A Users’ Guide to Measuring Local Governance - …

1 UNDP Oslo Governance CentreA Users Guide toMeasuring Local GovernanceA Users Guide to Measuring Local GovernanceUNDP Oslo Governance CentreA Users Guide toMeasuring Local GovernanceUNDP Oslo Governance Centre ContentsAcknowledgementsvAcronymsviIntro duction1 Chapter 1: Assessments of Local What is Local Governance ? Universal priorities for Local Measuring Local Why assessing Local Governance ? What can the assessment focus on? Understanding the normative foundation of Ensuring multi-stakeholder What kinds of indicators should be used? Selecting gender and poverty sensitive What kinds of data should be used? Key contextual factors influencing the policy impact of assessment results Using assessment results to strengthen downward and upward Institutional opportunities for policy uptake22 Chapter 2: Voices from the Choosing an appropriate assessment Dealing with complex Adapting tools to Local Managing a multiplicity of Maximizing participation in Incentives and sustainability30 Chapter 3: Case Studies35 Case Study 1:Facilitating commitment and involvement:The role of a Local government official35 Case Study 2:Moving from government to the concept of Governance :The role of a civil society activist37 Case Study 3:Balancing comparability with Local relevance:The role of a representative from a Local government association39 Case Study 4:Ensuring uptake of assessment findings in Local policy-making.

2 The role of a Local elected government official41 References43 Contents (continued)Source Guide45 How to use the Source Guide46 Summary matrix: Main features of tools profiled in the Source Guide49 Individual profiles of Governance Index (UN-HABITAT ) Governance Barometer (Impact Alliance) Governance for Local Development GOFORGOLD Index (Afghanistan) Democracy Assessment Guide (International IDEA) of Local Democratic Governance ( Tocqueville Research Centre & OSI) Guidelines for Local Governance Analysis (UNDP) Index (Indonesia, Kemitraan - Partnership) Municipal Performance MIDAMOS (Paraguay) of Democracy in Central America:System of Legal and Institutional Governance Indicators for Central America (Centro Estudios para el Futuro) lo Local Strategic Decentralization for Local Development (Mexico) of Europe s Guide to Developing Well-Being & Progress Indicators with Citizens - Application of the Governance Module in Timisoara (Romania) Report Cards (Public Affairs Centre, India) Audit of Local Governance (Bosnia and Herzegovina) Audit of Governance and Delivery of Public Services (Pakistan) Governance Self-Assessment (Bangladesh) for Local Development Index - GOFORDEV Index (Philippines) Informing Performance Based Grant Systems (UNCDF) Governance Performance Management System (Philippines) of Responsibility, Transparency and Accountability (Macedonia) of Municipal Transparency (Chile)

3 Integrity Initiative (Global Integrity) for the Assessment of Capacity of Municipalities in Turkey and the Western Balkans to Deliver Basic Services (UNDP)146 AcknowledgementsAUTHORSA lexandra WildeShipra NarangMarie LabergeLuisa MorettoEDITORJ oachim Nahem, UNDP Oslo Governance CentreACKNOWLEDGEMENTSWe are indebted to Nenad Rava and Andrew Nickson who contributed to earlier versions of this Guide ,and to Paul van Hoof (IDASA) who served as peer reviewer. We are also grateful to Lenni Montiel, UNDP(Democratic Governance Group) and Henrik Fredborg Larsen, UNDP (Bangkok Regional Centre) for theirvaluable , this Guide could not have been written without cooperation from our interviewees. We are grate-ful for their insights and honesty in speaking with OF INTERVIEWEES Bishnu Puri, National Programme Manager, UNCDF-Decentralized Financing and Development Programme (DFDP) Nepal Daniel Cravacuore, La Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Argentina Edgardo Bilsky, United Cities and Local Governments Fatmir Musa, UNDP Macedonia Gould Margot, Democracy Assessment and Analysis, International IDEA Ieva Lazareviciute, UNDP Brasil Irman Lanti, Indonesia Democracy Index.

4 UNDP Indonesia Janey Lawry-White, Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery, UNDP NY Krenar Loshi, UNDP Kosovo Laura Soria, Jefa Del Programo Urbano Nirinjaka Ramasinjatovo, Researcher/Trainer for the Local Governance Barometer Patrick Breard, expert on Governance Sugumi Tanaka, Urban Development Branch, UN-HABITAT Tomislav Novovic UNDP Serbia Tony Verheijen, World Bank Velibor Popovic, UNDP SerbiaA Users Guide to Measuring Local GovernancevAcronymsCRCC itizen Report Card CSOC ivil Society OrganizationDFIDD epartment for International DevelopmentFAOUN Food and Agriculture AgencyGOFORDEV Governance for Local Development GGIGood Governance IndexGOFORGOLDGood Governance for Local DevelopmentIDEAI nternational Institute for Democracy and Electoral AssistanceLGBL ocal Governance Barometer LGPMSL ocal Governance Performance Management System LGSAL ocal Governance Self-AssessmentLGUlocal government unit MCAM inimum Conditions of AccessMDGM illennium Development Goal NGONon-Governmental Organization NSON ational Statistical Office OECDO rganisation for Economic Cooperation and DevelopmentOECD-DACOECD-Development Assistance Committee OGCOslo Governance CentreOSIOpen Society InstitutePBGSP erformance

5 Based Grant SystemPMPerformance MeasureRRAR apid Rural AppraisalUCLGU nited Cities and Local GovernmentsUGIU rban Governance IndexUNUnited NationsUNCDFU nited Nations Capital Development FundUNDPU nited Nations Development ProgrammeUN-HABITATU nited Nations Human Settlements ProgrammeUSAIDU nited States Agency for International DevelopmentviUNDP Oslo Governance Centre A Users Guide to Measuring Local Governance1 IntroductionThis Guide is intended to respond to an increasing demand from UNDP Country Officesand a wide range of national stakeholders for guidance on the multiplicity of tools and methods that are being used to measure, assessand monitor Governance at the Local level. TheGuide uses the term Local Governance to cover therange of Governance issues that exist at the locallevel, including decentralisation of policies andprocesses, the roles and inter-relationships of different actors and institutions, Local democracyand Local government Guide combines a discussion of theoretical/conceptual issues relating to Local governancewith a review of past and ongoing Local Governance assessment initiatives.

6 The proliferationof different assessments and indicators has resulted in some confusion about which tools touse, how they should be applied and their weaknesses and Guide is essentially made up of two parts;the first part outlines what is meant by Local Governance and describes the kinds of issues,concepts and priorities for Local Governance thatexisting measurement and assessment tools tendto focus on. This first part also provides guidanceon challenges and opportunities for assessinglocal Governance . The guidance is based on directfeedback from users of assessment tools, a distillation of good practices, and four illustrativecase study second part is the Source Guide , which is aninventory of existing assessment tools andmethodologies.

7 At present, there is no resourcethat offers a global overview bringing together allexisting approaches, tools and methods in thisarea. The Source Guide is structured in a way toprovide detailed information on each tool,including: history, objectives, applicability, thetypes and sources of data used, methodologyused, key actors/stakeholders involved, the resultsreporting format, the gender and poverty focus (ifit has one), strengths and weaknesses, the coverage, timeline, the assumptions in the method,contact details and any supplementarytools/guidelines related to the particular instrument. The purpose of compiling and organising this information is to provide Local Governance actors and other stakeholdersengaged in strengthening Governance at the locallevel with a resource that can be drawn on fordeveloping new assessment tools or adaptingexisting assessment approaches to their specific contexts.

8 It is important to note that the Guidedoes not provide a new measurement or assessment methodology and it does not proposeany kind of a Guide is an important component of UNDP sbody of guidance on Measuring and assessingdemocratic Governance , developed as part ofUNDP s programme on Governance programme supports nationally ownedprocesses for assessing and Measuring democratic Governance and aims to facilitate the development of tools which have broad-basednational ownership, are pro-poor and gender-sensitive, and are designed to identify governanceweaknesses and capacity 2 UNDP Oslo Governance CentreWhat is the purpose of the Guide ?The purpose of this Guide is to compile existingknowledge on decentralization and Local Governance measurement and provide a platformfor understanding and navigating the array ofassessment tools that exist, focusing on particularissues such how to select amongst the existing (ordecide to design a new set of ) Local governanceindicators; how to deal with the preparation andlaunching of an assessment; how to ensure themost inclusive process in implementing an assessment; how to ensure that the assessment isrigorous and scientifically sound; what to do withthe results; and how to address problems of is the Guide for?

9 This Guide is primarily for Local and national stakeholders that are involved in Local assessmentinitiatives, and those who are working for relevantinternational, national and Local developmentpartners involved in such government officials,civil society organizations,media organizations,and multilateral and bilateral particular category is the one including various researchers and analysts. As our analysis indicated, depending on the case and their personal competencies, they can be considered specialist and/or simply more actively involved stakeholders. For instance,some of them are involved in data collection and analysis, but either through group discussions or by compiling existing data none of which requires deep knowledge and understanding of complex research techniques.

10 Therefore, it is up to each one of them to evaluate the value of this Guide for their current and future work. Assessments of Local Governance1 Assessments of Local GovernanceA Users Guide to Measuring Local What is Local Governance ? Governance is about the processes by which public policy decisions are made and implemented. It is the result of interactions,relationships and networks between the differentsectors (government, public sector, private sectorand civil society) and involves decisions,negotiation,and different power relationsbetween stakeholders to determine who getswhat, when and how. The relationships betweengovernment and different sectors of society determine how things are done, and how servicesare provided.