GHANA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT AND PUBLIC

ADMINISTRATION

NAME OF STUDENT: ACHADEY ABUDU FATAW ABIOLLA

INDEX NUMBER: 218055366

PROGRAMME: MASTER IN GOVERNANCE AND LEADERSHIP

COURSE: THEORIES OF GOVERNANCE

LECTURER: PROF KINGSLEY AGOMOR

Define good governance and outline its key elements.

Good governance has become the key element of every country’s democracy or democratization

system. It is the exercise of political, economic and administrative authority to manage a nation’s

affairs, there is a need for good governance. Countries across the world require their leaders or

elected representatives to govern them well and promote development. Whether a country is

developed, developing or under-developed, there is a high demand for good governance from the

citizens to their leaders. At the outset, it needs to be appreciated that the concept of good

governance connotes certain value assumptions because of the word ‘good’.

The word ‘good’ carries an innate sense of judgment, i.e. what is right against what is wrong;

what is just against what is unjust; what is fair against what is unfair; what is moral against what

is immoral; such that a deed that is judged as just, fair, right or moral is termed as good. With its

value connotation, good governance is the right or just or moral judgments made by those

exercising authority in the public interest. Public interest, in this context, means an aggregation

of the interests of the many, but certainly not of all.

The term good governance was coined several decades ago (around 1980s) and was initially

rooted on the historical conditions set by international donor agencies, countries and institutions

to connect aid conditional upon reforms on how state affairs are run in the recipient country.

Throughout the historical period of the 1980s and the 1990s, donors such as the International

Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the United States, have been insisting upon performance

and good governance as a prerequisite for aid.

system through which citizens, institutions, organisations, and groups in a society articulate their

interests, exercise their rights, and mediate their differences in pursuit of the collective good.

Therefore, Governance can be used in several contexts such as corporate governance,

international governance, national (state) governance and local governance.

The World Bank identified the following indicators of good governance:

 Legitimacy of the political system which can be best achieved through regular elections

and political accountability. This implies limited and democratic government.

 Freedom of association and participation by various socio-economic, religious, cultural,

and professional groups in the process of governance.

 An established legal frame work based on the rule of law and independence of the

judiciary to protect human rights, secure social justice, and guard against exploitation and

abuse of power.

 Bureaucratic accountability, including transparency in administration.

 Freedom of information and expression needed for knowing governmental policies and

their evaluation.

 A sound administrative system leading to efficiency and effectiveness.

 Cooperation between the government and civil society organizations.

In summary, the World Bank considers the concept of good governance as associated with

efficient and effective administration in a democratic frame work.

aspects for different people and societies at different periods. However, there are some

characteristics that any discussion on the concept of good governance can be incomplete if not

covered. The key elements/characteristics of good governance are outlined below;

 Rule of Law

The doctrine of rule of law ensures political morality, that no person should be above the law and

enjoy immunities from the law but that every citizen must be guided by same established laws. It

ensures that people must not be subjected to arbitrary decisions and unclear edicts of the ruling

class (politicians and bureaucrats) rather than clear defined laws. The law and its application

should be general (not discriminate), prospective, (rather than retroactive), open, and clear. The

law should be stable and not changed too frequently, as lack of awareness of the law prevents

one from being guided by it. There should be clear rules and procedures for making laws. The

independence of the judiciary has to be guaranteed so that judicial decisions have to be fair and

objective, serving the public interests. The courts should have the power of judicial review.

These reviews pertain over the way public decisions are made and implemented, and that the

outcome must be respected. The courts should be accessible; no man may be denied justice. The

bottom line is that governance requires fair legal frameworks that are enforced impartially. It

also requires full protection of human rights, particularly those of minorities.

 Participation

It is only fair to allow those who are to be affected by government decisions to participate in the

decision-making process. A society’s wellbeing depends on ensuring that all its members feel

that they have a stake in it and do not feel excluded from the main stream of society.
Participation is required by all sections of the society and it is a key cornerstone of good

governance. Participation could be either direct or indirect through legitimately chosen

representatives (democracy). With good governance, the government must make efforts to

accommodate the views of the vulnerable minority while at the same time holding to the

principles of democracy.

 Transparency

A transparent object is one that can be ‘seen through’. Transparency means that decisions taken

and their enforcement are done in a manner that open and 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. Transparency in good governance entails that enough

information is provided and that it is provided in easily understandable forms of media.

Transparency in government decision-making and public policy implementation reduces

uncertainty and may help inhibit corruption among public officials.

 Accountability

The concept of accountability has always been a subject of a broad debate among students of

modern governance as it has several meanings. It is usually used interchangeably with such

concepts as answerability, responsibility, blameworthiness, liability, and other terms associated

with the expectation of account giving. For there to be good governance, not only governmental

institutions that are supposed to be accountable to the people, but also other actors of good

governance such as the private sector and the civil society organizations. This is because all these

actors’ decisions affect the public; hence there is a need for their answerability. In general, an
organization or institution has to be accountable to those who will be affected by their actions

and non-actions, hence in governance there is a need for accountability.

 Responsiveness

Good governance requires that institutions and processes strive to serve all stake holders by

satisfying their wants within a reasonable timeframe. Government is expected to take correct,

strong and quick action in resolving its citizens’ concerns.

 Effectiveness and Efficiency

Effectiveness means the achievement of the stated goals and objectives and efficiency means the

putting of resources into their maximum use. Good governance should ensure that processes and

institutions produce results that meet the needs of the 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.

 Consensus oriented

This characteristic is related to the decision-making process. When the decision-making process

cannot accommodate everyone’s wishes, then at a minimum, the decision must be a decision that

can be accepted by everyone and does not harm anyone.

 Equity and inclusiveness

Good governance ensures justice for the community. Everyone has the same opportunity

to maintain and improve their welfare.

There are several characteristics of good governance as mentioned above. One of the most

relevant characteristics of good governance in every democratic dispensation is accountability.

As one of the efforts in creating a good governance can be done by utilizing the maximum

government resources. In addition to effective, efficient, efficient and effective management of

government components. Governments are required to be responsive, participative and

professional in carrying out basic tasks and functions for the sustainability of government. The

need for information about the implementation of government is actually necessary to ensure

public openness about how the process of making, implementation and results achieved by the

government in every government activity. Therefore, the principles of transparency,

accountability, responsiveness, and professionalism in creating better governance conditions

need to be applied consistently and continuously. Therefore, cooperation between the

government, the public, and the private sector is required. One of the important things of the

existence of such cooperation is the availability of publicly accessible information, which

demands the government's role so great in maintaining public trust. Accountability is one of the

steps that must be taken to maintain and increase public confidence in government performance.

Talking about accountability is defined as the ability to provide answers to higher authorities

over the actions of a person/group of people to the wider community within an organization.

Accountability is a complex concept that is more difficult to achieve than eradicate corruption.

Therefore, accountability needs to be interpreted as a continuous, consistent and transparent

process in creating better organizational conditions. Accountability in the context of public

administration is always interesting to examine because the center of government administration

practice lies precisely in issues surrounding accountability. In European countries, for example,
accountability has long been a concern especially in relation to policy-making. Accountability is

a concept that is constantly evolving and often used because it provides an image of transparency

and trust for those who run it. So, accountability can be interpreted as an evaluation activity of

the implementation process of organizational performance to be accountable so that it becomes a

feedback for organizational leadership in the future.

In modern public administration, accountability is king, and measurable results are a necessity.

Then, the question is how to determine precisely the concept of accountability. Appropriate

understanding allows determining what aspects are taken into account to assess the

accountability of the stakeholders. Therefore, the first problem is the conceptual problem.

Conceptually it means that what is meant by accountability. Accountability is often used in a

rather broad sense, for example, often equated with the concept of evaluation, but the essence of

accountability is a concept that can be synchronized with responsiveness, responsibility, and

effectiveness. The next question is related to an analysis that includes a discussion of

accountability. When translated from a simple definition, accountability is defined by a series of

dimensions to describe the various relationships of accountability and their composition within

different domains of governance

Despite its centrality to democracy, accountability has not accumulated "a substantial tradition of

academic" analysis, and there is "little agreement" over its "general nature or its various

mechanisms". Most scholars discussing accountability never define it, and the available

definitions vary greatly. In an influential definition, Bovens defines accountability as "a

relationship between an actor and a forum, in which the actor has an obligation to explain and to

justify his or her conduct, the forum can pose questions and pass judgment, and the actor may

face consequences. "The effects of such relationships are considered distinct from accountability
itself. Accountability occurs when a government or a semi-state actor takes action in response to

behavioral requirements to describe and to justify conduct, communications from others about

their responsibilities, or other relevant information, such as data about policy effects.

