CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT IN

GOVERNANCE AND ITS IMPACT ON

NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

BY: Peter. K. Lolojih (PhD)

E-mail: lolojihpeter@yahoo.com

Mobile: 0955 831969 OR 0978 380372

THE BIG QUESTIONS

What is on the ground (Situational Analysis)?

On what issues should the citizenry be engaged?

What are the potential channels or catalysts of

engagement?

What would be the expected outcome/s of such

engagement?

OUTLINE OF THE PRESENTATION

Defining Governance, Government, and development;

Selected government measures to enhance good governance,

and development;

Civil Society;

Citizens as active participants in governance and development;

Proactive citizenry engagement in governance, and its impact on

development.

GOVERNANCE AND GOVERNMENT

Governance - neutral concept comprising of complex mechanisms, processes, relationships, and institutions through which citizens/groups articulate their interests, exercise their rights and obligations, and mediate their differences.

Governance – “the manner in which power is exercised in the management of a country’s economic and social development” (World Bank, 1994)

Governance - emphasises leadership >> the manner in which (state) political leaders manage, use (or misuse) power, whether to promote social and economic development or to pursue agendas that undermine such goals.

GOVERNANCE AND GOVERNMENT (Continued)

Government:

System by which a state or community is governed >> a

government as a group of people that has the power to rule in

a territory, according to the law >> territory may be a country,

state, province or region.

Economic governance:

The structure and functioning of the legal and social

institutions that support economic activity and economic

transactions by protecting property rights, enforcing

contracts, and taking collective action to provide physical and

organisational infrastructure – Dixit, 2009

GOVERNANCE AND GOVERNMENT (Continued)

Objectives of Economic Governance:

The promotion of macroeconomic policies to support

sustainable development

The implementation of transparent, predictable and credible

government economic policies

The promotion of sound public finance management

Fighting corruption and money laundering

Accelerating regional integration by participating in the

harmonization of monetary, trade and investment policies

amongst the participating states

GOOD GOVERNANCE

Good governance (good government)

Institution of fundamental changes in political and

administrative structures as a foundation for sustainable

development.

(i) Legitimacy of government: government that depends on the

existence of participatory processes and the consent of

those who are governed;

(ii) Accountability of political, and other officials of

government for their actions >> mechanisms to call

individuals and institutions to account;

GOOD GOVERNANCE (Continued)

(iii) Competence of government to formulate appropriate policies, make timely decisions, implement them effectively and deliver services;

(iv) Respect for human rights and rule of law >> guarantee individual/group rights and security, to provide a framework for economic and social activity and to allow and encourage all individuals to participate.

NB: Good governance Free of corruption/other criminal activities; access to education and health facilities; adequate nutritious food, shelter and safe drinking water; freedom of expression; unrestricted opportunities for citizen participation in the decision-making process

Which of the three statements is closet to your opinion? 1: Democracy is

preferable to any other kind of government. 2: In some circumstances, a

non-democratic government can be preferable. 3: For someone like me, it

doesn’t matter what kind of government we have.

75 70

64

80

90

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1999 2003 2005 2009 2012

Democracy preferable to any other kind of government

Overall, how satisfied are you with the way

democracy works in Zambia?

35 39

53 55

30

58 54

26

38

68

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

1999 2003 2005 2009 2012

Not at all/Not very satisfied Fairly/Very satisfied

DEVELOPMENT

DEFINING DEVELOPMENT (Turner and Hulme, 1997)

An economic component dealing with the creation of wealth and improved conditions of material life - equitably distributed;

A social ingredient measured as well-being in health, education, housing and employment;

A political dimension including such values as human rights, political freedom, enfranchisement, and some form of democracy;

A commitment to ecologically sound and sustainable development >> present generation does not undermine the position of future generations.

GOVERNANCE AND DEVELOPMENT

Some big questions

Governance:

Do citizens demand for democratic government, rule of law, freedom and rights, and responsiveness of government?

Does government supply democracy, rule of law, freedom and rights, and responsiveness?

Development:

What has been happening to poverty?

What has been happening to unemployment?

What has been happening to inequality?

SOME GOVERNMENT MEASURES TO ENHANCE

GOOD GOVERNANCE/DEVELOPMENT - ZAMBIA

National Integrity System - NIS;

Elective local councils;

Public Service Reform Programme (PSRP) >> PEMFA, PSM,

Decentralisation;

Constituency Development Fund (CDF)

National Decentralisation Policy

Integrity Committees.

