Latest Resources
Review report on Beyond GDP indicators
Civil Society, Report, Academic/Think TankThe central assumption of the BRAINPOoL project is that indicators, if effectively embedded in the policy making process, are an effective transmission mechanism to connect research and policy. The creation of ‘Beyond GDP’ indicators can be seen as key to re-orienting policy, in turning an otherwise unfocused desire for change into concrete plans. In this project ‘Beyond GDP indicators’ are...
Senegal | Web Resource | Mackymetre.com
Africa, Civil Society, Democracy, E-Governance, Web Resource, Civil SocietyMackymetre.com répond à la question: “Comment utiliser le web pour s’assurer que le Président de la République et son gouvernement respecteront leurs engagements vis-a-vis de leurs électeurs? “.
Briefing | Malawi | More than just ‘demand’: Malawi’s public-service community scorecard
Article / Working Paper, Civil Society, Governance and MDG, Public Administration, Civil SocietyCommunity-based monitoring instruments, such as scorecards, are used increasingly to complement and reinforce conventional mechanisms to strengthen accountability and performance in public-service delivery. While they have been backed by the international community, there is limited evidence on how they work in practice and what conditions they need to be effective. This Project Briefing seeks...
The Benefits of a Big Tent: Opening Up Government in Developing Countries
Article / Working Paper, Civil Society, Public Administration, Academic/Think TankBringing open data and open government under a single banner, Yu and Robinson argue, leads to conceptual muddling that ultimately impedes progress for both projects. They express a concern that superficial commitments to open data “can placate the public’s appetite for transparency.” Drawing on our experiences with the Kenya Open Data Initiative and the Open Government Partnership, we argue...
Transparency for Inclusive Governance: An assessment of India
Asia and the Pacific, Civil Society, Report, Civil SocietyAuthor: Pranjal Sharma. The euphoria of India as a regional power has been dented by talk of systemic corruption, poor public services, nagging problems of unemployment, illiteracy and poverty and demographic challenges. Establishing a strong sense of credibility in government and the development of adequate capacity for enforcement must also be addressed to ensure the success of India’s efforts...
Guide to Statistics in European Commission Development Co-operation
Civil Society, Guide / Manual / Indicators, Inter-Governmental OrganizationThis publication is a key tool for developing, assessing and evaluating aid programs. This comprehensive guide is organized in four parts, the first of which - part A - is devoted to how to use it. It refers to practical examples of statistical projects, policies and strategies that are developed throughout the rest of the guide, making it a user-friendly guide for development practitioners. ...
The AmericasBarometer l The Political Culture of Democracy in the Americas, 2012: Towards Equality of Opportunity
Civil Society, Democracy, Latin America and the Carribean, Report, Academic/Think Tank, Inter-Governmental OrganizationThis publication is the preliminary version of the AmericasBarometer regional, comparative report 2012. This round, fundamental social, political, and ethical problem in the Americas are tackled: the tremendous gaps in opportunities experienced and resources available to the region’s citizens. While these disparities are certainly visible in differences in economic development across...
Monitoring and Evaluation when Politics Matters l Background Paper
Article / Working Paper, Civil Society, Civil SocietyEveryone agrees that there is a crucial role for research and evidence in development policy-making. But the apparently simple claim that policy decisions should be based upon clear and rigorous evidence of value and effectiveness masks the inherently political – and normative - nature of how we define what counts as ‘valid evidence’, and what this means for policy decisions. This is the...
Building governance into a post-2015 framework I Exploring transparency and accountability as an entry point
Civil Society, Governance and MDG, Report, Civil SocietyThis research report by Bergh et al. of ODI, discusses the role of governance post-2015. As the debate on the post-2015 agenda gains momentum, some are arguing that there is a need to increase the focus on governance in a future agreement. Although this responds to people’s aspirations for political freedoms and greater participation, it remains politically controversial, and it’s...
Examining the State: a Foucauldian perspective on international ‘governance indicators’
Article / Working Paper, Civil SocietyThis paper offers a critical perspective on the growing phenomenon of governance indicators in international politics. I employ a governmentality approach to shed light on the political meanings and outcomes of the increasing tendency of various international actors to rate and rank the governance capacities and performances of states. In particular, I argue that, beyond being an analytic tool...