Public Administration and Democratic Governance: Governments Serving Citizens

318 Pages·2007·1.47 MB·English

ST/ESA/PAD/SER.E/98

7th Global Forum on Reinventing Government
Building Trust in Government
26-29 June 2007, Vienna, Austria

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
AND DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE:
Governments Serving Citizens

January 2007

The views expressed in this paper are those of the author(s)
and do not necessarily represent those of the United Nations or its Member States.
DESA MISSION STATEMENT

The Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat
is a vital interface between global policies in the economic, social and environment
spheres and national action. The Department works in three main interlinked
areas: (i) it compiles, generates and analyses a wide range of economic, social
and environmental data and information on which Member States of the United
Nations draw to review common problems and to take stock of policy options; (ii) it
facilitates the negotiations of Member States in many intergovernmental bodies on
joint courses of action to address ongoing or emerging global challenges; and (iii)
it advises interested governments on the ways and means of translating policy
frameworks developed in United Nations conferences and summits into
programmes at the country level and, through technical assistance, helps build
national capacities.

NOTE

The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication
do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the
Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country,
territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its
frontiers or boundaries.

The designations “developed” and “developing” economies are intended for
statistical convenience and do not necessarily imply a judgment about the stage
reached by a particular country or area in the development process. The term
“country” as used in the text of this publication also refers, as appropriate, to
territories or areas. The term “dollar” normally refers to the United States dollar ($).

The views expressed are those of the individual authors and do not imply any
expression of opinion on the part of the United Nations.

A United Nations Publication
Publication No.: ST/ESA/PAD/SER.E/
Printed in the United States of America
2006

Copyright © United Nations, 2006
All rights reserved

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FOREWORD

Making public administration and governance more responsive to the needs of
citizens is one of the most important aims of the United Nations’ “Reinventing
Government” programme. This volume brings together concepts and ideas from
around the world about the need for and ways of achieving more responsive and
accountable public administration within the framework of democratic governance.
The chapters are edited versions of papers that were originally prepared for the
Sixth Global Forum on Reinventing Government held in Seoul, Republic of Korea,
on 24-27 May 2005.

The Global Forum, in accordance with UN General Assembly resolution
A/RES/57/277/ of 2002, is held every two years. The Forum is a bridge on which
governance principles and practices meet, and on which global initiatives interact
with regional and local priorities. The Forum offers tremendous opportunities for
diverse stakeholders – notably, high-ranking government officials, eminent public
administration scholars, corporate leaders, representatives of international
organizations, donor agencies, and non-governmental organizations – to
exchange ideas on approaches that are critical to public policy and management
challenges facing the world as a whole and its constituent regions. As part of the
United Nations’ efforts to promote excellence in governance and public
administration, the Division for Public Administration and Development
Management (DPADM) provides support to the Global Forum on Reinventing
Government as an international gathering of policy makers and experts so that it
can serve as a worldwide laboratory for new ideas and policy development.
DPADM extends these discussions not only through the biennial Global Forum but
also through a series of regional forums on reinventing government that focuses
on specific challenges and innovations in particular geographical regions of the
world.

The Global Forums on Reinventing Government have explored a wide range of
topics for improving governance and public administration including the challenges
facing governments in the 21st century arising from globalization, means of
fostering democracy and development through e-government, partnerships among
citizens, businesses and governments for development and democracy, innovation
and quality in government, and participatory and transparent governance. The
Seventh Global Forum, to be held in June 2007, will explore ways of building trust
in government.

All of these themes are reflected in the chapters in this volume and focus on ways
of strengthening trust, accountability and participation in government so that it can
serve citizens more effectively, efficiently and responsively. This publication is one
of the analytical products emerging from the Global Forum on Reinventing
Government designed to make the ideas and approaches developed during
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discussion more widely available to policy makers and practitioners, scholars and
researchers and the public at large. Its aim is to provide interested governments
with conceptual and policy tools to understand the complex challenges facing 21st
century public officials and administrators and to select and adapt those ideas that
are most appropriate for enhancing their ability to serve citizens effectively.

