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Sunday, August 22, 2010
Primer on Records and Archives Management for Local Government
Replication Guidebook
Promotes the peer-to-peer methodology of disseminating and replicating exemplary practices (EPs) in local governance. As a how-to-guide, it provides information on how to manage a program that develops simple methodologies for the dissemination and replication of EPs in the Philippines from a national / regional perspective. It contains 1) the rationale for replication programs, 2) definition of terms and concepts and 3) the overall program development process. It also includes a stand-alone section on the replication process among LGUs at the local level, which can be distributed to LGUs wanting to share their EPs or wanting to replicate the EP of another LGU.
Cash for Corruption
Fortunately, there is a recent trend in the academic literature to explore the role of governance in development. Several development economists, many of whom are affiliated with the NBER Africa Project, have begun to examine the effect of incentives on governance outcomes in low-income countries. There are two common policy instruments used to reduce the incidence of corruption, in particular.
Governments have tried to establish financial incentives for performance and accountability. Most of the empirical literature supports the hypothesis that these conditional payments will reduce corruption, but there is one obvious wrinkle. Are monetary rewards really the solution for an already rich, greedy bureaucrat? Surely the amount of money that corrupt officials receive through bribes is far greater than the monetary value of the financial incentive for good governance. So, are these conditional cash payments really incentives, or are they disincentives? It is possible that the purely rational, profit-maximizing strategy would actually be to continue with the status quo of corruption. In other words, financial incentives might work for poor schoolteachers, but not for corrupt officials.
That's why incentive payments are often coupled with monitoring and accountability programs. The theory here is that sunlight is the best disinfectant for the stain left by corruption. A couple things have to work right for these programs to have their desired effect. Public infrastructure must be developed enough to conduct sufficient auditing. But, perhaps more importantly, monitoring programs are ultimately only as successful as the perceived strength of enforcement. What good is a finger wagging without actual punitive damages? If corrupt officials know that auditing systems are weak and punishment is severely delayed, then there is no reason to expect a change in their behavior.
We all know that corruption is a tough nut to crack. Social and economic development will require economists to get the incentives right. But it's not going to be as easy as giving out money or taking it away in places where cash is not just a currency, but also a language.
Applying principles of good governance to schools
Complex environment
Unlike traditional corporations, schools operate on a not-for-profit basis; its stakeholders have long term personal and emotional investments, relationships and friendships; participation in the school may cover many generations of family members; members of the Board participate on a voluntary basis; the school is engaged in the education, development and welfare of children; teachers are expected to be dedicated and provide a contribution well beyond the normal teaching day. Schools rely on family philanthropy, legacies and benefactors. It is not a simple matter for disaffected stakeholders to change allegiances. Changing schools can be a traumatic and expensive exercise.
It is pivotal to good governance that the Board recognises and manages the School’s main stakeholder groups. The management of stakeholders requires skill and tact and relationships must be delicately balanced at all times.
The main stakeholder groups are depicted in the following diagram:
Commercial directors
Some experienced company directors have difficulty in adjusting to the non-commercial environment of the School Board. The members of the Board have a wide range of interests, specialities, skills and background. They may not have experience in the corporate boardroom. They may not be financially or commercially focussed. They may be educationalists or religious nominees or representatives of parent or affiliate groups. The goals of the school extend well beyond financial performance. The company director must understand that the School Board is a different environment.
Parents
It is often the case that parents of current students sit on the School Board. This brings both benefits and difficulties.
Parent Board Members are alive to the issues of the day and can provide important feedback to the Board. They are energetic and anxious to ensure that the school meets the current and future needs of the students.
By the same token, parent Board Members are usually more accessible to stakeholders than non-parent Board Members and consequently may be subjected to greater pressure or scrutiny. It can be the case that parent Board Members are sought out by parents focussed on securing the best outcome for their particular child or their particular issue rather than looking at the interests of the school as a whole. Parent Board Members often become targets for those with complaints, grievances or causes. This is a common issue for School Boards and requires clear guidelines to assist Board Members on how to deal with such situations.
There is no universal model of good governance for schools. There can’t be as every situation is different and what suits one school may not suit another. Rather, good governance requires a review of the particular school’s unique context and culture. A governance structure will only be effective if it acknowledges the environment and particular context within which the school operates.
Relevant factors for consideration include:
* The school’s core values, history and culture
* The objectives and strategic direction of the school
* Individual personalities
* Interests of key stakeholders
o Current students and parents
o Former students and parents
o Prospective students and parents
o Affiliates (eg religious association)
o Government funders
o Benefactors
o Staff
o Local community
o Other relevant groups
* The size of the school
* Availability of suitable Board members and other resources.
In addition, a school’s governance framework must be reviewed and adopted to reflect changing environmental factors. The framework that constitutes good corporate governance for a school will evolve in light of the changing circumstances of the school and must constantly be tailored to suit those particular circumstances.
Unlike traditional corporations, schools operate on a not-for-profit basis; its stakeholders have long term personal and emotional investments, relationships and friendships; participation in the school may cover many generations of family members; members of the Board participate on a voluntary basis; the school is engaged in the education, development and welfare of children; teachers are expected to be dedicated and provide a contribution well beyond the normal teaching day. Schools rely on family philanthropy, legacies and benefactors. It is not a simple matter for disaffected stakeholders to change allegiances. Changing schools can be a traumatic and expensive exercise.
It is pivotal to good governance that the Board recognises and manages the School’s main stakeholder groups. The management of stakeholders requires skill and tact and relationships must be delicately balanced at all times.
