt in a real way in all areas.
There is no dichotomy between people and nature, however, because the
preservation of the environment is itself a pledge to care for generations of
people yet unborn who must also be allowed to enjoy and care for the biodiversity, beauty and wealth of the planet as a proper habitat for all creation.
The environmental movement has provided to governance an urgency to
deal with issues in a holistic manner, to include not only the sector at hand and
the obvious stakeholders, but also other affected by them in other areas and in
8
future times . It has forced a redefinition of the public interest with nature itself
as a recognized stakeholder. It has pressured private firms to consider
ecological effects of their products-even goods as useful and popular as cars
have come under close scrutiny for their lead emissions, for their greedy use of
non-replaceable fuels, for the noise and traffic they cause that debase the quality
of these aspects, and firms both for profit and non-profit to race for alternative,
ecologically acceptable solutions. The state has also been pressed to consider
new regulatory laws and deregulation of the economy. If nothing else, the
ecological movement has underscored the point that no one sector can manage
the demands of society- and the environment- all by itself.

The Environmental
diverse scientific, social, and political movement. In general terms, environmentalists advocate the su
management of resources, and the restoration and protection of the natural environment through changes

3. Globalization
The global context

The transformation from command to market-oriented economies, the

emergence of democratic political regimes in the former Soviet Union, the rapid
development and global proliferation of new technologies, the pervasive spread of
telecommunications systems, the growing importance of knowledge-based industries
and skills and the continuing integration of the world economy through trade and
investment - all these have created the foundation for a new age of sustainable human
development. But all carry risks as well. Is it to be a breakthrough or a breakdown?
Changes in the world's economic, political and social systems have indeed
brought unprecedented improvements in human living conditions in both developed and
developing countries. Consider the profound breakthroughs in communications,
transport, agriculture, medicine, genetic engineering, computerization, environmentally
friendly energy systems, political structures, peace settlements. The list goes on.
But these changes also bring new uncertainties and challenges as the world
steps into the 21st century. Signs of breakdown are everywhere: disintegration of
families; destruction of indigenous societies; degradation and annihilation of plant and
animal life; pollution of rivers, oceans and the atmosphere; crime, alienation and
substance abuse; higher unemployment; and a widening gap in incomes and
capabilities. Not a pretty picture.
The trend towards globalization deserves special attention. It is manifest in the
growth of regional blocs that cooperate in such areas as trade and legal frameworks, in
the power of intergovernmental bodies such as the World Trade Organization and in the
spread of transnational corporations. Globalization has profound implications for

The discussion on Globalization is elaborated in the World Economic Outlook, International

Monetary Fund, Washington D.C., May 2000 and in
www.imf.org/external/np/exr/ib/2000/041200.htm

governance the final impact of which we cannot yet determine. First is the increasing
marginalization of certain population groups. Those who do not have access to the
technological/information revolution are in danger of becoming part of a structural
underclass. Second is the erosion of state sovereignty as transnational bodies
increasingly mediate national concerns and press for universal laws. Third is the
increased globalization of social and economic problems, such as crime, narcotics,
infectious diseases and the migration of labour. Finally, international capital and trade
are decreasingly accountable to sovereign states.
Governance can no longer be considered a closed system. The state's task is to
find a balance between taking advantage of globalization and providing a secure and
stable social and economic domestic environment, particularly for the most vulnerable.
Globalization is also placing governments under greater scrutiny, leading to improved
state conduct and more responsible economic policies.
Because each domain of governance - state, private sector, civil society - has
strengths and weaknesses, the pursuit of good governance requires greater interaction
among the three to define the right balance among them for sustainable peoplecentered development. Given that change is continuous, the ability for the three
domains to continuously interact and adjust must be built-in, thus allowing for long-term
stability. UNDP's Initiatives for Change recognizes that the relationships among
government, civil society and the private sector:
..are key determinants in whether a nation is able to create and sustain equitable
opportunities for all of its people. If a government does not function efficiently and
effectively, scarce resources will be wasted. If it does not have legitimacy in the eyes of
the people, it will not be able to achieve its goals or theirs. If it is unable to build national
consensus around these objectives, no external assistance can help bring them about. If it
is unable to foster a strong social fabric, the society risks disintegration and chaos.
Equally important, if people are not empowered to take responsibility for their own
development within an enabling framework provided by government, development will
not be sustainable.
Developing countries must ensure that everyone can participate in economic and
social development and take advantage of globalization. They must build a political
system that encourages government, political, business and civic leaders to articulate
and pursue objectives that are centered around people and a system that promotes
public consensus on these objectives.
The term "globalization" has acquired considerable emotive force. Some view it
as a process that is beneficiala key to future world economic developmentand also
inevitable and irreversible. Others regard it with hostility, even fear, believing that it
increases inequality within and between nations, threatens employment and living
standards and thwarts social progress. This brief offers an overview of some aspects of

globalization and aims to identify ways in which countries can tap the gains of this
process, while remaining realistic about its potential and its risks.

