Dr Shirley Kaye RandellSenior Advisor, Governance for Empowerment,SNV Rwanda , East and Southern Africa

SNV –Netherlands Development AgencySNV Rwanda is dedicated to a society where

all people enjoy the freedom to pursue their own sustainable development.

Its advisors contribute to this by strengthening the capacity of local organisations.

SNV –Netherlands Development AgencySNV is concerned with achieving impact in

reducing poverty by focussing on basic service delivery (in education, biogas and water, sanitation and hygiene) and production, income and employment (coffee, beekeeping and tourism).

The crosscutting issue of Governance for Empowerment is applied in all impact areas to ensure consideration of gender, social inclusion, HIV/AIDS and sustainable environment.

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Good GovernanceGood governance is the single most

important factor in eradicating poverty and promoting development” Kofi Anan.

While good governance is the foundation for all our efforts to eradicate poverty, it is at the same time a complex and rather vague concept

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Local Governance BarometerThe Local Governance Barometer (LGB)

makes governance at the local level more concrete, tangible and measurable. As are result, stakeholders can discuss the quality of governance, then plan and implement measures to improve the situation.

The LGB can offer a means of determining which capacities of governing authorities need to be strengthened to achieve good governance.

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Impact Alliance

In 2004, SNV became a founding member of the Impact Alliance, together with IDASA (Institute for Democracy in South Africa) and PACT (Building Capacity Worldwide) to develop the Local Government Barometer, a growing global initiative developing a tool for measuring good governance at district level.

It was first developed in 2006 to answer the current evidentneed of an objective and localized tool to assess governance in order to promote development

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Collaboration

We are collaborating with: Local authorities as the main

beneficiaries of the LGBOrganizations as technical partnersDonors as financial partners

Governance matters

Governance is a means to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and human development

Governance is an end in itself – as values, policies and institutions that are governed by human rights principles.

Governance has become a priority for many governments worldwide.

Measuring Governance Matters Too

Improving governance starts by assessing it.Sound and reliable knowledge is needed to

identify and monitor relevant and effective actions: 

  § What is the overall performance level of the current governance system?

§ What should be enhanced or maintained)?§ How far and where actions are needed?

Features of the LGB

The LGB is a Knowledge Model, built with a Knowledge base.

It measures governance performance using a set of universal criteria and localized indicators through a scoring system.

It has five main criteria: Effectiveness and Efficiency, Rule of Law, Accountability, Participation, and Equity.

Features of the LGB (cont)

Its results allow identifying strengths and weaknesses of a governance situation.

Through the universal criteria, the results are comparable over time and across space.

The LGB can be used to measure any governance situation of any sector at any geographical level.

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Features of the LGB (cont)

Implementation processThe LGB is a participatory process.The LGB process sees effective and active

involvement of Public sector, Civil Society and Private sector representatives.§ from the identification of the local indicators§ to the interpretation and analysis of the results§ and the action plan development to improve the governance situation.

The LGB process is flexible enough to be adapted to the available competency and resources.

Implementation process

Outputs Score of each criterion and indicator

between 0 (the worst) and 100 (the best).

Score of the local/sectoral performance in governance.

Local/sectoral perception of what good governance is through the identified local indicators.

Elements for a participative capacity building plan.

Some Key ResultsThe LGB is now used to assess

governance in 20 localities within 6 countries: Cameroon, Ghana, Madagascar, Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania.

Urban and Rural district and communal governance, education governance, forest governance and water and sanitation governance have been measured.

Some Key Results (cont)Wherever the LGB is used, dialogues

between actors have been catalyzed.The decision makers’ but also the

actors’ knowledge of governance has improved.

Action plans are being developed in a participatory and transparent manner to improve the governance situation.

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Current ImplementationLocal authorities have used LGB toAcquire more knowledge for use in decision

making;Enhance participation in local governance

and service delivery;Strengthen links and partnerships among

local actors;Identify priorities for governance and

service delivery in specific areas and sectors.

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South AfricaThe main aim of LGB application has been to help the municipal authorities and their affiliates in four provinces develop the capacity for reform by analyzing current performance and identifying needs and options for capacity reinforcement.

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CameroonThe focus has been on identifying the capacities required by rural and urban municipal councils to institutionalize the reforms consistent with decentralized governance and service delivery.

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TanzaniaOne application focuses on primary education within a district. The aim of LGB application is to identify the capacities that should be strengthened to improve governance and overall performance within this priority sector

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GhanaThe LGB has been used to identify key performance standards and indicators for the National Health Insurance plan in several districts, and devise an appropriate capacity building plan.

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Implementation phasesThe LGB process is designed and

facilitated in a way that promotes local dialogue, facilitates learning, supports local leadership of processes, encourages local ownership of the

results and Fosters collaboration among key actors.

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Understanding the contextIdentification of the main beneficiary’s expectations and objectives;

Identification of the governance main rationale and issues in sector and geographical area to be assessed;

The evaluation of the other existing tools to avoid duplication

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Preliminary operations

The identification and sensitization of the main stakeholders that will be involved

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Modelling data collection and processingSpecific model participatory development;Data collection: 3 main data collection

methodologies are recommended: -the desk research/literature survey, - focus group discussion - surveys.

Data processing: software is produced by the LGB technical team to allow local organizations and authorities to do their own data processing

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The final operation

Results are presented back to the stakeholders

Results are analyzed and interpreted in a participatory way

An action plan is developed to improve the situation

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The LGBincreases local knowledge about good

governance, provides an assessment of the existing

capacity,promotes relationships and partnerships

among different stakeholders, and helps them identify alternative

processes and actions to improve the situation.

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Enhanced awareness knowledge and skillsIncreases local actors’ knowledge about

the attributes, criteria and processes of governance.

Provides decision makers with information and tools to help them monitor, assess and improve governance in the local situation.

Raises local people’s awareness about the relationship between good local governance and development

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More effective relationshipsActs as a catalyst for better communication and

cooperation among actors in the public, private and civil society sectors.

Provides a platform for multiple stakeholder collaboration in local governance and development.

Generates greater understanding about the roles and responsibilities of different actors in local governance.

Increases the motivation and enthusiasm for broad participation in local governance.

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Improved vision for service deliveryGenerates a shared vision of what an improved

governance looks like, and how stakeholders will be affected.

Indicates the aspects of local governance that should be addressed to achieve the desired standards for effective, inclusive, equitable, and accountable service delivery by local authorities.

Indicates the factors which have enabled the current system of local governance to achieve the desired standards.

Yields proposals for practical and achievable actions that can be taken to improve the existing governance situation

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Key Benefits (cont)Greater understanding, appreciation of, and

commitment to the principles of good local governance

among the key actors.More knowledge on how the various

dimensions of local governance affect the delivery of services to local communities.

More knowledge to be used in decision making by the key governing actors.

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Key benefits

Justification and motivation to pursue alternative processes and mechanisms for governance and service delivery within a geographic area or sector.

Improved relations among the key actors in local governance and service delivery.

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