MEASURES TO ENHANCE GOOD GOVERNANCE

DEVELOPMENT – ZAMBIA (Continued)

Core pillars of the NIS

Legislature

Executive

Judiciary

Auditor General

Ombudsman (Commission for Investigations chaired by the

Investigator General)

Watchdog institutions >> Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC),

Human Rights Commission, Electoral Commission, Anti-Money

Laundering Authority, Media and Civil society.

**NIS >> Create a more effective, fair, and efficient government

(good governance, rule of law, and sustainable development)

ELECTIVE LOCAL COUNCILS

City, Municipal, and District Councils

Some challenges:

Poor service delivery

Weak revenue base

Insufficient entrepreneurial spirit

Lack of equipment

Transparency and accountability

Insufficient public oversight

UNCOLLECTED SOLID WASTE

BLOCKED DRAINAGE

HOUSE “IN WATER”

PUBLIC SERVICE REFORM PROGRAMME (PSRP)

Public Expenditure Management and Financial Accountability

Improved public expenditure management through an integrated

and automated financial management system in order to ensure

efficient and effective utilization of public resources;

Strengthened internal controls throughout the public sector for

improved public expenditure management and financial

accountability; and

Enhanced external auditing function for improved accountability

and transparency in the utilization of public resources.

PUBLIC SERVICE MANAGEMENT (PSM)

Rightsizing >> government ministries and institutions have staffing complements which are appropriate to their agreed mandates and are affordable in relation to their respective budget ceilings;

Pay reform >> employee remuneration is related to the job and performance; the public service able to attract and retain essential staff; pay arrangements support and reinforce improved service delivery; and increases in pay levels are consistent with the resource envelope;

Service Delivery Improvement >> government ministries and institutions to manage performance effectively within an agreed framework of planned objectives and standards, and taking action to improve their capacity to deliver better services.;

Payroll management and establishment control >> Personnel emoluments and establishments for the public service are effectively managed and maintained at agreed levels.

Compared to one year ago, would you say corruption in

Zambia has increased, decreased or stayed the same? - 2009

58

13 13 9

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Increased a lot Increased alittle

Remained thesame

Decreased alittle/a lot

Extent of corruption compared to one year ago

How many of the following people do you think are involved in corruption,

or haven’t you heard enough about them to say: Members of Parliament;

Local Councillors; Government officials; Police; Tax officials; Judges and

Magistrates; Traditional leaders - 2009

6 7 4 4 4 9

26 28

38

50

36

24

50 51 44

36 39

52

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

None of them Most/All of them Some of them

How many of the following people do you think are involved in corruption,

or haven’t you heard enough about them to say: Members of Parliament;

Local Councillors; Government officials; Police; Tax officials; Judges and

Magistrates - 2012

11 11 8 6.5 9 13

24 28 28

48

23 22

60 56 60

42

53 56

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

None of them Most/All of them Some of them

How many of the following people do you think are involved in corruption,

or haven’t you heard enough about them to say: Members of Parliament;

Local Councillors; Government officials; Police; Tax officials; Judges and

Magistrates – 2009/2012 (Most/All/Some of them)

76 79

82 86

75 75

84 84 88

90

76 78

65

70

75

80

85

90

95

2009 2012

How well or badly would you say the current government is handling

the following matters, or haven’t you heard enough to say: managing

the economy; improving living standards of the poor; creating jobs;

keeping prices down; narrowing gaps between rich and poor - 2009

74 84 86 90 89

23 15 13

9 9

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Managingeconomy

Improvingliving

standards

Creatingjobs

Keepingprices down

Narrowinggaps

Very/Fairly badly Fairly/Very well

How well or badly would you say the current government is handling

the following matters, or haven’t you heard enough to say: managing

the economy; improving living standards of the poor; creating jobs;

keeping prices down; narrowing gaps between rich and poor - 2012

34

55

64 64 66 62

43

33 34 29

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Managingeconomy

Improvingliving

standards

Creatingjobs

Keepingprices down

Narrowinggaps

Very/Fairly badly Fairly/Very well

How well or badly would you say your local government is handling the

following matters, or haven’t you heard enough about them to say:

Maintaining local roads; maintaining local market places; maintaining

health standards in public restaurants and food stalls; keeping community

clean; collecting license fees; collecting rates on privately owned houses -

2009

74 64

58 66

37 30

24 27 27 27 26 30

01020304050607080

Very/Fairly badly Fairly/Very well

CONSTITUENCY DEVELOPMENT FUND

(CDF)

CDFs go by different names in different places, and vary in their

precise functioning, but share some basic characteristics;

CDFs represent an additional (or parallel) set of funding for the

development of parliamentary constituencies ;

In most cases, the Member of Parliament (MP) from the

parliamentary constituency has a substantial role in determining how

and where these funds are spent.