Globalization offers extensive opportunities for truly worldwide development but it

is not progressing evenly. Some countries are becoming integrated into the global
economy more quickly than others. Countries that have been able to integrate are
seeing faster growth and reduced poverty. Outward-oriented policies brought dynamism
and greater prosperity to much of East Asia, transforming it from one of the poorest
areas of the world 40 years ago. And as living standards rose, it became possible to
make progress on democracy and economic issues such as the environment and work
standards.
Undersecretary Luis C. Liwanag of DBM highlighted that one of the greatest
9
challenges that is confronted in any development efforts today is globalization .
Globalization has been criticized for having a lopsided inclination towards rich and
developed countries. It has also been said that globalization impinges on nation-states
sovereignty and territory since the dominant players weaken the power and influence of
individual nation-states, particularly the Third World Countries and those that are not
linked to the regional trading blocs. With globalization, we are bounded by foreign
economic policies and by agreements between member nations.
Economic "globalization" is a historical process, the result of human innovation
and technological progress. It refers to the increasing integration of economies around
the world, particularly through trade and financial flows. The term sometimes also refers
to the movement of people (labor) and knowledge (technology) across international
borders. There are also broader cultural, political and environmental dimensions of
globalization that are not covered here.
At its most basic, there is nothing mysterious about globalization. The term has
come into common usage since the 1980s, reflecting technological advances that have
made it easier and quicker to complete international transactionsboth trade and
financial flows. It refers to an extension beyond national borders of the same market
forces that have operated for centuries at all levels of human economic activityvillage
markets, urban industries, or financial centers.
Markets promote efficiency through competition and the division of laborthe
specialization that allows people and economies to focus on what they do best. Global
markets offer greater opportunity for people to tap into more and larger markets around
the world. It means that they can have access to more capital flows, technology,
cheaper imports, and larger export markets. But markets do not necessarily ensure that
the benefits of increased efficiency are shared by all. Countries must be prepared to
embrace the policies needed, and in the case of the poorest countries may need the
support of the international community as they do so.
As globalization has progressed, living conditions (particularly when measured by
broader indicators of well being) have improved significantly in virtually all countries.

This was presented by Undersecretary Luis Liwanag in his paper presentation entitled The Role of Public
Administration in Governance on the National Conference on Public Administration and the Millennium
Development Goals in October 2004.

However, the strongest gains have been made by the advanced countries and only
some of the developing countries.
That the income gap between high-income and low-income countries has grown
wider is a matter for concern. And the number of the worlds citizens in abject poverty is
deeply disturbing. But it is wrong to jump to the conclusion that globalization has caused
the divergence, or that nothing can be done to improve the situation. To the contrary:
low-income countries have not been able to integrate with the global economy as
quickly as others, partly because of their chosen policies and partly because of factors
outside their control. No country, least of all the poorest, can afford to remain isolated
from the world economy. Every country should seek to reduce poverty. The international
community should endeavorby strengthening the international financial system,
through trade, and through aidto help the poorest countries integrate into the world
economy, grow more rapidly, and reduce poverty. That is the way to ensure all people
in all countries have access to the benefits of globalization.
Sources: www.imf.org/external/np/exr/ib/2000/041200.htm

4. Consolidating Peace
Another force pressing for governance is the need to consolidate peace in wartorn nations. This issue is rarely recognized as among the processes pushing for
governance. However, this unique perspective was brought to the force dramatically by
Hage Geingob, Prime Minister of Namibia, in his remarks to the World Cog. Countries
that have undergone a civil war, secession movements or the creation of a new state
out of the break-up of national territories have a specially strong imperative to get
everyone involved in the process of building a nation or affecting a national
reconciliation. In these situations, the coming together of the state, market and civil
society to manage societal affairs is not more rhetoric but a national urgency. It
requires bringing together former adversaries beyond the discussion table to the fields
of service in the cities and farms including those which were battlegrounds. This is not
only a lesson learned in Namibia.
In a recent study in Mali, Uganda, Thailand, Guatemala and the Philippines, as
countries emerging from internal conflict, all found governance particularly,
decentralizing governance-was necessary to make concrete the commitments of all
protagonists for peace. It entailed capacity building not only for state agencies in
dealing with former rebels, but also leadership and political skills training for those
former combatants so that they may take up social responsibilities side by side with
their military and civilian counterparts.

