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Contextual factors
relevant to governance programmes Several contextual
characteristics may affect which types of governance programmes are more or
less important - and more or less likely to have an impact:
·
The
economy: its base, growth and type; financial dependence on external
resources, including aid and debt; and degree of integration with the global
economy. ·
Human
capacities and sustainability. ·
Natural
resource base and trends in the environment. ·
Cultural,
religious and ethnic diversity and structures, conflict or polarisation and
internal means of resolving conflict. ·
Indigenous
values, networks and knowledge. The manifestations and mix of
these factors vary greatly among and within regions. For example, in many
countries in Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America public sector and market
reforms have created conditions for high growth and expanded opportunities. Even
so, some people are becoming increasingly marginalised. Sub-Saharan Africa,
by contrast, remains saddled with huge debt, economic stagnation and rapid
population growth, causing overexploitation of the natural resource base. Reforms
are being undertaken at a time when official development assistance has
leveled off and the benefits of globalisation have largely bypassed the
region. The success of governance
programmes and projects greatly depends on the way they are designed and
implemented. The underlying principles of UNDP’s implementation strategy are
finding suitable entry points and partners for policy dialogue; responding
quickly to national needs while keeping a long-term view; creating
opportunities for government, the private sector and civil society to
interact to achieve policy and programme consensus; implementing programmes
in ways that are nationally led, sustainable and that develop strategic
capacities; and coordinating development and UN resources. Throughout programming,
the country office should bear in mind the UNDP mandate, our comparative
advantages and approaches to good governance, the socio-economic environment
of the country and the country type. Participatory
approach Without the full
involvement of major stakeholders and beneficiaries in design and
implementation, programmes are not sustainable. Numerous participatory methodologies
are available. UNDP Management Development and Governance Division has helped
to further and test one methodology, called process consultancy, for
developing participatory programmes while also developing social capital. The
outside expert’s role is to support and help build consensus. The methodology
helps UNDP country offices and experts to initiate that consensus building,
cultivate an awareness of the importance of governance, identify key agents
of change (reformers, leading thinkers, civic leaders and so on), develop
goals and strategies and organise capacities for change. The methodology can
be applied in all UNDP programme countries. Process consultancy, combined
with a programme approach and national execution (which support
development of national capacities to meet national goals), can serve as a
powerful tool for developing capacities to reach collective targets. This is
one proven way in which UNDP provides training, management development and
governance programming. Other effective approaches are available. Guidelines
for process consulting and other approaches are available from the Management
Development and Governance Division. Identifying entry
points At the beginning of the
programming process, UNDP should identify and consult key people in
government, civil society and the private sector who will be involved in
governance programmes. In that way it can assess national needs and identify
areas for support. Any dialogue should be impartial and bring together
national stakeholders to reach consensus, develop political will for change
and understand the importance of good governance. Documents and studies (such
as national human development reports) and regional strategies could be used
to provide analysis, options and methodologies, and to stimulate dialogue. Synergies
and linkages should be sought between governance, poverty, sustainable
livelihoods, gender and the environment. This should lead to a country
cooperation framework document that clarifies national goals and strategies
and identifies possible areas for UNDP support, along with appropriate entry
points and partners. Experience shows that
UNDP is most effective when it is able to respond quickly and flexibly to
unfolding needs and opportunities, while retaining a long-term view on
sustainability. At times UNDP must be willing to take risks to take advantage
of fast-evolving opportunities, some of which may be directly related to
governance - for example, national elections, changes in government bodies,
annual planning and budgetary discussions, national campaigns and conferences
on specific themes. Some of the most effective governance programmes,
however, have been initiated through other entry points - such as poverty,
gender, the environment and integrated rural and urban programmes. Developing
strategic capacities UNDP’s approach to
capacity development is based on two important principles. First, it asks, “capacity
development for what?” and advocates that the answer be closely
related to people-centred sustainable development. Second, it claims that how
capacities are developed influence the what as well. UNDP advocates
that capacity development design take into consideration the key
characteristics of good governance - participatory, transparent, equitable,
accountable and strategic vision. The success of good
governance programmes depends on developing capacities to articulate goals
and manage change. UNDP emphasizes the importance of sustaining and expanding
existing capacities and targeting high-impact capacities for assistance. Criteria
for strategic interventions include the impact on policies, development
resources and the enabling environment, particularly to eliminate poverty;
whether key leadership and managerial capacities will be strengthened; and
whether support will broaden participation. Because most governance
programmes involve, for example, judicial systems, financial management
systems, parliamentary systems and decentralised governance systems, a
systems approach to capacity development - which places institutions and
people in processes that perform specific tasks - is most appropriate. UNDP support for building
capacities for national information systems and linkages to regional and
global networks is a cornerstone of its strategy to develop capacities in
priority areas. Such linkages support national decision-making by helping
countries tap into an array of local, national and global knowledge and
