CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON GOOD GOVERNANCE - short syllabus (full version available on e-learning) -

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1 CENTRAL EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC POLICY, ACADEMIC YEAR 2012/13 CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON GOOD GOVERNANCE - short syllabus (full version available on e-learning) - Instructor: Class times: Office hours: Credits: Andreea Nastase TBA TBA 2 credits Requirements Participation: 20% Seminar presentation: 30% Project report: 50% INTRODUCTION AND COURSE DESCRIPTION Over the past two decades, good governance has become a popular shorthand way of describing a variety of desirable features of political regimes, such as: political stability, popular voice and participation, effectiveness in service delivery, transparency, accountability, and the rule of law. Notwithstanding the fuzzy list-like definition(s), good governance is nowadays a guiding principle in the relationship between donor agencies to recipient countries, and determines the flow of international aid. It is also a subject of academic debate in political science, economics, and public administration. Proponents advocate good governance not only as a goal in itself, but as a means to a variety of worthy outcomes, in particular economic growth and development. Opponents point out to Western-centrism and lack of usefulness in this agenda good governance is like telling developing countries that the way to develop is to become developed (Andrews 2008: 380). This course offers a critical insight into the conceptual debates, dilemmas and policy practices associated to the quality of governance. The empirical focus is on the local government level, often thought to be closer to the people, and therefore more conducive to good governance. The course has three parts: The first part (Day 1) deals with general conceptual matters, exploring the meaning and uses of good governance, and the mechanisms by which (political, administrative and fiscal) decentralization can contribute to good governance; In the second part (Days 2-4) some of the most important items on the good governance list will be explored individually: participation and government responsiveness; transparency and accountability; the rule of law and the fight against corruption. Each day begins with a theoretical session, followed by one or two detailed case studies, which offer a practical illustration on relevant policy instruments, tools and approaches. In the third and final part (Day 5) we wrap up the course with a workshop session in which students discuss their individual projects, and reflection on the divergence between the good governance discourse and its record in policy practice.

2 This is a practice-oriented course. It aims not only to help students develop a systematic and critical understanding of the conceptual and theoretical elements in the good governance debate, but also to familiarize them with real-world policy interventions, to develop their ability to critically assess what works and what does not, and to think creatively about policy solutions. READINGS, OTHER RESOURCES, AND ATTENDANCE POLICY An electronic reader has been compiled for this course, and will be available online through the CEU e-learning platform. It is expected that course participants read the texts marked as required readings prior to each class. This short version of the syllabus presents only the required readings. The long version, available on e-learning, additionally contains a number of recommended readings / additional resources for each session, plus a list of general interest books and online resources. Seminars will be discussion-based, therefore course participants are strongly encouraged to contribute to the debate in class. Attendance is mandatory. Students may miss classes for an excuse only, and must let the instructor know in advance via , and bring a doctor's note regarding the absence at the earliest possible time. Missing more than two classes without an immediate valid excuse may result in failing the course. ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT Assessment is based on: 1. Participation: seminar attendance, demonstration of engagement with the assigned readings, active and informed participation in class discussions, demonstrating analytical insight; 2. Seminar presentation: in teams or individually (depending on class size), students will prepare and deliver a presentation on one of the case studies assigned as required reading. The presentation should provide a factual overview of the case, as well as a critical assessment of it, relating mainly (but not exclusively) to its success/ failure, and the prospects of reproducing the policy intervention in different contexts. Presenters should also prepare questions for classroom discussion, which they will moderate. Presentations should not be longer than 25 minutes, unless otherwise negotiated with the instructor. This assignment will be assessed on the accuracy, clarity and originality of the arguments, the degree to which it stimulates classroom discussion, and time-keeping. 3. Project report/ written assignment: for this assignment, students have two options: 1) to develop a project proposal or 2) to analyse an implemented project. Regardless of the choice, the project should be one aimed at promoting the quality of governance (broadly understood), be implemented at local government level, and preferably employ at least one of the policy instruments/methodologies discussed during the course. The project report should cover the following aspects: the problem addressed by the project; the project objectives; an explanation of the proposed intervention, including an action plan; (expected) results; and assessment of opportunities & threats/ causes of success & failure. Detailed guidelines and a template will be provided on the e-learning platform, and discussed in class. The length of this assignment is between words. The assessment will be graded on the following criteria: clarity and consistency of the analysis; convincing argumentation; adequacy and comprehensiveness of background research; effective use of evidence; a clear and balanced structure; style, grammatical and linguistic quality. All written assignments must be original, i.e. produced exclusively by the student who submits the work. Proper references should be provided for all sources. A text reproduction which is not clearly identified and attributed to an original source will be considered plagiarism. Written assignments should be submitted through the e-learning platform; late assignments will be downgraded by a third of a letter

3 grade per day of delay. OVERVIEW OF SESSIONS Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 1. Introduction: Defining good governance 2. Decentralization and the promise of good governance 3. Participation, community empowerment and deep democracy 4. Case study: Participatory planning and development in Kerala, India 5. Case study: Participatory digital mapping in slum communities (Kibera, Nairobi) 6. The power of information: transparency for accountability 7. Case study: Public Expenditure Tracking Systems (PETS) in Uganda 8. The rule of law and the fight against corruption 9. Case study: Fighting corruption in La Paz, Bolivia 10. Skills-building session: introduction to project writing 11. Workshop session 12. Conclusion COURSE STRUCTURE IN DETAIL 1. Introduction: Defining good governance What is good governance? How was the concept introduced, and how did it evolve on the international development agenda? How realistic or useful is it? What are the alternatives? Grindle, Merilee S Good Enough Governance: Poverty Reduction and Reform in Developing Countries. Governance 17 (4) (October 1): doi: /j x. 2. Decentralization and the promise of good governance Types of decentralization - political, administrative & fiscal. Is governance closer to the people better governance? When does decentralization succeed? Grindle, Merilee S Chapter 1: Going Local: Governance on the Line, in Going Local: Decentralization, Democratization and the Promise of Good Governance, Princeton: Princeton University Press, pp Participation, community empowerment and deep democracy What is the role of citizen participation and deliberation in modern governance and policy making? The limits of representative democracy and techno-bureaucratic administration. Types of participatory tools. Does participation (always) result in government responsiveness & efficiency? Alternative routes to community empowerment.

4 Fung, Archon Democratizing the Policy Process, in Michael Moran, Martin Rein and Robert E. Goodin (eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Public Policy, New York : Oxford University Press, pp Case study: Participatory planning and development in Kerala, India This case study describes how local governments in the Indian state of Kerala are formulating their own development plans. The production of these plans involves a multi-stage process of iterated deliberation between elected representatives, local and higher-level government officials, civil society experts and activists, and ordinary citizens. T.M. Thomas Isaac and Patrick Heller Democracy and Development: Decentralized Planning in Kerala, in Archon Fung and Erik Olin Wright (eds.) Deepening Democracy: Institutional Innovations in Empowered Participatory Governance, pp Case study: Participatory digital mapping in slum communities (Kibera, Nairobi) Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya, is one of the the largest slums in Africa; up until November 2009, it was a blank spot on the map. This case study describes the project Map Kibera, where a group of young local volunteers were trained to use GIS technology, and managed to create the first free and open digital map of their own community. Map Kibera has now grown into a complete interactive community information project. Required readings: Davis, Mike Planet of Slums. New Perspectives Quarterly 23 (2) (March 1): doi: /j x. Hagen, Erica Mapping Change: Community Information Empowerment in Kibera (Innovations Case Narrative: Map Kibera). Innovations: Technology, Governance, Globalization 6 (1) (January 1): doi: /inov_a_ The power of information: transparency for accountability Transparency and the power of sunshine. When is transparency an efficient means of holding governments accountable? Types of transparency & types of accountability. Required readings: Fox, Jonathan The Uncertain Relationship Between Transparency and Accountability. Development in Practice 17 (4-5) (August 1): doi: / Fung, Archon, Mary Graham, David Weil, and Elena Fagotto Transparency Policies: Two Possible Futures, Taubman Policy Brief PB Case study: Public Expenditure Tracking Systems (PETS) in Uganda A Public Expenditure Tracking System is a method used to study the flow of public funds from a nation s treasury down to the service delivery unit, where it is supposed to be spent. This case study describes the application and impact of a series of PETS in Uganda, where, despite large increases in funding of the primary education sector, there did not appear to be significant improvement in the nation s primary schools.

5 Reinikka, Ritva and Jakob Svensson How Corruption Affects Service Delivery and What Can Be Done About it, in Susan Rose-Ackerman (eds.) International Handbook on the Economics of Corruption, Cheltenham, UK ; Northampton, MA : Edward Elgar, pp The rule of law and the fight against corruption The definition(s) of corruption. Causes and consequences. How does corruption affect development? Some solutions to curtail corruption. Amundsen, Inge Political corruption: an introduction to the issues. Bergen: Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI Working Paper WP 1999:7). 9. Case study: Fighting corruption in La Paz, Bolivia This case describes the efforts of Mayor Ronald MacLean-Abaroa to understand how and why corruption has taken root in the city government of La Paz, Bolivia, and to devise a strategy to uproot it. Corruption in La Paz: A Mayor Fights City Hall, Kennedy School of Government Case Program C Introduction to project writing This session will introduce students to the basics of writing a project proposal. The skills gained here will be used to develop the written assignment of this course. TBA 11. Workshop session This session is reserved for discussing the students' proposals for the written assignment. Each student will briefly (5-10 minutes) present their project idea, and will receive feedback and suggestions from the instructor, as well as fellow course participants. 12. Conclusion & guest lecture by Stefan Cibian (TBC) no readings for this class