Dr. Md. Shairul Mashreque :
Reform policy conundrum in developing countries has been encapsulated by the influences of exogenous forces. Bangladesh is no exception. A plethora of studies and reports have been conducted with financial supports from the donor agencies to delve deeply into the operation of public service. Since 1989 with donors’ assistance to redynamize and revitalize public service. Despite active donors’ concerns reform efforts continued to stand at the God that fails.
Distressingly reforms for redynamizing public administration hardly achieved anything remarkable in fulfilling the aspiration of fast changing societies. The reason is perhaps that the reports of the reform commissions containing palliatives for shaping things properly and sensitizing large bureaucracies did not obtain proper institutional nourishment by due course of follow-up action. They were only partially implemented or shelved as secret documents. There are allegations that the ruling administrative elites always attempted to twist or distort the content of the report to protect vested interests and shun those recommendations that might have brought about qualitative changes in the existing order with the possibility of slashing undue privileges enjoyed by them. As a corollary to this manipulative design the rising expectation has turned into rising frustration. The gap between expectation and achievement has been increasing appallingly.
The new state of nation has quite a varied experience of governance reform as a large scale policy intervention over a last couple of decades. A common thread that appears in reform efforts is to create institutions in line with changing perspectives in governance to stand the test of time. For, management of public affairs with efficient public service and smart implementation of public policy warrant positive changes in governance.
Bangladesh won freedom out of sanguinary war of liberation in 1971. The ordinary masses of peasants and industrial workers and students have had a dream of emancipation from the process of semi-colonial exploitation. That is why they rallied behind a series of movements for democracy and parity organized by vernacular elites that in the long run culminated in a movement for self-determination. Spontaneity and enthusiasm coupled with pure patriotism prompted them to fight for freedom.
The present government has undertaken a host of schemes for social and economic transformations. Innovative ways of steering a fast changing society requires new public service which can cope with changed economic environment in the wake of globalization. The concept of new public service is replete with the concept of efficient public service. Good governance paradigm with the contours like New Public Management (NPM), Total quality management (TQM), Public-private partnership, open market operations, citizen’s charter, Electronic management etc. gratifying public interests as well as promoting consumerism demands well articulated public administration to be defined as bureaucracy in action (pro-active).
Governance refers to “all processes of governing, whether undertaken by a government, market or network, whether over a family, tribe, formal or informal organization or territory and whether through laws, norms, power or language.” It relates to “the processes of interaction and decision-making among the actors involved in a collective problem that lead to the creation, reinforcement, or reproduction of social norms and institutions. To distinguish the term governance from government: a government is a formal body invested with the authority to make decisions in a given political system. In this case the governance process, which includes all the actors involved in influencing the decision-making process (such as lobbies, parties, medias), is centered on the relevant “governing body”.
Governance is conceived merely as governing process. It involves only executive establishment for overall governing process for conducting the business of the government. Governance is a very general concept all with organizational contours. Governance is often defined with narrow connotation to mean ‘ a particular ‘level’ of governance associated with a type of organization (including public governance, global governance, non-profit governance, corporate governance, and project governance), a particular ‘field’ of governance associated with a type of activity or outcome (including environmental governance, internet governance, and information technology governance), or a particular ‘model’ of governance, often derived as an empirical or normative theory (including regulatory governance, participatory governance, multilevel governance, metagovernance, and collaborative governance).’
For ensuring governance operating public administration is enough. Yet public administration with preexisting obsolete structures cannot expect to ensure good governance. For good governance to have any meaning public administration must be redynanized through administrative reforms to fulfill the expectation of changing societies.
Good governance is absolutely client biasd. The most important actor in good governance is the client or the beneficiary of public policy The idea is that beneficiaries should play a more direct roles in decision-making process. ‘Good governance is an indeterminate term used in international development literature to describe various normative accounts of how public institutions ought to conduct public affairs and manage public resources. These normative accounts are often justified on the grounds that they are thought to be conducive to economic ends, such as the eradication of poverty and successful economic development. Unsurprisingly different organizations have defined governance and good governance differently to promote different normative ends.’
The World Bank (WB) defines good governance as: the manner in which power is exercised in the management of a country’s economic and social resources for development. It means a large set of worthy ideals – including transparency in public affairs, accountability of power-holders to citizens, ability of citizens to make demands, absence of corruption, freedom of enterprise, secure property rights and rule of law – are necessary conditions for development success, the answer is clearly no.