It required the private sector to regard them with new eyes, as potential
producers and consumers and therefore part of the market also (UNDP, 2000:25-34)
They were acknowledged as members of civil society even as other organizations of

that sector also recognized their role in affecting changes in governance for all and not
only for former adversaries. As Prime Minister Geingob stated, the tasks of nation
building must be seen by all as their responsibility and the resulting peace and
development their common ownership.

KEY ISSUES and CHALLENGES IN GOVERNANCE

The Philippine Experience
1.

Policy Issues, Concerns, and Challenges

10

Most people agree that the constitutional and legal frameworks in the Philippines
provide the foundations for good governance. The policy environment allows peoples
participation and public scrutiny and criticism of government operations and outputs.
Further, the country has adequate laws, rules, and regulations to establish order and
move forward. While underdevelopment can easily be attributed to a lack of institutional
capacity and professional competencies to implement policies and enforce laws, certain
lessons learned and issues related to public policy making deserve mention. The
Philippine public policy-making process bears the following features: (i) policy decisions
and programs are arrived at through institutional mechanisms provided for in the
Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines and other laws; (ii) policy-making process
is then characterized as precedent bound, based on laws and forged by such structures
as a bicameral legislative body and the executive branch of the
Government; (iii) legislative branch is composed of the Senate and the House of
Representatives, while the president heads the executive branch of the Government
and is the prime initiator and implementer of policies and programs; and (iv) the
decisions of the legislative and executive branches are subject to judicial review by the
Supreme Court and inferior courts on questions of constitutionality and statutory
construction.
Different sets of forces each influence the different stages of public policy making,
namely, decisions on (i) including items in the agenda, (ii) developing any particular
agenda item, (iii) passing legislation, and (iv) implementing new laws. Different
constituencies exert their influences at different stages of policy development and
execution. Many policies have nonetheless missed out in giving importance to
meaningful public consultations, constructive debate and criticism, and needed
consensus building and development of a sense of ownership of different stakeholders.
Without these elements, and with extensive graft and corruption in the country (which
undermines and subverts the rule of law), many policies fail to command respect and
compliance.
It should also be made clear that policy initiatives for governance reforms could be
undertaken by the Government even without legislation. In these cases, one might

consider whether legislation is useful or not. The value of legislation is that it binds
public institutions to certain decreed directions. If one wants to assure the future
10

An excerpt from Country Governance Assessment, (2005)

sustenance of any initiative currently carried out by the Government, legislation may be
considered. However, the Government tends to be too legalistic and rule bound in
addressing most of its problems.
Legislation is complicated, not under the complete control of any person or group,
and may have unpredictable results. Embarking on a campaign to get something
legislated cannot be a decision taken lightly or casually. In addition, successful
legislation generally occurs when the problems deemed important meet the solutions
deemed highly probable by political personalities or groups in positions of power.
Problems, policies, and politicians have to intersect for proper action to occur.
Legislation as an instrument for achieving desirable societal goals and institutionalizing
reforms is advisable when the underlying assumptions of policies have any or all of the
following characteristics:
(i) policies can only be optimally effective when adopted by the whole Government and
supported by stakeholders;
(ii) policies can yield best results only when implemented over the life of several
administrations;
(iii) policies can be accomplished only with adequate and judicious use of resources;
(iv)
policies can be accomplished by the Governments applying cost-effective
measures and using available technology and resources;
(v)policies, when deliberated and agreed, would create a framework for many people and
groups to assume broader responsibilities on an institutional basis.
A policy needs to be very clear and specific about the:
(i) nature and magnitude of the problem being addressed;
(ii)basic mechanism for responding to the problem;
(iii) standards and provisions for making the mechanism work;
(iv)
system of responsibilities and accountabilities for coordination, implementation,
control, and review of results; and
(v)organizational and budgetary implications.
These elements are often deficient in many public policies. It is common to have layers
of rules and regulations to clarify policy provisions, not to mention sets of procedures to
inform and guide implementers and stakeholders.

