Editorial – July 24, 2015 :
-Towards Improved Governance:
Good governance is an ideal which is difficult to achieve in its totality. Governance typically involves well-intentioned people who bring their ideas, experiences, preferences and other human strengths and shortcomings to the policy-making table. Good governance is achieved through an on-going discourse that attempts to capture all of the considerations involved in assuring that stakeholder interests are addressed and reflected in policy initiatives.
How much do we all understand about good governance? There are eight pointers on what should constitute good governance. Anyone can determine how the UK and Montserrat stack up. See how it matches the understandings you and your friends have.
Good governance is responsive to the present and future needs of the organization, exercises prudence in policy-setting and decision-making, and that the best interests of all stakeholders are taken into account.
Here is something that is a major inhibitor of Good Governance. We believe that any country that speaks of excellence in any sphere of life or being must accept that ‘the order of good governance’ must exist. Excellence seems unfortunately to be a bad word in Montserrat, because ‘mediocrity reigns’.
Also anyone who talks and genuinely wants to attain sustainable (human) development, we agree actions must be taken to work towards this ideal with the aim of making it a reality. That doesn’t seem so difficult, but how many generations must go by, before there is the desire. If you argue there is, talk is not enough, be that generation, be counted.
Two years ago we ran several discussions on this topic, but because it is soooo relevant today, so critically important, we want to highlight it again. What we are experiencing today and continue to practice is ‘Extremely poor governance’.
Here are some briefs on what we highlighted back then as to what makes up Good Governance
Effectiveness and efficiency – Good governance means that processes and institutions produce results that meet the needs of society while making the best use of resources at their disposal.
Accountability – Accountability is a key requirement of good governance. Not only governmental institutions but also the private sector and civil society organizations must be accountable to the public and to their institutional stakeholders.
Participation – Participation by both men and women is a key cornerstone of good governance.
Rule of Law
Good governance requires fair legal frameworks that are enforced by an impartial regulatory body, for the full protection of stakeholders.
Transparency
Transparency means that information should be provided in easily understandable forms and media;
Responsiveness
Good governance requires that organizations and their processes are designed to serve the best interests of stakeholders within a reasonable timeframe.
Consensus Oriented
Good governance requires consultation to understand the different interests of stakeholders in order to reach a broad consensus of what is in the best interest of the entire stakeholder group and how this can be achieved in a sustainable and prudent manner.
Equity and Inclusiveness
The organization that provides the opportunity for its stakeholders to maintain, enhance, or generally improve their well-being provides the most compelling message regarding its reason for existence and value to society.
More on this to come – all must be in concert with this or else the doom we fear, if we have the consciousness of progress, will land us much farther away from the self reliance we pretend to want and is pretended to be given.