In the context of government organizations, public accountability is the provision of information

on the activities and financial performance of the government to the parties concerned with the

report. According to Mardiasmo, public accountability consists of two kinds, namely: Vertical

accountability which is accountability for the management of funds to higher authorities, such as

accountability of work units to local governments, accountability of local governments to the

central government, and accountability of the central government to the Parliament. Horizontal

accountability which is the responsibility of the Government and the Regional Government to

the wider community.

According to LAN and BPKP (LAN and BPKP: 2000), performance accountability is the

obligation to provide accountability or answer and explain the performance and actions of an

organization legal person/chairman to a party who has the right or authority to request

information or accountability. In implementing accountability within government agencies, it is

necessary to consider the following principles: 1. Should be commitment and leadership of all

staff of government agencies. Need to manage the implementation of mission to be accountable

2. Should be a system that can ensure the use of resources consistently with applicable laws and

regulations 3. Must be able to show the level of achievement of goals and objectives that have

been set. 4. Should be honest, objective, transparent and active as a catalyst for change of

management of government agencies in the form of updating methods and techniques of

performance measurement and accountability reporting 5. Must be oriented towards achieving

the vision and mission and the results and benefits obtained. In the course of bureaucracy, the
accountability of a government agency is the embodiment of the obligation of government

agencies to account for success or failure of the mission implementation of the relevant

institution. Most countries that adhere to democracy, true sovereignty is in the hands of the

people. Government as an institution that is given legitimacy in running and regulating people's

lives through the rules and taking and using the source of the fund from the people, must give

responsibility to all its activities to society. If seen in the implementation of the community

curiosity is not only limited to information related to finance but more than that, people want to

know more whether the government has worked in an economical, effective and efficient.

The dimensions of accountability that must be met by public institutions include (Hopwood and

Tomkins, 1984, Elwood, 1993). a. Accountability Law and Honesty; Legal and honest

accountability is the accountability of public institutions to behave honestly in their work and to

comply with applicable legal provisions. Legal accountability demands law enforcement,

whereas honest accountability demands healthy organizational practices, malpractices, and

administrative malls. b. Process Accountability; Accountability processes associated with

procedures used in performing tasks are good enough in terms of adequacy of accounting

information systems, management information systems, and administrative procedures. c.

Program Accountability; The program's accountability is concerned with whether the objectives

set out are achievable or not and whether the organization has considered alternative programs

that provide optimal results for a minimal cost. d. Policy Accountability; Policy accountability

relates to public institutions' accountability for the policies adopted. Public institutions should be

able to account for established policies taking into account future impacts.

In conclusion, the meaning of accountability can be interpreted as accountability in every

organizational activity by the leaders of the organization to the authorizing party. In other words,
accountability implies an obligation to present and report any follow-up and its activities in the

administrative field to the party providing the response. In this case, the terminology of

accountability is seen from the point of view of action control on the achievement of the

objectives. Accountability is the main agent when an actor presses or forces another actor to do

his will. Broadly concluded that accountability related to the obligations of government

institutions and the officials who work in it to make policies and perform actions in accordance

with the applicable values and needs of society. Public accountability demands a clear and

efficient duty restriction of the bureaucratic apparatus. Accountability in this discussion is

divided into two types namely vertical accountability and horizontal accountability. In realizing

good governance, true accountability is not only limited to financial, economic, but also the

responsibility of the government and the people, where the people have the right to judge all

actions of the government. Thus, the accountability intended in this context is not only to

resource accountability but rather to how resources are accounted for accountable.

References
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 Paterson dalam Hodge, Graeme, Minding Everybody’s Business: Performance

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 Frederickson, H. George., The Spirit of Public Administrastion. San Fransisco: Jossey-

Bass Publisher, 1997

 Mulgan, Richard, Accountability: An Ever-Expanding Concept Public Administration,

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