Governance of course with the addition of prefex ‘good’ is sine quanon for efficient development management. Development intervention through public policy is now a favorite of intellectual discussion as it very much concerns about institutional governance with the participation of the stakeholders to fulfill its desired objectives. Beneficiaries of public policy look to governing institutions both public and private for better service for ameliorating their socio-economic conditions
In the process of governance the government has to interact with civil societies and NGOs. In fact NGOs have long been handling their projects flowing from policy direction by structured flexibility approach, self-assessment mechanism, regular monitoring and intermittent change of techniques, if situation demands. This is really efficient and apt managing implementation. They are found working in an enabling working environment that they themselves created with participatory component, deentralization and motivation. In health care sector, for illustration, there has emerged some positive changes in health bevaviour. Based on the index of health development there has been astounding improvement in health awareness, especially awareness about STD/Hiv/AID, immunization, balanced diet and maternity services.
We may have much to take lessons from NGO’s health management projects. This is of course result-oriented. The paramedics are well trained health workers doing their utmost to the satisfaction of the people. The resource persons at the apex of project management treat things well in a professional manner.
NGOs like BRAC, CRITAS, ASA, Proshika, UNICEP etc. have come forward to enlighten our society with a sceme of non-formal education. They happen to address the issues of drop-outs. Thing is that, Formal education is not inclusive and participatory. The poor child is left out. He/she cannot benefit from formal schooling finding it hard to cope with a rigid institutional situation and the demands of close systen and thus drop out. All the same NGOs non-formal education has proved to be good alternative motivating the poor children. In fact, non-formal institutions like open air school, distant education and mobile schooling are most likely to cater to the needs of street children, maverick and vagrant.
The NGOs are complementing the government in the implementation of Child development polities. The major areas/sectors or policy goals are : ‘basic education’, ‘health and nutrition’, water and environmental sanitation’, ‘children in need of special protection’, ‘social integration, participation and cultural affairs’, and ‘information and communication’. The other goals are gender equity, elimination of child labor and children requiring special protection.
Most experts on child rights opine that child related policies concern about children development, their participation and their rights. Obviously we have a cluster of good laws and programmes in connection with child rights and development. Notwithstanding legislative measures and programmatic intervention the most vulnerable children continue to suffer manifold harassments and negligence. They are growing up on the margins of society in a state of neglect and deprivation, without educations, affection, care and guidance. Once a child takes to the street there is a strong possibility that the child, both girls and boys, may end up sexually abused and exploited. This is because survival becomes the sole priority – in the absence of alternatives, street children are forced to do anything, which keep them alive.
Society perceives the vulnerable children as children in difficult circumstances. Their vulnerability is at peak. This is due to the state of gap in existing laws and policies to protect their rights. There is no protection against child labour that may be termed as torture. ILO and Unicef advocate for measures to curb child labour. The UN Convention on Rights of the Child (UNCRC) has been universally ratified. The present government is actively considering formulation of a national child labour policy. It is, of course, a good move. We have a child policy. But we do not have child labour policy. We may contend that if there is child labour there must be a control mechanism to erase its evils through legislation and public policy. One may wonder whether all such policy and legislative measures will be mere paper tigers. We have laws to protect child workers from the deluge of exploitation. The problem lies with implementation. If antiquated legal procedures and codes framed during the colonial period come into conflict with a future child labour policy the implementation process will be in the dock.
Public policy is not self executing without the elements of good governance. True government exists. But good governance is missing. Governance has been defined by the World Bank as ‘the manner in which power is exercised in the management of country’s economic and social resources for development. UNDP programme’s policy documents define governance as ‘the exercise of economic, political and administrative authority to manage a country’s affairs at all levels. It comprises the mechanisms, processes and institutions, through which citizens and groups articulate their interests, exercises their legal rights, meet their obligations and mediate the differences. Based on this definitional premise governance may be defined as the manner in which beneficiaries of public policy obtain necessary service. The emphasis here is on broadening the scope of civil society, the presence of pubic discourse, which forges a symbiotic relationship between the authority and the public through share and care. It also means accountability and transparency somewhat reflecting the voice of mobilized groups and association. The formation of civil societies and citizen bodies are crucial here.
Good governance will not be a distant dream if the citizens are provided with accommodations. For the poor and fixed income groups possession of apartment is like possession of golden deer. Apartment culture in Dhaka and Chittagong has developed with high rise building mushrooming. Even due to escalating high rate per square feet it has been difficult for the most citizens doing white collar jobs to purchase a flat. Either the affluents or those sending remittance from abroad can afford to possess a flat or two or more. Rajuk and CDA offer plot for sale through lottery. Private companies like Purbachal, Jhilmil, Asian etc. some times draw our attention to the purchse of plot with easy installments. Even then there may be some cases of not getting plot or complete flat in due time. These problems, if found, must be addressed properly.
Under the building and construction act, all types of buildings including dwelling units and commercial establishment require a permit from RAJUK. Haphazard construction of buildings is going on unabated. A few persons comply with building codes. On the contrary it is easy to manage permit by exerting undue influence and by exploring any connections, kinship or fictive.
(Dr. Md. Shairul Mashreque is a Professor of Public Administration, University of Chittagong)
