WEEK 2 (GOVERNANCE)

• ETYMOLOGY OF GOVERNANCE

  The word “governance” came from the Latin verb “gubernare,” or more originally from the Greek word “kubernaein,” which means “to steer.”
• DEFINITION OF GOVERNANCE

  • Governance - the exercise of power or authority by political leaders for the well-being of their country’s citizens or subjects.
  • It is the complex process whereby some sectors of the society wield power, and enact and promulgate public policies which directly affect human and institutional interactions, and economic and social development.
• CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD GOVERNANCE

  1. PARTICIPATION
  2. RULE OF LAW
  3. EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICIENCY
  4. TRANSPARENCY
  5. RESPONSIVENESS
  6. EQUITY AND INCLUSIVENESS
  7. CONSENSUS- ORIENTED
  8. ACCOUNTABILITY
• 1. PARTICIPATION


  • Participation means active involvement of all affected and interested parties in the decision-making process.
  • It requires an enabling environment wherein pertinent information is effectively disseminated and people could respond in an unconstrained and truthful manner.
  • It also means gender equality, recognizing the vital roles of both men and women in decision-making.
• 2. RULE OF LAW


  • Rule of law demands that the people and the civil society render habitual obedience to the law.
  • It also demands that the government acts within the limits of the powers and functions prescribed by the law. The absence of rule of law is anarchy.
  • No one is above the law
• 3. EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICIENCY

  • Good governance requires that the institutions, processes, and actors could deliver and meet the necessities of the society in a way that available resources are utilized well.
  • Effectiveness (meeting the needs) and efficiency (proper utilization of resources) must necessarily go together to ensure the best possible results for the community.
• 4. TRANSPARENCY

  • In legal terms, it means that information on matters of public concern is made available to the citizens or those who will be directly affected.
  • It also means that transactions involving public interests must be fully disclosed and made accessible to the people.
  • It is anchored on the democratic right to information and right to access of the same.
• 5. RESPONSIVENESS

  • Responsiveness means that institutions and processes serve all stakeholders in a timely and appropriate manner.
  • It also means that actors and structures of governance easily give genuine expression to the will or desire of the people.
  • In other words, the interests of all citizens must be well protected in a prompt and appropriate manner so that each of them can appreciate and take part in the process of governance.
• 6. EQUITY AND INCLUSIVENESS


  Equity and inclusiveness mean that all the members of the society, especially the most vulnerable ones or the grassroots level, must be taken into consideration and must be given the opportunity to participate in decision or policy making.
• 7. CONSENSUS-ORIENTED

  • Governance is consensus-oriented when decisions are made after taking into consideration the different viewpoints of the actors of the society.
  • Mechanisms for conflict resolution must be in place because inevitably conflict that will arise from competing interests of the actors.
  • To meet the consensus, a strong, impartial, and flexible mediation structure must be established. Without such, compromises and a broad consensus cannot be reached that serves that best interest of the whole community.
• 8. ACCOUNTABILITY

  • Accountability means answerability or responsibility for one’s action.
  • It is based on the principle that every person or group is responsible for their actions most especially when their acts affect public interest.
  • The actors have an obligation to explain and be answerable for the consequences of decisions and actions they have made on behalf of the community it serves.