The main stakeholder groups are depicted in the following diagram:
Some experienced company directors have difficulty in adjusting to the non-commercial environment of the School Board. The members of the Board have a wide range of interests, specialities, skills and background. They may not have experience in the corporate boardroom. They may not be financially or commercially focussed. They may be educationalists or religious nominees or representatives of parent or affiliate groups. The goals of the school extend well beyond financial performance. The company director must understand that the School Board is a different environment.
Parents
It is often the case that parents of current students sit on the School Board. This brings both benefits and difficulties.
Parent Board Members are alive to the issues of the day and can provide important feedback to the Board. They are energetic and anxious to ensure that the school meets the current and future needs of the students.
By the same token, parent Board Members are usually more accessible to stakeholders than non-parent Board Members and consequently may be subjected to greater pressure or scrutiny. It can be the case that parent Board Members are sought out by parents focussed on securing the best outcome for their particular child or their particular issue rather than looking at the interests of the school as a whole. Parent Board Members often become targets for those with complaints, grievances or causes. This is a common issue for School Boards and requires clear guidelines to assist Board Members on how to deal with such situations.
There is no universal model of good governance for schools. There can’t be as every situation is different and what suits one school may not suit another. Rather, good governance requires a review of the particular school’s unique context and culture. A governance structure will only be effective if it acknowledges the environment and particular context within which the school operates.
Relevant factors for consideration include:
* The school’s core values, history and culture
* The objectives and strategic direction of the school
* Individual personalities
* Interests of key stakeholders
o Current students and parents
o Former students and parents
o Prospective students and parents
o Affiliates (eg religious association)
o Government funders
o Benefactors
o Staff
o Local community
o Other relevant groups
* The size of the school
* Availability of suitable Board members and other resources.
In addition, a school’s governance framework must be reviewed and adopted to reflect changing environmental factors. The framework that constitutes good corporate governance for a school will evolve in light of the changing circumstances of the school and must constantly be tailored to suit those particular circumstances.
The Impact of Foreign Aid and Governance Agenda on Bangladesh
"Many of the recent ideas and concepts of 'good governance' and 'civil society' in Bangladesh have been generated by the international aid agencies and their 'good governance' policy agenda through foreign aid in the 1990s. But there are also local meanings to the terms derived from the independence struggle and the construction of a Bangladeshi state. The paper aims to obtain a clearer analytical understanding of the processes and institutions of civil society in Bangladesh that can develop workable strategy to improve governance for helping the poor through poverty reduction and moving beyond the patron-client relationships on which they have historically depended. It also focuses attention and debate on those aspects of indigenous governance in Bangladesh which can enhance the quality of governance and democracy by overcoming the Western top-down approach; and can strengthen the role of civil society organizations to further enhance their impact on better governance for fair distribution of public goods and ensuring social justice for the poor."
Corporate Social Responsibility
Speaking at the Conférence de Montréal (International Economic Forum of the Americas) on social responsibility of businesses on 5 June 2006, Mr McKinnon pointed out that corporate social responsibility benefits employees and their families, the local community and environment, as well as society.
"It's measurable in the 'triple bottom line' of financial, social and environmental performance. It attracts and keeps good staff, builds reputations, differentiates brands, reinforces what we call the 'licence to operate'," stated the Secretary-General.
He said governments can play a role in implementing and enforcing legislation to support the principles and practices of corporate social responsibility, which involves contributing to local community development in places where businesses operate. He noted corporate social responsibility can be encouraged through regulations, penalties and public sector institutions that control business investment or operations. Setting clear policy frameworks to guide business investment in corporate social responsibility and advising on issues such as the disclosure of information, tax incentives and encouraging dialogue with a company's stakeholders, is another way.
Mr McKinnon stated that public resources can be combined with those of business to address corporate social responsibility issues. He added that public support will also go a long way in promoting corporate social responsibility that is being practised by individual companies.
The Secretary-General commended the UK-led Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative in which the Governments of Azerbaijan, Ghana, Kyrgyzstan and Nigeria commit to making public all their revenues for oil, gas and mining. He noted that some companies operating in Commonwealth countries have supported health care in the workplace and community, and offered scholarships for education and skills development.
Mr McKinnon stressed that both corporate governance and corporate social responsibility are significant drivers for economic development, with improved state enterprises leading to improved private enterprises.
In a separate forum on 'Governance and Leadership in Africa' that was held on the same day, the Secretary-General emphasised the importance of good governance and leadership in the development of the continent. While the international community had pledged last year to redouble its efforts for aid, debt relief and trade in Africa, Mr McKinnon highlighted Africa's commitment to plan and implement its own strategies to combat poverty, promote development and deepen democratisation. The aim was to provide just, efficient and transparent government across the continent to serve its citizens.
"Just as Africa was held back for a generation by despotic leaders and corrupt administrations, it now rejoices in a new generation of leaders and markedly better administrations," said the Secretary-General.
He stated that the Commonwealth works to support good governance in Africa through training programmes for public and private sector officials, and through the 'Good Offices' role of the Secretary-General by using diplomacy to prevent or resolve conflicts. He applauded the New Partnership for Africa's Development and its African Peer Review Mechanism but noted that less than half of the African Union countries have signed up to the latter -- with five of the 18 Commonwealth African countries yet to sign up.
Mr McKinnon said the Commonwealth is also promoting leadership in Africa through the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and the Commonwealth Youth Programme, which assist in capacity-building.
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