Governance

Author: Susanne Schmeidl (with Masood Karokhail)
Publication Date: April 2009
Related Categories: Governance; Political Settlement
Read full text here: http://berghof-handbook.net/documents/publications/dialogue8_schmeidl_karokhail_comm.pdf

Relevance:
This paper challenges a dominant view among many donors: that a western vision of good governance can be established in poor and fragile states, as long as the effort to establish it is backed up by sufficient resources.  Drawing on the author’s experience of state building from the bottom up in Afghanistan, this article presents evidence that this standardised state-building approach has failed in a key theatre, and is likely to fail elsewhere. Hence, this article is important because it sugges... Read More

Publication Date:November 2010
Author:Lessons Team
Institution:Stabilisation Unit
Keywords:Governance, Community Engagement, Political Settlement
Download Full Text: Click Here 

Relevance:

This short paper is drawn from a larger paper, 'Top Lessons from Stabilisation Contexts', which contains eight similar lessons.  The lessons were drawn from experiences in several stabilisation environments, and summarise current thinking in the field.  The title of this paper summarises the conclusion, and there is an emphasis on the practical rather than the theoretical.

Key Issues:

Even when official governance structure... Read More

Author: Alex de Waal
Institution: Prospect
Publication Date: November 2009
Related Categories: Governance; Afghanistan

Read Full Text Here: http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/2009/11/the-price-of-peace/

Relevance:
This short article argues that NATO’s stabilisation effort is likely to fail because of a failure to understand the fundamental dynamics of Afghan politics. The author argues that successful stabilisation requires embracing patronage politics that are incompatible with the ongoing state-building agenda. The article provides a challenging perspective for anyone engaging in governance reforms in Afghanistan.

Key Issues:
The paper argues that the stabilisation approach taken in Afghanistan runs against th... Read More

Publication Date:October 2006
Author:Mick Moore and Graham Teskey
Institution:Dfid and Institute of Development Studies (IDS)
Keywords:Governance, Development
Read Full Text Here: http://www2.ids.ac.uk/gdr/cfs/pdfs/CARframeworkDRCweb.pdf

Relevance:

This key document was written to accompany the 2006 White Paper and succinctly explains the central concept in that paper: the Capability, Accountability and Responsiveness Framework, including what those three terms mean.  This short (7-page) paper is useful for anyone trying to understand what governance is about and how to apply it to a stabilisation setting.

Key Issues:

The paper tries to explain a new 'common language', used by governance advisors. &n... Read More

Publication Date: 2004
Author: Gretchen Helmke and Steven Levitsky
Institution:Perspectives on Politics
Keywords: Governance, Political Settlement
Read Full Text Here: http://www.wcfia.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/883__informal-institutions.pdf

Relevance:
This paper is about informal institutions - the unofficial conventions which shape behaviour and help determine how organisations, like governments, act.  As well as highlighting how important these informal institutions are, the paper offers some insights into how informal institutions can be categorised and analysed.

Key Issues:

This paper starts with a useful discussion of what an institution is, offering ... Read More

Author: Lessons Team
Publication Date: 2010
Institution: Stabilisation Unit
Keywords: Governance
Download Full Text: Click Here

Relevance:

This is a Stabilisation Issue Note - one of a series of short papers prepared by the Stabilisation Unit intended to summarise the current state of thinking in a particular area.  Although not ‘HMG policy', it is a useful starting point for people to understand some of the key issues in this area and their relative importance. 

Key Issues:

The single most important lesson this Stabilisation Issue Note makes clear is that there is no 'one-size fits all' app... Read More

Author: Hazel Sophia Gray and Mushtaq Husain Khan
Publication Date: 2010
Related Categories: Governance; Political Settlement
Read full text here: http://eprints.soas.ac.uk/9856/1/AfricaGovernance.pdf

Relevance:
This paper is important because it challenges a prevailing orthodoxy – the view that free markets and accountable, democratic state structures are mutually supportive, and that both contribute to economic growth.  Instead, it suggests loosening government restrictions on the economy reduces the political space for governance discussions, thereby losing opportunities for building a more responsive state.  One of the authors, Mushtaq Khan, is famous for pioneering the concept of a political settlement.

Key Issues:
This paper asser... Read More

Publication Date: December 2010
Author: Jacleen Mowery, Demis Yanco and Ryan McClanahan
Institution: United States Institute for Peace (USIP)
Keywords:Governance, Conflict, Stabilisation
Read Full Text Here: http://www.usip.org/files/resources/PB71-Conflict_and_Post-Conflict_Governance.pdf

Relevance:
This short paper summarises the results of a recent conference which, crucially, invited the recipients of governance efforts to recount their view of assistance from outside.  United States Institute for Peace (USIP) have a long and respected heritage in governance and conflict work, making this an important summary. 

Key Issues:
People in countries which receive governance assi... Read More

Publication Date:August 2010
Author:Adrian Leftwich and Kunal Sen
Institution:Improving Institutions for Pro-Poor Growth (IPPG)
Keywords:Governance, Multinational / International Institutions, Political Settlement
Read Full Text Here: http://www.ippg.org.uk/8933_Beyond%20Institutions.final%20(1).pdf

Relevance:

This paper, as the title implies, goes beyond institutions.  Examining research work on institutions in several countries, it draws out conclusions which are relevant for governance and development actors in both development and stabilisation settings.  Most importantly, this paper reminds practitioners that we often need to look beyond the formal state structures to find out what is really going on in a country, especially o... Read More

Author: M. Moore
Publication Date: April 2010
Related Themes: Governance, Political Settlement
Read full text here: http://www2.ids.ac.uk/futurestate/pdfs/AnUpside-downViewofGovernance.pdf

Relevance:
This document is produced by the Centre for the Future State, an organisation which has been set up to harness research skills on development in order to assist practitioners in their policy approach and would therefore be of interest to external actors in the donor community looking at the challenges in governance posed by weak or ‘fragile’ states. It is important because it suggests a radically different – but very useful – approach to governance work.

Key Issues:
The paper incites practitioners of development ... Read More