I hope that this publication will stimulate thinking, policy discussions and
implementation of innovative ideas to strengthen democratic governance and
public administration in ways that will enhance citizens’ trust in government and
participation in public affairs.

Guido Bertucci, Director

Division for Public Administration and Development Management
Department of Economic and Social Affairs
United Nations

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Editor:

Dennis A. Rondinelli, Senior Research Scholar at the Duke Center
for International Development at the Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy
at Duke University, and Director of the Pacific Basin Research Center, Soka
University of America, Aliso Viejo, California.

Contributing Authors:

Sabino Cassese and Mario Savino, University of Rome

G. Shabbir Cheema, Principal Advisor on Governance, Division for Public
Administration and Development Management (DPADM), United Nations

James Katorobo, Makerere Institute of Social Research

Aisha Ghaus-Pasha, Centre for Social Policy

Samuel Paul, Public Affairs Center

Jeremy Pope, The Governance Access Learning Network

Gowher Rizvi, The Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and
Innovation, Harvard University

Dennis A. Rondinelli, Duke Center for International Development, Duke
University

David Satterthwaite, International Institute for Environment and
Development (with Somsook Boonyabancha, Celine d’Cruz, Yves
Cabannes, Diana Mitlin, Sheela Patel, and Alfredo Stein).

Jerzy Szeremeta and Richard Kerby, United Nations Department of
Economic and Social Affairs

Massimo Tommasoli, International Institute for Democracy and
Electoral Assistance

The Government Reinvention Series Editor:

G. Shabbir Cheema, Principal Advisor on Governance, Division for Public
Administration and Development Management (DPADM), Department of
Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), United Nations.
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Contents

Foreword ………………………………………………………………………………..ii
Acknowledgments …………………………………………………………………….v
Contents ………………………………………………………………………………..vi

1. Governments Serving People: The Changing Roles of
Public Administration in Democratic Governance ………………..1
Dennis A. Rondinelli

2. Linking Governments and Citizens through
Democratic Governance ……………………………………………….29
G. Shabbir Cheema

3. Representative Democracy and Capacity Development
for Responsible Politics ………………………………………………..52
Massimo Tommasoli

4. Reinventing Government: Putting Democracy and Social Justice
Back into the Discourse ………………………………………………..78
Gowher Rizvi

5. Dimensions of Transparency in Governance ……………………..115
Jeremy Pope

6. E-Government: Providing Value to Citizens ………………………..165
Jerzy Szeremeta and Richard Kerby

7. Accountable Governance and Administrative Reform
in Europe …………………………………………………………………..173
Sabino Cassese and Mario Savino

8. Roles of Civil Society Organizations in Governance ………………202
Aisha Ghaus Pasha

9. Auditing for Social Change: Learning from Civil Society
Initiatives………………………………………………………..……….…225
Samuel Paul

10. Decentralization and Local Autonomy for
Participatory Democracy……………………………………………….. 237
James Katorobo

11. Participatory Governance in Cities …………………………………...267
David Satterthwaite, with Somsook Boonyabancha, Celine d'Cruz, Yves
Cabannes, Diana Mitlin, Sheela Patel and Alfredo Stein

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Chapter 1

GOVERNMENTS SERVING PEOPLE: THE CHANGING ROLES OF PUBLIC
ADMINISTRATION IN DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE

Dennis A. Rondinelli

The role of public administration in governance is a continuing topic of discussion
and debate. The current worldwide reassessment of the functions of the State and
of public officials and civil servants arises from two major sources: one is
globalization and its impacts on what governments must do to adapt and respond
to rapidly changing international economic, social, political and technological
trends; the other is increasing dissatisfaction among citizens in many countries
with the functions of government and the services that public administrations
provide.

Globalization – the movement toward greater interaction, integration, and
interdependence among people and organizations across national borders – is
increasing transactions among countries in trade and investment and in the
international flows of capital, people, technology, and information.1 It is evident in
the growing levels of international political interaction and widespread social and
cultural interchange that have occurred over the past quarter of a century.2
Globalization has brought both benefits and challenges to countries around the
world.3 Globalization offers new economic opportunities but also imposes new
political, social, technological, and institutional complexities, especially on poorer
countries, that governments must address in order to stimulate more equitable
economic and social development. In order to benefit from more open and
widespread economic interaction, governments must support an economic system
that promotes and facilitates the ability of business enterprises to compete
effectively in international markets and of people at all economic levels to earn a
decent livelihood.

