Introduction to Governance
Netai Dey Sarker
Master of Disaster Mitigation (GRIPS, Japan), [Link]. (DU)
PGD in Tsunami Disaster Mitigation (IISEE, Japan)
PGC in DRM & EA in Spatial Planning (ITC, Netherlands)
Director (MIM)
Department of Disaster Management
netai@[Link]
Government vs Governance
Government Governance
o Instrument for the purpose of o Exercise of political, economic and
governance administrative authority to manage
nation’s affairs
o Groups of people with authority to
govern a country or state o Process of decision-making and the
process by which decisions are
implemented
What is Governance?
What is Governance?
o Governance is “the exercise of economic, political, and administrative authority
to manage a country’s affairs at all levels.
o It comprises the mechanisms, processes, and institutions through which citizens
and groups articulate their interests, exercise their legal rights, meet their
obligations, and mediate their differences.
o Governance is also defined by the process of decision-making and the process by
which decisions are implemented (or not implemented) (UNESCAP 2009).
o Landell et al. (1991) governance denotes how people are ruled, how the affairs of
the states are administered and regulated, as well as a nation’s system of politics,
and how this functions in relation to public administration and law.
What is Governance?
o According to Graham et al. (2003), governance is seen as interaction among
structures, processes, and traditions that determine how power and
responsibilities are exercised, how decisions are taken, and how citizens and
other stakeholders have their say.
o Governance is about power, relationship, and accountability:
o It addresses the questions like
How power and responsibilities are exercised?
How decisions are made and get implemented?
Who makes the decisions?
How decision-makers are held accountable?
How citizens and other stakeholders have their say in decision-making
Define Governance
Evolution of Governance
Evolution of Governance Terminology
o Governance” derives from Greek word kubernaein meaning to steer
o In modern times, ‘governance’ was first used in development discourse in1980s
o Prior to that, the term ‘government’ was in use representing centralised
administrative structures with top-down management approaches.
o This shift of the term from ‘government’ to ‘governance’ embodies a non-
hierarchical arrangement incorporating the state and non-state actors who bring
forth collective binding policies without superior authority
o This shift implies a reduction in the role of the state while concurrently
recognizing the importance of non-state actors in the governance process.
o Now, governance means the interaction between governments, business
stakeholders and non-profit organizations by which policies are undertaken and
implemented
Different Approaches to Governance
o Decision-Making Approach (UNESCAP, CIG)
o Rights-based Approach (UNHRC)
o Institutional Approach (UNDP)
o Development Approach (World Bank, IMF)
o Interactive/Stakeholders Approach (Graham et al)
Key Actors of Governance
Key Stakeholders in Governance
Conceptual Framework of Governance
Theories of Governance
o Communitarianism
o Marxism
o Neo Liberalism
o Rational Choice Theory
o Regulation Theory
o Institutionalism
o Libertarian Socialism
Theories of Governance- Regulation
Theories of Governance- Institutionalism
• Institutions are a pattern for collective action, creates order, stability and
predictability, newcomers are taught ‘how things have always been done here,
opposite to ‘habit’ (local, often individual, institutions are long lasting, and have a
normative explanation.
• Institutional approach dominated the study of the state, government, public
administration and politics until 1940s.
• This approaches focuses on state institutions like legislature, army, police,
judiciary to discharge the governance functions.
• The focus is on formal rules, procedures, organizations, constitutions, electoral
systems and political parties which are central to the idea of institutions and
institutionalism.
Theories of Governance- Institutionalism
• This approach was challenged by behaviorist and rational choice theories.
• After 1980, the institutionalism was revived and ‘New Institutionalism’ emerged
on the scene.
• New Institutionalism (NI) is often seen as restatement of the elder institutional
approach.
• NI retain a focus on rules, procedures and organizations, but it adopts a broader
concept of institutions that include norms and cultural customs alongside formal
rules, procedures and organizations.
• “Officials [in organizations] orient their actions around rules even to the point
where primary concern with conformity to the rules interferes with the
achievement of the purposes of the organization”.
Theories of Governance- Institutionalism
• Institutionalization: “ organizations are infused with value beyond the technical
requirements at hand”.
• Organizations with more precisely defined goals and easily defined criteria for
evaluation are less subject to institutionalization than those with diffuse goals
and disputed evaluation criteria.