CDFs tend to be managed with limited oversight or accountability.

BACKGROUND AND LITERATURE REVIEW (Continued)

Several arguments have been advanced in support of CDF or CDF-style of financing local development.

First, line ministries and local government have systematically failed to deliver basic services or infrastructure at the local level over a number of decades. It has been difficult to reform these institutions and make them more responsive to local needs.

CDFs, therefore, allow government to bypass inefficient local structures and deliver goods and services directly to constituents.

Second, MPs in some countries have argued that constituents expect their representatives to provide them with direct benefits, and CDF makes it easier for MPs to meet this expectation.

BACKGROUND AND LITERATURE REVIEW (Continued)

Some criticisms have been made against CDF or CDF-style financing of local development.

One major criticism questions the constitutionality of a program that gives MPs an executive spending role. Critics argue that this violates the constitutional principle of the separation of powers: the executive is supposed to spend money, and parliament is supposed to exercise oversight.

Proponents of this criticism argue that allowing MPs to directly control or influence spending violates this separation of powers and undermines the oversight role of parliament.

Some analysts question the allocative efficiency of CDF i.e. the degree to which it provides benefits to those for whom public expenditure is most important and desirable, such as the poor.

BACKGROUND AND LITERATURE REVIEW (Continued)

In Zambia, CDF was first approved by Parliament in 1995 to finance

micro-community projects with emphasis on poverty reduction.

Under this initiative, the government allocates development funds on

an annual basis to all Constituencies in the country. The CDF has

grown from K60 million in 2006 to K720 million per constituency in

2011 – now stands at K1.3 million.

Outside Zambia, CDFs have also been established in Malawi,

Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

CDF – An Assessment

Programme unknown to most “ordinary” residents;

CDF projects associated with personal funding from area Member of Parliament;

CDF highly politicised – MPs/Councillors dominate decision-making process

CDF process guidelines usually circumvented

Poor project quality

CDF impact compromised – too many unfinished projects

EXAMPLES OF PROBLEMATIC PROJECTS

REHABILITATION OF ABLUTION BLOCKS – NYIMBA

POLICE CAMP

BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION – KAOMA CENTRAL

EXAMPLES OF GOOD PROJECTS

KABANGA CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL - MAPATIZYA

KASHIKISHI NEW MARKET – NCHELENGE (Water reticulation)

NATIONAL DECENTRALIZATION POLICY

Some policy measures

Establishment of a comprehensive legal framework on

decentralisation

Devise formulae for disbursement of funds to Councils

Devise an appropriate formula for sharing national taxes

collected within the jurisdiction of local authorities >>

expand revenue base of local authorities

Election of the Mayor/Council Chairperson by universal

adult suffrage

Establishment of Sub-district structures

During the past year, how often have you contacted any of the

following persons about some important problem or to give them

your views: Local Councillor; MP; Government official; Religious

leader; Traditional ruler; Other influential person? - 2009

71

85 88

28

15 11

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Councillor MP Govt. official

Never Once/Few times/Often

During the past year, how often have you contacted any of the

following persons about some important problem or to give them

your views: Local Councillor; MP; Government official; Religious

leader; Traditional ruler; Other influential person? - 2012

77

89 92

23

11 8

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Councillor MP Govt. official

Never Once/Few times/Often

INTEGRITY COMMITTEES

Internal institutional committees - established in line with the Government programme contained in the National Anti-Corruption Policy (NACP) and relevant provisions of the Anti-Corruption Act No. 38 of 2010.

Charged with the mandate to spearhead the prevention of corruption within their sphere of control >> institutionalization of corruption prevention.

Channel for public to report cases of corruption/

Rationale >> public institution exists to serve the public. It is in the interest of the institutions, therefore, to ensure that they deliver on their respective mandates in an efficient and effective manner free of corruption.

