This post is a summary of two articles. The first with the title of, "Strengthening transparency and accountability for improved governance." Published in November 2012 at
http://publications.iadb.org/bitstream/handle/11319/665/Strengthening%20Transparency%20and%20Accountability%20for%20Improved%20Governance%2.pdf?. The second with the incomplete title above. It was published at http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/un/unpan010193.pdf
The countries of the Latin America consistently fall below global average on issues that affect the business climate and confidence in state institutions, which has a significant impact on their competitiveness. Diverse indicators in the region show a correlation between competitiveness and transparency policies, mechanisms for the prevention and control of corruption, and institutional capacity to audit public resources. It is therefore concerning that 48% of the population believes that what is missing from democracy is the reduction of corruption; that 44% have paid bribes to accelerate some transaction; and that 34% have done so to receive a public service. It is also worrisome that the control of corruption is weaker in the Latin America that in other regions. Corruption weakens economic and social development, as well as the credibility and legitimacy of democracy governance. Recognizing this reality,so the promotion of institutions that view transparency and accountability as useful tools to prevent and control corruption, and more improve quality and efficiency in the provision of public service should be a priority. With the support of the government of Norway, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has created the Transparency Fund. Its objective is to strengthen the institutional capacity of borrowing member countries, in order to support the design and the implementation of access to information and targeted transparency policies, mechanisms, and practices. Transparency builds citizenship. An open and transparent government is a tool for preventing and controlling corruption, but also because it strengthens democracy and improves the effectiveness of the state, especially in the provision of public services. Transparency transforms the bureaucratic culture by introducing discretionary counterweights. It improves efficiency and diminishes the possibilities of fraud and corruption in public management, by reducing the number of steps and transactions and maximizing the use of new technologies. Transparency enables accountability, as it promotes the ethic of public service in public administration, as well as citizens participation in the formulation of public policy. All of these characteristics help to promote a better government for the people.
Improved governance requires an integrated, long-term strategy built upon cooperation between government and citizens. It involves both participation and institutions. The rule of law, accountability, and transparency are technical issues, but also interactive to produce govenment that is legitimate, effective, and widely support by citizens, as well as a civil society that is strong, open, and capable of playing a positive role in politics and government. Good governance involves far more than the power of the state or the strength of political will. The rule of law, transparency ans accountability are outcomes of democratizing processes driven not only by committed leadership, but also by the participation of, and contention among, groups and interests in society. Most of the emphasis in the aftermath of political and economic transition has been upon participation in politics. Institutions are essential to sustain and restrain orderly boundaries between politics and economics, and to enable developing societies to shape their own destinies in a increasingly interdependent world. Many institutions will have the task of checking the excesses of the powerful in the name of ordinary citizens. That potential mismatch means that institutions must not only be well designed, but must also have support at all levels of society. State and society must be able to influence each other, policies must respond to social realities and demands. In attempting to improve policy and implementation it is tempting to rely too much on laws and top-down policymaking. Controls on administrative and personnel systems can become so strict that managers can not manage or get their programs implemented. The resulting inflexibility wastes resources, produces policies unresponsive to realities, and can increase corruption. There is a need for policies that increase the space for debate and consultation, and encourage innovation. The controversy that often accompany open debate may seem a problem. Too many reformers view governance primarily as a set of administrative tasks, and public participation as a process to be orchestrated from above via high-profile, but short-lived mass campaigns. Citizens have little opportunity or incentive to participate in any long-term way, or to link promises to the problems of their own communities. Civil society can and should help define the ends and means of governance, benefits from its success, and claim part of the credit for initiatives that turn out well. Public opinion matters in many ways. Survey and community meetings to identify what people believe about current state of affairs and expect are essential. So are sustained efforts to educate the public about key problems. Public education can also change citizens conduct by encouraging them to resist exploitation by officials or by other citizens and to file useful reports of problems. While coordination among segments of government is essential, it is only part of the picture. Government must also be able to check its own excesses. The judiciary is essential and if it is not independent of the government it will be ineffective. Similarly, executive agencies require oversight, and here legislative scrutiny and credible external "watchdogs" can enhance effective policy implementation and check abuses. An ombudsman system to which citizens can make complaints and reports may also be valuable, but citizens must be confindent that they will not face reprisals and that their reports will be take seriously. Better Governance will be attainable where it is not reduced to some sort of institutional "tool kit", or some set of specific policy goals alone, but rather is a long-term strategy to bring state and society closer together to build a standard of living that permits people and societies to realize their full potential. Even more important, good governance need not necessarily involve a expansion of the role of the state, its resources or its policy repertoire; the key, instead, is using human and material resources and opportunities wisely and with a long-term strategy in mind.
"Transparency is for governments and big organizations, privacy is for individuals."
Julian Assange