Some policy initiatives may not be ready to be pursued because the data and
analysis necessary to make a decision may be unavailable. In these cases, research is
probably more appropriate than formulating a new policy or draft legislation. Some
policies are haphazardly and hastily developed and scarcely take into account
deliberate and careful planning and effective use of objective and accurate information.
Public policy making in the Philippines boldly underscores the need to improve its
capacities in undertaking knowledge-based policy analysis and development.
Access to timely and correct information about public policies also precludes
overall efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity. Those who are affected may
sometimes be unaware of or improperly informed about their rights, duties, and
responsibilities provided for in relevant policies.
2. Problems in the Bureaucracy
Bureaucracy is a distinctive arrangement used by human beings to organize their
activities. The invention of Western bureaucracy several centuries ago helped solve the
problem for leaders of governing human systems that grew larger and more
complicated with each passing year. The great virtue and probably defining
characteristic of bureaucracy, according to the one of the founders of sociology,
German Max Weber (1864-1920), is as an institutional method for applying general
rules to specific cases, thereby making the actions of government fair and predictable
However, in the governance process, there are two problems in a bureaucratic type of
government: inefficiency and arbitrariness.
For nearly half a century, the Philippines was caught in an endless cycle of
reform exercises that hardly produced tangible and lasting results. Structural issues
such as (i) duplicated functions and overlapped jurisdictions, (ii) outdated and slow
government procedures, (iii) various loopholes in administrative procedures, and (iv)
limited capacity for policy analysis and strategic long-range planning that caused delays
and higher costs in handling businessmade maintaining objectivity, accountability,
and transparency in decision making and government operations difficult and gave rise
to a host of other problems, including poor implementation and coordination. (ADB,
2005).
As reflected in the Country Governance Assessment, (2004) Administrative
reform efforts in the Philippines did not fully succeed because of the following:
(1.) lack of acceptance of and commitment to the need for reform by political authorities
and different affected entities;
(2.) lack of stakeholder appreciation and agreement concerning administrative reform
being a long, strategic, and continuous process;
(3.) lack of understanding that reform objectives are specific, measurable, realistic, and
time bound;

(4.) lack of good reform implementation strategies and adequate resources to carry
them out;

(5.) lack of an established central agency tasked with formulating, coordinating, and
monitoring reforms and providing corrective measures; (6.) lack of reform procedures
and regulations that are fairly and consistently applied;
(7.) lack of meaningful stakeholder participation in the entire reform process;
(8.) lack of strong and sustained support of political leaders;
(9.) lack of an established and enforced system of accountabilities; and
(10.) lack of safety nets for groups and individuals who may be disenfranchised by
interventions.
In the Common country Assessment of the Philippines (2004), an inefficient
11
bureaucracy is one of the major problems and an area for development cooperation .
Past Philippine administrations have carried out reorganization and reengineering
schemes for the bureaucracy, in an effort to improve efficiency and reduce corruption.
Studies about Philippine civil service system point to several deficiencies include:
(1.) Weak mechanisms for planning, agenda setting and policy-making;
(2) Failure to implement and maintain an appropriate performance management and
measurement system;
(3) Overlapping and duplicating government functions and activities;
(4.) Overemphasis on rules and procedures rather than direct resource
management towards the realization of intended outcomes and impacts;
(5.)
A highly politicized bureaucracy
(6.)
Lack of required managerial and technical expertise

2. 1. Corruption
Corruption damages the development process in many ways. It undermines
social confidence in the willingness and capacity of public institutions to fulfill their
obligations to the people and it reinforces existing power relationships that are
themselves typically part of the development problem. Losses due to corruption deepen
poverty as they deprive the disadvantaged sectors of much needed programmes and
environmental stewardship. Incidences of bribery and graft are often front page news,

