Gender and governance
Governance: concepts, goals and principles
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- 2.1What is governance
- 2.1.2Levels of governance
2. Governance: concepts, goals and principlesThis chapter provides a conceptual grounding for the notions of governance and effective or ‘good’ governance. It aims to create greater clarity around these knotty concepts in order to provide a strong starting point for the report. The aim of the chapter is not to over-simplify the concepts; it addresses the different ways in which governance and effective or ‘good’ governance have been interpreted by various agencies, showing how their own priorities shape these interpretations. It also shows how these different perspectives and emphases have evolved. Chapter three then goes on to present a gender analysis of the concepts, goals and principles of governance. 2.1What is governance?‘Most agree that the central component of governance is decision-making.’ (Institute on Governance website 2009) 2.1.1Definitions of governanceThe concept of governance is a ‘catch-all’ term for often ‘messy, unpredictable and fluid’ processes (Institute on Governance website 2009). It is a slippery term with multiple definitions, depending on the agency using the term or the context in which it is used. However, put simply, governance refers to decision-making by a range of interested people, or ‘stakeholders’,5 including those in formal positions of power and ‘ordinary’ citizens. These decisions have a huge impact on the ways in which women and men lead their lives, on the rules they are expected to abide by, and on the structures that determine where and how they work and live. In theory this means that multiple individuals and organisations – or stakeholders – are involved in strategic planning: ‘They articulate their interests, influence how decisions are made, who the decision-makers are and what decisions are taken’ (Institute on Governance website 2009; UNESCAP website 2009). Decision-makers are expected to be guided by this input, and accountable to the stakeholders for the decisions they make and the way they are implemented through the management of public affairs and public spending. The reality, however, is that not all stakeholders have the required power or leverage to influence decisions and hold decision-makers to account. This complexity is reflected in the different ways in which national and international agencies and institutions frame governance – what they see as the end-goals of governance. The World Bank and the Asian Development Bank emphasise efficiency of processes and resource management. By contrast, the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP’s) conceptualisation of governance builds on an understanding of governance rooted in social justice and rights – not referring to governance institutions as holders of power, but rather as enablers of equitable decision-making and accountability, and of greater citizen involvement (see UNDP 1997). In turn, CIVICUS (World Alliance for Citizen Participation) brings the focus round to citizens and the need for a participatory approach to governance which is ultimately about achieving equitable power-sharing in governance processes (see definitions below).
2.1.2Levels of governanceGovernance happens at five interconnected levels – the household,6 community,7 local8 and national government, and global institutions (Ashworth 1996). The institutions and actors involved in governance processes vary according to the level. For example, at the national level the institutions where governance happens include businesses, schools, hospitals, the military and the media, as well as the government. At the local level, governance takes place not only in local government offices but also in community and household decision-making processes. At a global level, governance is less easy to locate in particular institutions, but the term ‘global governance’ is often used to describe the complex processes of management, and the frameworks and rules through which international social and economic policy is coordinated and regulated (Grugel and Piper 2007: 3). The global sphere includes multinational corporations as well as international institutions such as the UN agencies and WTO. From a gender perspective, the inclusion of the household, or ‘family’, as well as communities as institutions of governance is essential – this is where many gender inequalities are acted out, shaped by decisions made at international, national and local levels that define rights and responsibilities. Directory: reports reports -> Charter School Enrollment Data Annual Report reports -> Request for Proposal [insert date] reports -> Government of India Ministry of Communication and it department of Telecommunications reports -> Government of India Ministry of Communication and it department of Telecommunications reports -> 1. 2 Authority 1 3 Planning Area 1 reports -> Pricing Closing Price $3,578 (June 22) 52-Wk High $3,825 52-Wk Low $2,982 Market Data reports -> Work performed under agreement reports -> Comet Aircraft – The Worlds First Jet Airliner Fatigue Failure Background reports -> Management and functional review ministry of transport and aviation Download 443.95 Kb. Share with your friends:
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