Over the past two decades, in the wake of pressures of globalization and
technological innovation and more widespread access to communications, citizens
in many countries began demanding more of their governments. These rising
expectations, too often, have led to growing dissatisfaction with or lack of trust in
government. In its review of government reinvention experiences in nine countries,
the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) noted that
“a growing disenchantment with government performance” increased pressures for

1 United Nations, World Public Sector Report: Globalization and the State. United Nations, New
York: Department of Economic and Social Affairs (2001).

2 Stanley Hoffman, “Clash of Globalizations,” Foreign Affairs, Vol. 81, No. 4 (2002): 104-115.

3 Dennis A. Rondinelli and Jack N. Behrman, “The Promises and Pains of Globalization,” Global
Focus – International Journal of Business, Politics and Social Policy, Vol. 12, No. 1 (2000): 3-16.

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reform in Europe.4 But such widespread public dissatisfaction with government is
seen in other regions of the world as well.

The World Economic Forum’s tracking of public opinion in 14 countries –
Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Nigeria,
Russia, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States – found a strong
deterioration in public trust in government between 2001 and 2005 in all but a few
of the countries. In only six of the 14 did more than half of the citizens trust
government.5

In Latin America, only 49 per cent of the population surveyed by Latinobarόmetro
approved of the government in 18 South and Central American countries in 2005;
trust in the elite that led the country was only 33 per cent.6 The survey of 176,554
people in Latin America found that in only five of the 18 countries did more than
half of those surveyed believe that elections were “clean.” Only about half of the
respondents believed that the State enforces laws effectively. About 72 per cent of
those surveyed did not trust the government to know how to spend tax money; 66
per cent of the region’s inhabitants expressed little or no confidence in the
judiciary; and only about 30 per cent thought that the government had made
progress in reducing corruption in state institutions.

Surveys of more than 21,500 people in 12 African countries showed widespread
discontent with the performance of governments in that region.7 Asked how well
the government performed in creating jobs, 60 per cent of the respondents said
“fairly badly or very badly;” about 62 per cent were dissatisfied with government
performance in keeping prices stable; 63 per cent did not think government did a
good job in narrowing income gaps. Half of the citizens surveyed believed that
government did badly at reducing crime and 48 per cent believed that it did not
effectively fight corruption in government.

Dissatisfaction with government is not restricted to national governments. In
Europe, public opinion surveys point out that in 2005, only 51 per cent of the
people interviewed by Eurobarometer had confidence in the European Parliament,

4 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, “Synthesis of Reform Experiences in
Nine OECD Countries: Government Roles and Functions, and Public Management,” PUMA/SGF
(99)1, Paris: OECD (1999): 5.

5 World Economic Forum, “Full Survey: Trust in Governments, Corporations and Global Institutions
Continues to Decline,” Geneva, Switzerland: WEF (2005).

6 Corporaciόn Latinobarόmetro, “Latinobarόmetro Report 2005,” Santiago, Chile: Corporaciόn
Latinobarόmetro (2005).

7 Carolyn Logan and Fabiana Machado, “A Comparative Series of National Public Attitude Surveys
on Democracy, Markets and Civil Society in Africa,” Afrobarometer Paper No. 11, Cape Town,
South Africa: The Institute for Democracy in South Africa (2002).

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only 46 per cent trusted the European Commission, and only 40 per cent were
satisfied with the European Council.8

As all of these surveys imply, too often, government is seen by citizens, the media,
and sometimes by public servants and political leaders themselves, as plodding,
inefficient, bureaucratic, change-resistant, incompetent, unresponsive or corrupt.
Citizens often complain that governments provide services that are inadequate,
inappropriate, inferior or too costly of their hard-earned tax payments. Frequently,
people see government officials to be acting in their own interests rather than
responding to the needs of citizens. In many countries, the claim that “we are from
the government and are here to help you” is met with popular derision. Surveys
and opinion polls confirm that the public wants improvements in the ways in which
governments serve citizens, that is, a public administration that delivers better
services and extends their reach and coverage more effectively and efficiently.
Citizens expect improvements in the capacity of the public service to deliver more
and better services at lower cost.