11

The Common Country Assessment (CCA) is an in-depth analysis of the development problems in the
Philippines, undertaken through a participatory process of consultations among United Nations agencies,
its development partners both in the government and civil society, and with other donor agencies in the
country. It builds upon the programme of reform launched by the UN Secretary-General in 1997,
preparing the UN for the challenges of the 21st century and emphasizing its mandate in developing
standards and goals arising from UN conventions and global conferences. In particular, the CCA was
driven by the principles and goals of the Millennium Declaration, especially the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs). It also builds on the development objectives of the Government of the
Philippines, articulated in its Medium Term Development Plan as well as commitments made in the
context of international conventions, conferences and protocols

leading the public to perceive them as the norm rather than the exception in government
transactions, further reducing the incentive or willingness to increase taxpayer
compliance.
The Government has recently introduced affirmative actions toward addressing
this problem such as the passage of the Procurement Act, the implementation of
lifestyle check among government officials, and the reactivation of the Inter-Agency AntiCorruption Committee (IAGCC) to synchronize the various anti-corruption initiatives of
the national government. Despite these efforts, large scale and petty corruption is
pervasive throughout various levels of the Philippine government. The draft report of
the Consultations on the UN Conference on Financing for Development cited that out
of a total national budget of Php 781 billion in 2001, PhP100 billion, or 13% was at risk
of being lost to corruption; 70% involved in public works contracts while 30% involved
the purchase of supplies and equipment. The Office of the Ombudsman estimated that
a total of USD48 billion was lost to graft and corruption over the past 20 years, and that
only 60% of the national budget was actually spent on government programmes and
projects.
Numerous laws addressing graft and corruption exist in the Philippines, and
these date back to 1955. At present, the main references are the Revised Penal Code
of 1960, referred to as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and Article XI of the
1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines. Box 1 presents a summary list of
related laws, presidential decrees and proclamations, and other regulations on
corruption prevention.
Box 1: List of Laws Related to Graft and Corruption
19461971
Republic Act (RA) 1379 (1955). This act declared forfeiture in favor of the state
any property found to have been unlawfully acquired by any public officer or
employee, and provided for the proceedings.
RA 3019 (1960). This act provided for the repression of certain acts of public
officers and private persons alike, which constitute graft or corrupt practices or
which may lead thereto, also known as Anti-Graft and Corruption Practices Act.
RA 6028 (1969). This act provided for the promotion of higher standards of
efficiency and justice in the administration of laws as well as to better secure the
right of the people to petition the government for redress of grievances, creating
the office of the citizens counselor.

19721986
Presidential Decree (PD) 6 (1972). This decree amended certain rules on
discipline of government officials and employees.
PD 46 (1972). This decree made it punishable for public officials and employees
to receive and for private persons to give gifts on any occasion, including
Christmas.
PD 677 (1975). This decree amended Section 7 of RA 3019 (as amended).

 PD 749 (1975). This decree granted immunity from prosecution to givers of

bribes and other gifts and to their accomplices in bribery and other graft cases
against public officers.
PD 807 (1975). This decree provided for the organization of the Civil Service
Commission, in accordance with provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of
the Philippines (repealed under President Aquinos administration).
PD 1606 (1978). This decree revised PD 1486 (creating a special court to be
known as Sandiganbayanthe main antigraft court that adjudicates criminal
cases brought to it by the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB); it deals only with
cases filed against high-ranking government officials.
1987Present
1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines. Article XI, Accountability of
Public Officers; Article II, Section 27 and Section 28 policy of the State to
maintain honesty and integrity in the public service and take positive and
effective measures against graft and corruption; and Article III, Section 7,
provides for the right of people to have access to public information.
1987 Administrative Code (Executive Order [EO] No. 292). This code instituted
the administrative code of the Philippines.
EO 243 (1987). This order created OMB and restated its composition, powers,
functions, and other salient features in the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of
the Philippines.
RA 6713 (1989). This act established a Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards
for Public Officials and Employees.
RA 6770 (1989). This act provided for the functional and structural organization
of OMB and delineated its powers and functions.

RA 7055 (1991). This act strengthened civilian supremacy over the military by
returning to the civil courts the jurisdiction over certain offenses involving
members of the armed forces, other persons subject to military law, and
members of the Philippine National Police.
RA 7080 (1991). This act defined and penalized the crime of plunder.
RA 8249 (1997). This act further defined the jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan,
amending PD 1606 (as amended).
Proclamation 189 (1999). This proclamation declared war against graft and
corruption and authorized the Philippine Jaycee Senate, through the Graft Free
Philippines Foundation, Inc., to institutionalize public awareness of clean,
efficient, and honest governance.
EO 317 (2000). This order prescribed a code of conduct for relatives and close
personal friends of presidents, vice-presidents, and members of the Cabinet.
EO 12 (2001). This order created the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission and
provided for its powers, duties, and functions and for other purposes to
investigate complaints or hear administrative cases filed against presidential
appointees.
EO 25 (2001). This order established The Governance Advisory Council to
encourage more active involvement of the business sector in curbing graft and
corruption.
Code of Corporate Governance (2002). This code further provided to actively
promote corporate governance reforms aimed to raise investor confidence,

develop capital market, and help achieve high sustained growth for the corporate
sector and the economy.
Code of Judicial Conduct (1989). This code provided for the appropriate conduct
of judges in performing their duties; otherwise known as the Code of Judicial
Conduct.
RA 9160 (2001). This act defined the crime of money laundering and provided for
the penalties of such act.
RA 9184 (2002). This act provided for the modernization, standardization, and
regulation of procurement activities of the Government, also known as the
Government Procurement Reform Act.
EO 38 (2001). This order reorganized and extended the life of the Special Task
Force created under EO 156 dated 7 October 1999 entitled "Creating a Special
Task Force to Review, Investigate and Gather Evidence Necessary to
Successfully Prosecute Irregularities Committed at the Bureau of Internal
Revenue, Bureau of Customs and Other Government Offices or Agencies Under
or Attached to the Department of Finance.
EO 40 (2001). This order consolidated procurement rules and procedures for all
national government agencies, government-owned or -controlled corporations,
and government financial institutions, and required the use of the Government
electronic procurement system.
EO 72 (2002). This order rationalized the agencies under or attached to the
Office of the President.
EO 109 (2002). This order streamlined the rules and procedures on the review
and approval of all contracts of departments, bureaus, offices, and agencies of
the Government including government-owned or controlled corporations and their
subsidiaries.
EO No. 114 (2002). This order restructured the Bureau of Internal Revenue
toward a Taxpayers Focused Organization.
EO No. 251 (2003) This order required the Bureau of Internal Revenue to furnish
OMB with income tax returns filed.
RA 9194 (2003). This act amended RA 9160 (Anti-Money Laundering Act).
Source: http://www.tag.org.ph/phillaw

Corruption is becoming global. Hence, anti corruption efforts also require a

global action. It is in this premise that the United Nation Convention Against Anti12
Corruption (UNCAC) is being pushed for ratification by UN member states . Dimitri
Vlassis (2006) in his discussions on UNCAC highlighted four elements of anti-corruption
which include:
Box 2

United Nations Convention on Anti-Corruption

I. Prevention
Corruption can be prosecuted after the fact, but first and foremost, it
12

requires

Dimitri Vlassis from The United Nations Office of Drugs & Crime with headquarters in Vienna
conducted a Trainors Training on UNCAC at the UP National College of Public Administration and
Governance on August 31-September 1, 2006 with the end in view of ratifying the UNCAC in the
Philippines. UNCAC is the first global instrument to fight corruption. In the Philippines however,
UNCAC has not yet been ratified. See the Reader Volume of Governance & Development for the full text
of the UNCAC.

prevention. An entire chapter of the Convention is dedicated to prevention, with

measures directed at both the public and private sectors. These include model
preventive policies, such as the establishment of anticorruption bodies and
enhanced transparency in the financing of election campaigns and political
parties. States must endeavor to ensure that their public services are subject to
safeguards that promote efficiency, transparency and recruitment based on
merit. Once recruited, public servants should be subject to codes of conduct,
requirements for financial and other disclosures, and appropriate disciplinary
measures. Transparency and accountability in matters of public finance must also
be promoted, and specific requirements are established for the prevention of
corruption, in the particularly critical areas of the public sector, such as the
judiciary and public procurement. Those who use public services must expect a
high standard of conduct from their public servants. Preventing public corruption
also requires an effort from all members of society at large. For these reasons,
the Convention calls on countries to promote actively the involvement of nongovernmental and community-based organizations, as well as other elements of
civil society, and to raise public awareness of corruption and what can be done
about it. Article 5 of the Convention enjoins each State Party to establish and
promote effective practices aimed at the prevention of corruption.
2. Criminalization
The Convention requires countries to establish criminal and other
offences to cover a wide range of acts of corruption, if these are not already
crimes under domestic law. In some cases, States are legally obliged to establish
offences; in other cases, in order to take into account differences in domestic
law, they are required to consider doing so. The Convention goes beyond
previous instruments of this kind, criminalizing not only basic forms of corruption
such as bribery and the embezzlement of public funds, but also trading in
influence and the concealment and laundering of the proceeds of corruption.
Offences committed in support of corruption, including money-laundering and
obstructing justice, are also dealt with. Convention offences also deal with the
problematic areas of private-sector corruption.
3. International cooperation
Countries agreed to cooperate with one another in every aspect of the
fight against corruption, including prevention, investigation, and the prosecution
of offenders. Countries are bound by the Convention to render specific forms of
mutual legal assistance in gathering and transferring evidence for use in court, to
extradite offenders. Countries are also required to undertake measures which will
support the tracing, freezing, seizure and confiscation of the proceeds of
corruption.
4. Asset recovery
In a major breakthrough, countries agreed on asset-recovery, which is
stated explicitly as a fundamental principle of the Convention. This is a
particularly important issue for many developing countries where high-level
corruption has plundered the national wealth, and where resources are badly

needed for reconstruction and the rehabilitation of societies under new

governments. Reaching agreement on this chapter has involved intensive
negotiations, as the needs of countries seeking the illicit assets had to be
reconciled with the legal and procedural safeguards of the countries whose
assistance is sought.
Several provisions specify how cooperation and assistance will be
rendered. In particular, in the case of embezzlement of public funds, the
confiscated property would be returned to the state requesting it; in the case of
proceeds of any other offence covered by the Convention, the property would be
returned providing the proof of ownership or recognition of the damage caused to
a requesting state; in all other cases, priority consideration would be given to the
return of confiscated property to the requesting state, to the return of such
property to the prior legitimate owners or to compensation of the victims.
Effective asset-recovery provisions will support the efforts of countries to
redress the worst effects of corruption while sending at the same time, a
message to corrupt officials that there will be no place to hide their illicit assets.
Accordingly, article 51 provides for the return of assets to countries of origin as a
fundamental principle of this Convention. Article 43 obliges state parties to
extend the widest possible cooperation to each other in the investigation and
prosecution of offences defined in the Convention. With regard to asset recovery
in particular, the article provides inter alia that "In matters of international
cooperation, whenever dual criminality is considered a requirement, it shall be
deemed fulfilled irrespective of whether the laws of the requested State Party
place the offence within the same category of offence or denominate the offence
by the same terminology as the requesting State Party, if the conduct underlying
the offence for which assistance is sought is a criminal offence under the laws of
both States Parties
and

The Convention also covers many critical issues related to corruption,

this
is
evident
in
some
of
its
provisions:

Article 5 stresses the importance of critical issues of transparency and

accountability
in
national
legal
systems.
Article 9 explicitly focuses on public procurement and calls upon public
authorities to take the necessary steps to establish appropriate systems of
procurement, based on transparency, competition and objective criteria in
decision-making, that are effective, inter alia, in preventing corruption.
Article 10 highlights the issue of secrecy in public administration and calls for
actions
to
secure
greater
freedom
of
information.
Article 11 calls upon Governments to safeguard the integrity and independence
of
the
judiciary
by
preventing
opportunities
for
bribery.
Article 12 expressly raises issues of corporate governance by calling for
strengthened regulatory and legal actions to curb private-sector corruption.
Article 14 hones in on anti-money laundering matters to boost prevention,
strengthen reporting and tighten regulation
of
financial
institutions.
Articles 15 and 16 bluntly decry the bribery of national and foreign government
officials
and
call
for
actions
to
stop
such
practice.
Article 33 underscores the need to protect people who report acts of corruption.

Article 43 stresses the need for international cooperation to curb corruption and
calls for strengthened actions.
Source: http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/crime_convention_corruption.html

3. Issue on Public Fiscal Management

Another issue on good governance is on public fiscal management. Prior

to government reform programmes, there were weaknesses and constraints in
fiscal management, especially in the budgeting process. Some of these
constraints are still lingering.
Recognizing the impact that the fiscal condition has on macroeconomic
stability, the government should continue to give priority to raising revenues and
improving the efficiency of the bureaucracy so that more and better quality public
service can be delivered.
Following the onset of the Asian financial crisis, the Philippines
governments deficit deteriorated quickly, mainly due to slippages in revenue
collection. The major causes of the decline include the following:
1.

Tax evasion and weakness in the tax structure.

2. The private corporate and banking sectors which are major contributors to
the national coffers were weighed down by nonperforming assets.
Box 3. Tax revenues
Tax revenues as a share of GDP, fell from 13.9 % in 2000 to 13.5% in 2001. About PhP150
billion is lost to tax evasion, PhP92 billion of which constitutes uncollected income tax. In
succeeding years, these translated into higher debt service payments, which along with the non
passage of important tax measures, created a vicious cycle of higher deficit and debt.
Recognizing the major causes of declining revenue collection, the government began in 2002 to
implement reforms in both the Bureau of Internal Revenue and Bureau of Customs. On the
expenditure side, expenditure reduction programs were also put in place, such as the Government
electronic Procurement System. Moreover, the passage of Dept Cap Act is expected to ease the
problem or rising interest payments.
Source: UNDP (2004) A Common View, A Common Journey, A Common Country Assessment of
the Philippines.
http://www.undp.org.ph/?link=6

4. Deficiencies in the Political and Electoral System

Public confidence in election outcomes is low because of widely alleged
irregularities in the Philippine electoral processes. The modernization of the electoral

system in the country today is an attempt to enhance public confidence in election

outcomes and address traditional election anomalies such as cheating, intimidation and
bribery. The government has initiated concrete efforts to institutionalize electoral
reforms through the passage of laws on Election Modernization (see appendix for the
full text of the Election Modernization Act or RA 8436), Party-List System and the
13
Absentee Voting for Overseas Filipinos . A democratic and effective political and
electoral system is important to ensure that a development agenda, primarily
addressing the needs of poor and disadvantaged, is promoted and sustained beyond
administrations. Civil society organizations are currently working with their government
counterparts of pending reform bills in Congress that also seek to address issues on
political dynasties, the continued practice of party turn-coatism and the diminution of the
electoral process into mere contests of personalities.

EVALUATION

Critical Thinking Assessment

The students are going to critique and analyze the differen

Aside from what is discussed, what do you think are other issues and challenges confrontin
What are current government initiatives and reforms are employed to combat these issu
What can you suggest to further improve the performance of govern

Product-Based /Performance Based Assessment on the ou

presentation of results and on the exercises on Social Artistry
Portfolio Assessment on the Concept Paper

13

Computerization of May 2004 elections was not implemented because of the court ruling.

References:
1. Eastern Regional Organization for Public Administration (EROPA) (2000), From
Government to Governance, Reflections on the 1999 World Conferences on
Governance.
2. Asian Development
Management.

Bank,

(2005),

Governance:

Sound

Development

3. United Nations Development Program (1997), Governance & Sustainable

Human Development. A UNDP Policy Document.
4. United Nations Development Programme 1997a Reconceptualizing
Governance. Discussion Paper 2. New York: Management Development and
Governance Division, Bureau of Policy and Programme Support, UNDP,
January.
5. Asian Development Bank (2005), Country Governance Assessment.
6. UNDP (2004) A Common View, A Common Journey, A Common Country
Assessment of the Philippines.
7. Ewalt, Jo Ann G. (2001). Theories of Governance & New Public Management:
Links to Understanding Welfare Policy Implementation. A Second Draft. A Paper
Presented at the Annual Conference of the American Society for Public
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8. United Nations Development Program & Economic & Social Commission for
Asia & the Pacific, (2003) Promoting the Millennium Development Goals in Asia
and the Pacific: Meeting the Challenges of Poverty Reduction; New York.
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on a Handbook on LGU-SPA Partnership; UP NCPAG.
10. Laura Edgar, et al (2006) Partnerships: Putting Good Governance Principles in
Practice. Institute on Governance (IOG)
11. Ma. Oliva Z. Domingo, Third Sector Governance: Meanings, Issues, and
Challenges in the Philippines, National College of Public Administration and
Governance, University of the Philippines.

12. Cario, Ledivina V. (ed.) 2002 Between the State and the Market: The
Nonprofit Sector and Civil Society in the Philippines. Quezon City: Center for
Leadership, Citizenship and Democracy, National College of Public
Administration and Governance, University of the Philippines, with the
assistance of the Ford Foundation.
13. Vlassis, Dimitri (2006) United Nations Convention against Corruption,
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Division for Treaty Affair. A Paper
Presented During the Trainors Training on UNCAC at the University of the
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14. Associations of Schools of Public Administration in the Philippines, (2004).
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Teaching and Capacity Building for Service Delivery.
15. http://magnet.undp.org/policy/
16. http://www.adb.org/Governance/gov_practices.asp .
17. http://www.unescap.org/huset/gg/governance.htm
18. .http://www.iog.ca/boardgovernance/html/gov
19. http://www.birmingham.gov.uk
20. http://www.adb.org/Governance/gov_practices.asp .
21. www.imf.org/external/np/exr/ib/2000/041200.htm