experience, and to build a global network of experts to support
governance-related programmes. Guidance on design issues is available from
the Sustainable Development Network Programme and the Management Development
and Governance Division of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support. Institutions
in each region will receive support for regional and subregional networks. At
the global level, UNDP’s Management and Governance Network (MAGNET) will be
the global node for national and regional networks. MAGNET, which is managed
by Management Development and Governance Division, includes a consultancy
roster and UNDP governance documents that can be found on the Internet. Feedback on impact is an
important device for future programme design and implementation. UNDP is
working to develop capacity targets, benchmarks and indicators of progress
and success that are tailored to measure the success of governance
programming. Coordination and
the role of the resident coordinator UNDP can take steps to
improve the impact of the governance programmes that it supports and to
ensure that the UN and external partners support national priorities in a
coordinated way. For example, it can become the lead agency in collaboration
and country-based aid coordination for one or more aspects of governance
programmes; provide an impartial forum to discuss issues related to
governance and to help forge local partnerships; provide data and electronic
information services on national governance programmes to all development
partners; help governments package and negotiate governance programmes for
resource mobilisation; and help coordinate UN responses and programmes in
support of national goals or in answer to crisis situations - or both. |
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Division of
responsibility within UNDP UNDP has responsibility
for governance programmes at three levels: the country, the region and the
world. UNDP country office
Leadership by country
offices is crucial, since most of UNDP’s resources are available at the
country level. The UNDP country office is responsible for identifying,
developing, implementing and monitoring programmes and projects that develop
consensus on national goals and strategies and then develop relevant
capacities. Coordination and resource mobilisation are also vital. These
responsibilities have important implications for a proactive office: UNDP
offices may need to organise themselves to analyse changing needs and respond
rapidly to emerging opportunities. Some offices have a team focused solely on
governance programmes. More important are the abilities within country
offices to identify effective entry points and implementation partners,
identify partner institutions that can monitor and assess trends and develop
a network of people and institutions that can help in initiating consultation
and development of programmes. Regional support to
programme countries Regional programmes add
value and support to UNDP country initiatives in one or more ways. They help
define regional governance policies and strategies, facilitate sharing of
regional experiences, establish regional networks and centres of excellence,
provide flexible and rapid regionwide support to develop national programmes,
undertake regional briefings and training, conduct regional studies of trends
and identify and pilot new approaches in countries that may also be applied
regionally. Each of the UNDP regional bureaux has prepared (or is developing)
regionally tailored governance strategies. Global support to
programme countries UNDP supports a number of
global projects to support good governance including those on institutions of
governance, decentralisation and urban management. UNDP Governance Task
Force. Chaired by
MDGD\BPPS, the task force facilitates UNDP governance policy and interbureau
activities; shares information and provides guidance and feedback on global
programmes; and responds in a coordinated way to interagency and UN
conference requirements. BPPS Management
Development and Governance Division. MDGD, working within the framework of the
BPPS Global Programme, has three main responsibilities: developing
corporate-level policies, tools, instruments and methodologies based on
country experiences; researching issues of priority to UNDP; and supporting
UNDP country offices for programme development and backstopping. MDGD is
developing competencies in such areas as institutions of governance;
decentralisation and local governance; civil society; urban management;
economic and financial management; aid management and accountability; and
capacity development methodologies. In other related areas MDGD is developing
partnerships and a comprehensive roster of consultants who can be recruited
rapidly. MDGD strategy calls for close collaboration with other BPPS
divisions dealing with the macroeconomic framework, poverty, gender, the
private sector and the environment. MDGD will collaborate closely with the
United Nations Capital Development Fund in local government programmes. The
fund is concentrating its resources in the poorest countries to provide
modest capital grants and microfinance that support local and community
institutions of governance. Office of UN Services,
Emergency Response Unit. The Emergency Response Unit provides resources under TRAC line 1.1.3
for the development of strategic frameworks and capacity development of
national institutions to prepare for, mitigate, manage or prevent crises. Where
possible, available resources should be programmed during the preparation of
the country cooperation framework. |
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Partnerships UNDP will build
partnerships with agencies in the UN system as well as with institutions and
networks outside the UN system to implement its governance policy. UNDP is
chairing the UN systemwide Sub-Task Force (of the Interagency Task Force on
Enabling Environment) on Capacity-building for Governance with
representatives from 18 UN agencies and programmes. The mandate of the
Sub-Task Force is to promote integrated follow-up to UN conferences by
building on best practices of existing interagency cooperation. UNDP is also
taking the lead in the governance sub-group of the Secretary General’s
Initiative for Africa. Partnerships with specific agencies in the UN system
are identified in chapter 2 of this document. UNDP will also use the
expertise and experience of global, regional and national institutions and
networks outside the UN system. Collaborative agreements have been signed or
are being developed with several global institutions and networks including
International Union of Local Authorities (IULA), Inter-Parliamentarian Union
(IPU) and International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance
(IDEA). |
