Institution building & good governance

Dealing with governance involves the analysis of the processes and systems by which a society or organisation operates and falls within international, national, regional and local contexts. Good governance embodies processes that are participatory, consensus oriented, accountable, transparent, responsive, effective and efficient, equitable and inclusive, and which follow the rule of law.

In the context of society, how it is organised and managed is fundamental to its success and the satisfaction of its citizens and for the most part intrinsic to the rule of law. Inherent in the understanding  of good governance in this sense are the principles of participation which should be informed and organised, mediation of the different interests in society to form a consensus that is not only concerned with the immediate but also the long term and is equitable and inclusive of all citizens. Society should be accountable to those affected by the decisions made or actions taken on its behalf, which requires a just and transparent framework (to include human rights protection) against which these can be taken within a reasonable timeframe, comprising laws and regulations which are enforceable through an independent judiciary and impartial and incorruptible police force. Furthermore, the decisions made and actions taken should be done so in an effective and efficient manner, that is to say, making the best use of the resources available to them, with a view to ensuring sustainability as much as possible.

In an institutional and organisational context, with their complexity growing and changing at an ever increasing rate both as much with respect to their internal structures (competing organisational models – internal vs external, project vs process based) as with regards to the internal culture (trade-offs between for example knowledge, change, efficiency and control), an organisation or institution without good governance is typically plagued with low staff morale and conflicting relationships that lead to poor performance, often a high staff turnover and an ineffective and potentially dysfunctional organisation. Common principles of good governance with respect to organisations and institutions centre around its health, effectiveness, adaptability and ability to change. It focuses the organisations purposes and outcomes and is about changing the informal and formal rules of the game, promoting organisation-wide values and principles, provide clearly defined functions and roles for personnel so that performance can be monitored and measured and lines of accountability are clear. Also inherent in the principles of good governance is the development of the capacity and capability of personnel at all levels not only to ensure they understand and are able to take informed and transparent decisions, are able to solve problems and manage risk but ultimately with a view to the organisation becoming more effective. Good governance also has the added value of improving staff morale and consequently retention.

The Institution Building and Good Governance Department is made up of two fundamental practice areas: Rule of Law and Public Sector Governance.  We deliver consulting services across a broad spectrum of activities, ranging from public administration reform, judicial reform, home affairs and border management as well as assisting in the strengthening of Civil Society and the move towards EU Integration and Donor co-ordination.
We provide our public sector clients with the expertise and tools required to manage reforms with a view to improving efficiency and effectiveness as well as increasing the quality of services for citizens. To this end, we advise government authorities at the central, regional and local levels on restructuring and re-organisation strategies and develop their change management capacities.