• Institutions play very important role in discharge of (good) Governance.
• They bring Order, Stability, Predictability, Flexibility in the governance system.
What is Good Governance?
o Governance become good when the authority govern the country or organization
in efficient and transparent way.
o Good Governance is an approach to government that is committed to creating a
system founded in justice and peace that protects individual’s human rights and
civil liberties.
o According to the United Nations, good Governance is measured by the eight
factors, such as participation, Rule of Law, Transparency, Responsiveness,
Consensus Oriented, Equity and Inclusiveness, Effectiveness and Efficiency, and
Accountability.
Principles of Good Governance
Major Characteristics of Good Governance
Good Governance Pillars
Good Governance Initiatives
Good Governance Indicators
Good Governance Index
Good Governance Monitoring and Evaluation
Challenges to Good Governance
• Criminalization of Politics
• Corruption
• Gender Disparity
• Growing incidence of violence
• Delay in Justice
• Centralisation of Administrative System
• Marginalization of Socially and Economically Backward People
Application of Governance to Disaster
o Disaster is a complex environmental problem that do not fit neatly within the
purview of individual organizations and institutions.
o No single authority can command compliance among all actors that participate in
disaster risk reduction and its management
o It requires both state regulation and self-regulation; market mechanisms; and
other processes, such as negotiation, participation, and engagement, which
facilitate collective decision making and action in disaster management
Application of Governance to Disaster
o Governance through networks of collaborating and diverse entities provides a
means of addressing this problem because networks are flexible, adaptable, and
capable of mobilizing diverse resources For example, responses to large disasters
are typically carried out by large emergent multi-organizational networks that
lack central coordination.
o The concept of disaster governance was first advocated by the UN’s Hyogo
Framework for Action 2005–2015.
o Due to the launching of the Hyogo Framework in 2005 there has been a
significant shift in the understanding of top-down disaster management to
bottom-up disaster risk management; command-control to process-oriented.
What is Disaster Governance?
o Within the disaster context, governance is the overall process by which affected
governments, organizations, and populations
determine what is to be done, how it is to be done, and who it is to benefit &
apply themselves to implementing these decisions.
o Poor Governance results in less capacity and efficiency in disaster risk reduction
o Poorly governed societies and weak states are almost certain to exhibit
deficiencies in disaster governance.
o State-civil society relationships, economic organization, and societal transitions
have implications for disaster governance
Importance of Governance in Disaster
Management
o Governance (good) is the key to the success of effective and sustained disaster
risk management.
o Good governance provides a multi-sectoral framework for disaster risk reduction
and institutions for the coordination of government agencies.
o Developing countries are more susceptible to natural disaster as they lack the
administrative, organizational, financial, and political capacity to effectively cope
with disasters.
o Underdevelopment and susceptibility to disasters can in fact be described as
circularly linked.
Importance of Governance in Disaster
Management
o Disasters not only cause heavy losses to capital assets, but also disrupt
production and the flow of goods and services in the affected economy.
o This can only be achieved in the context of effective governance.
o In order to break the vicious circle, disaster management need to be integrated
into the broader context of sustainable development.
o This can only be achieved in the context of effective governance.
Importance of Governance in Disaster
Management
Good disaster governance is important for the following:
o Elevate disaster risk reduction into a policy priority.
o Allocate the necessary resources to it.
o Ensure and enforce its implementation and
o Ensure transparency and accountability, as well as
o Ensure participation of civil society and collaboration with the private sector and
all stakeholders in disaster management.
o Ensure that local knowledge is incorporated into risk reduction efforts.
Reference
Dristi (2024), Good Governance, Online ([Link]
World Bank Group (2024), Worldwide Governance Indicators, Online ([Link]
[Link]/en/publication/worldwide-governance-indicators)
K Van Assche, R Beunen & M Duineveld (2013), Evolutionary Governance Theory:
An Introduction, Springer
Tony Bovaird and Elke Loffler (2003), Evaluating the Quality of Public Governance:
Indicators, Models and Methodologies, Sage Journals, Volume 69, Issue 3.
UN Human Rights (2024), About Good Governance: OHCHR and Good Governance,
Online ([Link]
Thanks