INTEGRITY COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP (On average 4-5 members)

Chairperson – senior member of staff to facilitate direct reporting

to CEO

Other members – position held within institution very important,

senior members preferred to assert authority

Departmental representation – attention to departments prone to

corruption

Person regarded as honest

Hard worker/mature personality

THE COOPERATIVE MOVEMENT (Zambia)

After independence – development/structure and operations of cooperatives decisively influenced by the prevailing political and economic conditions;

1973 ZCF was formed as apex body for the Cooperative Movement;

1989 NAMBOARD was dissolved – its responsibility, asserts and liabilities transferred to ZCF;

Active role by government, through Department of Cooperatives to develop cooperatives:

a. stimulate membership among local communities;

b. equitably distribute financial resources to rural all areas;

c. use cooperatives as economic tools for quick development;

d. Use cooperatives as agents for the implementation of government policies.

THE COOPERATIVE MOVEMENT FOLLOWING

LIBERALISATION OF THE ECONOMY

Era of government sponsored/controlled cooperatives ended >> market reforms under Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) were adopted;

Movement generally weak, most cooperatives either dormant or non-performing;

Agricultural cooperatives lost the monopoly they had before liberalisation of the economy >> exposed to competition;

Most cooperatives do not seem to understand the seven cooperative principles:

- Voluntary and open membership; Democratic member control; Member economic participation; Autonomy and independence; Education, training and information; Cooperation among cooperatives; and Concern for the community.

Government’s decision in early 1990s assumed cooperatives will govern themselves;

CIVIL SOCIETY

NGOs/other CSOs

Global consensus that NGOs/CSOs have an important role to play as government partners in national development;

Perceived advantages of NGOs, over government, emanate from their small scale, flexibility & project orientation;

NGO legitimacy at grassroots level well established;

However, some potential constraining factors tend to inhibit rather than promote NGO-State relations;

To a large extent, the disposition of a given political regime determines the nature and scope of NGO-State relations.

NGOs/other CSOs

Zambia’s experience

Few NGOs/CSOs prior to the calls for the return to multiparty politics in 1990/91

1991-2001 >> period during which Many NGO/CSOs were formed/registered

“Jurisdiction” of NGOs/CSOs somewhat hazy and a source of concern especially in government circles

However, activities of NGOs/CSOs range from religion, health, agriculture to governance. Specifically:

- advocacy, lobbying, civic awareness programmes; and poverty alleviation

Generally, a number of NGOs/CSOs have had an influence on the country’s agenda for governance and development

THE WAY FORWARD

CITIZENS AS ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS IN

GOVERNANCE AND DEVELOPMENT The citizenry MUST be proactive to, among other things:

Demand for good governance – integrity, transparency and accountability in the administration of the country’s affairs;

Be “whistle blowers” in the fight against corruption and ethical misconduct;

Acquire knowledge on critical issues relating to how the country is governed, for example, on the Separation of powers, and appointments of Constitutional office bearers vis-à-vis their security of tenure;

Appreciate their role as principal players in the administration and management of local authorities;

Know provisions of the Local Government Act which are tailored to enhance public oversight on the administration of local authorities

CITIZENS AS ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS IN

GOVERNANCE AND DEVELOPMENT – (Continued)

The citizenry MUST be proactive to, among other things:

Understand and appreciate the intentions of proposed policy

reforms;

Appreciate the importance of and exercise their right to vote >>

quality leadership;

Appreciate the value of communing as well the role various

community groups, and professional bodies play in national

development;

CATALYSTS TO CITIZEN ACTIVISM

Appropriate MDAs of government

Elected representatives (MPs and Councillors)

Civil Society Organizations

Professional Associations

Zambia Cooperative Federation (ZCF)

National Farmers Union

IMPACT OF A PROACTIVE CITIZENRY

ENGAGEMENT IN GOVERNANCE, AND IT’S

IMPACT ON NATIONALDEVELOPMENT

Enhanced legitimacy of government;

Enhanced transparency and accountability in the running of public institutions;

Effective governance of the state anchored on the participation of an informed citizenry;

Increased food security and social protection resulting from active and genuine participation in government supported programmes such as the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP), and the Social Cash Transfer (SCT);

High quality political representation – national/local levels;

IMPACT OF A PROACTIVE CITIZENRY

ENGAGEMENT IN GOVERNANCE, AND IT’S

IMPACT ON NATIONALDEVELOPMENT

Effective prioritising of development options based on well-informed local/community needs;

Enhanced community understanding and appreciation of government’s challenges and prospects;

Government and the citizenry become genuine partners in the agenda for national development, based on mutual trust;

The citizenry will appreciate their role as custodians of public property – reduced vandalism;

Citizens will adequately demand democratic governance, rule of law, and rights >> government will strengthen relevant institutions to supply such demands.

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING