Good Governance

These guidelines provide supplementary examples and advice for programmes implementing the DCED Standard in conflict affected environments. They outline the challenges that programmes may face when implementing each of the eight elements of the Standard, and give practice guidance for results measurement in these contexts. ...

This report examines the extent to which RCTs have been used successfully to measure empowerment and accountability processes and programmes. Field experiments present immense opportunities, but the report cautions that they are more suited to measuring short-term results with short causal chains and less suitable for complex interventions....

Dear Colleagues/Experts,       The International Peace and Development Training Center (IPDTC) is inviting expert professionals, policy makers and practitioners for its upcoming Autumn Programs. The programmes are designed for UN agencies, governments and national and international organisations....

In April 2006, violent clashes relating to artisinal mining resulted in four deaths. In response to this incident and the general increase in tensions and conflicts over resource access and trade, the former Vice-Governor of Katanga, His Excellency Chikex Diemu, requested assistance....

In 1995, the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) and The Centre for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA) began working in partnership to manage the “Promoting Women in Development” (PROWID) grants program, funded by the Office of Women in Development at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)....

This Issue of Accord draws on multiple perspectives from across societies in both countries to explore comparative lessons and examine progress, building on analysis and recommendations from previous Accord publications on Liberia (Issue 1: 1996) and Sierra Leone (Issue 9: 2000) [see BOX 1]....

Accountability and transparency initiatives have taken democratisation, governance, aid and development circles by storm since the turn of the century. Many actors involved with them – as donors, funders, programme managers, implementers and researchers – are now keen to know more about what these initiatives are achieving....

The project ―Kosovo Youth for Democracy and Peace building‖ started in January 2010, when CCG in partnership with YMCA has been granted funding by the European Comission, to target Kosovo youth from 15 to 22 years of age, coming from different ethnic communities and various municipalities throughtout the country and create awareness of the basic principles of democracy and human rights, as embedded in international treaties as well as Kosovo‘s constitution....

In October 2008, Search for Common Ground (SFCG) signed a nine month project with USAID to help ensure that Guinea’s upcoming legislative elections are held in a credible, participatory and transparent manner accepted by all. This grant received two extensions due to the evolving political context and the delays in the election calendar and will end in April 2011....

Citizens’ capacity to express and exercise their views is a vital part of poverty reduction. States that can be held accountable for their actions are more likely to respond to the different needs and demands of the public. Citizen voice and accountability (V&A) work has emerged as a priority in the international development agenda, and is part of the broader debate about the importance of governance in improving prospects for poor people....

These are several reasons for incorporating effective reporting procedures within the Governance and Transparency Fund (GTF). DFID is accountable to the UK Parliament for how it uses public funds. It must provide evidence that funds have been properly accounted for and used for the purposes intended....

A core group of DAC partners1 (Evaluation Core Group/ECG) is collaborating on a joint evaluation of development aid for strengthening Citizens’ Voice & Accountability. In the first phase of this evaluation a framework has been developed. A draft version of the framework was piloted in Benin and Nicaragua....

This glossary defines and discusses 20 core terms related to conflict transformation in the work of the Berghof Foundation. ...

We present in this text results of our investigation of poor state performance indexes (PSPIs), developed within the second phase of the Crisis States Programme. This investigation consists of a ‘critical moment’ (the analysis of current practices and identification of potential weak and strong points) and a ‘constructive moment’ (the proposal of potential solutions and of an agenda of research on open questions). ...

  The struggle against poverty is political and economic, but it is also a cultural struggle. Poverty is centrally related to voice, participation in public discourse, and access to the public sphere. This perspective requires a new approach from policymakers who need to understand poverty as a matter not only of economic factors, but also of voice and agency....

This guide introduces some of the best recent literature on the role of communication in governance. It highlights the major critical debates surrounding the relationship between communication, government accountability and responsiveness, and state-society relations in developing countries....

Media development seeks to support and promote a pluralistic, editorially independent and financially sustainable media sector. An independent media sector buttresses key governance goals such as voice, accountability, and transparency -- not through dissemination of messages about these issues, but through its very existence....

The importance of social accountability for development effectiveness has increasingly been acknowledged in recent years. This Trainer’s Guide focuses on the role of communication techniques and approaches for generating genuine citizen demand for accountability. Communication campaigns can motivate and activate citizens to stand up and hold their government accountable....

This guide puts forth a framework for naming outcomes associated with advocacy and policy as well as directions for evaluation design. It includes a broad range of methodologies, intensities, timeframes and purposes. ...

Practical advice for capturing and documenting influences and leverage in a Making Connections community. This guide provides clarification, concrete examples and suggested approaches for documentation of these often elusive concepts. ...