Accountable Public Institutions
From Governancevillage WIKI
The phrase “public sector institutions” is more multifaceted than it first appears. The public sector is the most visible aspect of all levels of government because of the various functions it manages - from the delivery of services, like health, education, and environmental management, to the development of the private sector; from the promotion of trade and investment, to the administration of tax collection, auditing, and public financial management. While the public sector organizations responsible for these functions can be considered the important ‘players’ of development, the ‘rules of the game’ that create an environment conducive to equitable and sustainable development are determined by a country’s public institutions: the formal and informal rules and constraints – including laws, taboos, codes of conduct, and traditions - that structure political, economic, and social activities.
When public institutions are created and upheld by a narrow segment of the population - to the exclusion of the poor, women, children, indigenous peoples, or those with a disability, for example - not only are the services delivered unresponsive to the needs of many citizens, hindering human development, but perverse rules of the game are created that produce incentives for corruption and discourage economic growth. It is clear, then, that accountability and transparency of public institutions are key requirements for good governance: institutions that allow citizens to call not only government officials and employees, but also the private sector and civil society, to account for their policies, actions, and use of funds, and that are inclusive of all segments of the population, ensure that pro-poor economic and human development is attained and sustained. From a gender perspective, this involves, among other things, support for the training and promotion of women civil servants as well as improved public services that address the particular needs of women and girls.
Development cannot be bought. It requires, at its foundation, accountable public institutions that, for example, eliminate the barriers to the attainment of essential services thereby improving quality of life and economic growth; that create a taxation system that allows governments to raise funds for these services; and that create a culture where citizens can bargain with their government over taxes, enhancing their trust in democratic governance and suspicion in criminality. Accountable public institutions are integral to the development process by laying the foundation for progress on health, education, economic growth, political stability, environmental sustainability, and equality between women and men.
Canadian Resources on Accountable Public Institutions
1. The IPAC Centre for Governance Dialogue, a project of the Institute of Public Administration of Canada, is a network that allows users, including public sector managers, to explore and debate the best practices and ideas in the creation and facilitation of dialogue between the public and the state. The IPAC centre has a web-based searchable literature database as well as an interactive toolkit, a “dialogue blog”, a list of international best-practice examples of governance dialogue, as well as useful links that provide both theoretical and practical knowledge to facilitate dialogue between citizens and the public sector, thereby promoting transparency and good governance.
2. The Institute on Governance (IOG) is a non-profit organization that develops and applies its knowledge about good governance through its work with communities, and different levels of government in Canada and abroad, including Canadian First Nations. Its website shares its numerous publications and policy briefs on various knowledge areas including Accountability and Performance Measurement, Building Policy Capacity, and Sector Wide Approaches (SWAps) to international development. In 1996-1998 IOG convened the Governance Cooperative a learning network on effective governance practices among Canadian organizations involved in governance.
3. Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) promotes effective and accountable municipal government in Canada and abroad. The International Centre for Municipal Development (ICMD) represents FCM internationally, helping to develop the capacity of local governments to manage decentralization, deliver basic services, promote economic growth, strengthen municipal management, and encourage civic participation. ICMD’s Resource Centre provides access to resources on a variety of cross-cutting themes related to municipal development including the environment, gender, governance, municipal associations, local economic development, poverty reduction as well as case studies of best practices and manuals and tool kits related to municipal and local development.
4. The Public Administration University/ L’École Nationale d’Administration Publique (ENAP), based at the University of Quebec in Montreal, specializes in public sector management. ENAP delivers training programs to public sector managers at all levels of government, including a specialized program for women, in several developing countries. It has produced gender-sensitive International Training Software, offered through a network of organizations in Africa and the Americas, that develops capacity in effective public administration. ENAP also offers a range of publications in public sector management, as well as research and training programs.
5. The Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP) is a collaborative national federation that advances responsible planning through the delivery of public services in Canada and abroad. They act as a voice and information and knowledge-sharing network for national and international planners on issues of importance to the planning profession and/or the public interest, like climate change. They are also involved in contributing to social consciousness in Canada on the state of planning abroad through conferences and internship programs and in participating in capacity development projects that advance the profession and establish stronger planning-related institutions.
International Resources on Accountable Public Institutions
1. The Governance and Social Development Resource Centre (GSDRC) is a knowledge-sharing portal funded by the UK Department for International Development that is considered to be the most comprehensive web-based resource on governance and development. It contains information-guides, case-studies, resources and links on various topics, including civil service reform, institutional development, public financial management and accountability, and service delivery.
2. The World Bank Institute (WBI) is the capacity development arm of the Bank that has, as its aim, to share and apply global and local knowledge to meet development challenges. The WBI provides useful references, issue briefs, and facts on governance and anti-corruption related topics, namely public management and institutions of accountability in governance. The World Bank also provides information on their work in the areas of public sector governance and governance and anti-corruption.
3. The Norwegian Anticorruption Resource Centre (U4) serves six development agencies to effectively address corruption challenges to development. U4 hosts an extensive online resource center that makes available relevant anti-corruption resources, including their own research, provides a Help Desk service operated by the Transparency International Secretariat in Berlin, Germany, and shares the practical knowledge gained by U4’s partner agencies through a searchable database of projects and initiatives.
4. Transparency International is a global network of over 90 national chapters worldwide, including Canada, that raises awareness about corruption issues by conducting research and making available a digital library, various tools including corruption measurement tools, and web-based region-specific information guides.
5. Tiri is an independent non-governmental organization that works with governments, the private sector, and civil society in the area of governance, integrity, and administrative reform. In addition to being involved in a number of capacity development projects in the Global South, Tiri produces useful anti-corruption research available electronically.
6. The International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) is an independent umbrella organization for the external government audit community. It provides a framework for audit institutions to share knowledge in the aim of improving government auditing and enhancing professional capacities. The Documents section of its website gives access to internationally recognized INTOSAI standards for external government auditing and to other documents on relevant subjects such as auditing and control issues.