Serving Citizens More Effectively: The Government Reinvention Movement

Many political leaders and government officials know that doing things the “old
way” no longer meets the demands of a more complex and interconnected
international economy or the expectations of a more globally-linked and politically-
aware citizenry. Globalization has brought stronger competition among businesses
and pressures on governments to create economic, political and social conditions
within which the private sector can compete more effectively and in which people
can develop their human resources to benefit from participation in productive
activities. Over the past quarter of a century international organizations and
progressive political leaders have called for government reinvention.

Debates during the 1980s over whether or not government was a hindrance or a
facilitator of economic development have largely been resolved. Even the most
ardent critics of big government now recognize that the State will continue to be an
important political institution that can for good or ill influence the welfare of millions
of people. The challenge for political and administrative leaders in all countries is
to redefine the roles of government and to build the capacity of public and private
institutions to play beneficial roles in helping citizens to cope with the uncertainties,
and benefit from the opportunities, of globalization.9

8 Eurobarometer, “Standard Eurobarameter 64: Public Opinion in the European Union,” Brussels,
Belgium: The European Commission (2005).

9 Dennis A. Rondinelli and G. Shabbir Cheema (eds.), Reinventing Government for the Twenty-first
Century: An Introduction, Chapter 1. Stanford, CT: Kumarian Press (2003).

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The need to improve governance and public administration and to enhance the
State’s capacity to carry out new functions and roles is now widely recognized.
The United Nations Millennium Declaration calls for respect for human rights and
the promotion of democracy and good governance (including efficient and effective
public administration). Good governance is a necessary condition for the
achievement of each of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – eradicating
extreme poverty and hunger; achieving universal primary education; promoting
gender equality; reducing child mortality; improving maternal health; combating
HIV/AIDS and other diseases; ensuring environmental sustainability; and
promoting global partnership for development. Governments in developing
countries and their international development partners have significantly increased
their financial support to strengthen governance and enhance the efficiency and
effectiveness of public administration.

But rapid globalization over the past two decades assured that governments could
no longer carry on as usual, at least in terms of the functions and roles many of
them played in the 1960s and 1970s. As the OECD has pointed out, by the 1980s
governments were widely “criticized for their lack of capacity to respond quickly
and effectively to strategic issues and for failing to leverage off opportunities in
emerging markets offered by, among others, new technologies. Conflicts inherent
in combining multiple roles (for instance, policymaker, regulator, monitor,
competing service provider, funder), often with conflicting objectives, became
obvious.”10 Globalization and technological advances have been and will continue
changing the “rules of the game” for government. The roles of the government as
a central planner and controller of the national economy, as the primary provider of
goods and services, and as the engine of economic growth, have largely been
discredited as functioning effectively in countries seeking to promote national
competitiveness. Indeed, even the ability of states to exercise sovereign control
over internal economic activities and transactions across their borders is changing
in the face of relentless globalization.11

In response to widespread citizen dissatisfaction, governments in Australia, New
Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States and other countries adopted new
approaches to public administration and governance reform in the early 1980s that
collectively came to be known as the “New Public Management.” In their book
Reinventing Government, which reflected and influenced reform in the United
States and other countries during the 1980s and 1990s, David Osborne and Ted
Gaebler summarized the principles and characteristics of the New Public

10 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, “Synthesis of Reform Experiences in
Nine OECD Countries: Government Roles and Functions, and Public Management,” PUMA/SGF
(99)1, Paris: OECD (1999): 3.

11 Dennis A. Rondinelli, “Sovereignty On Line: The Challenges of Transnational Corporations and
Information Technology in Asia,” in John D. Montgomery and Nathan Glazer (eds.), Sovereignty
Under Challenge: How Governments Respond. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publications
(2002): 345-371.

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