9
The Political Returns of Democratic Governance
preferred government responses and performance – in other words, the
demand and supply sides of governance.
IRI’s approach to democratic governance programming is inherently
dual focused, recognizing a supply as well as a demand side to the
governance equation and focusing on building the capacity of each side
to fulfill roles and responsibilties. The
demand
side of programming
promotes local demands for governance, while the
supply
side
strengthens the capacity of local government. The project components
are defined in large part through initial base-line surveys of needs
and opportunities. How these are addressed becomes the foundation
for a creative interplay between civil society and local government
structures. Achievements are based on positive performance from both
constituencies.
In practice, what does this look like? Figure 3 provides specific
programmatic examples. These underscore: 1) the detailed work that
is involved in local governance, 2) the level of direct engagement by
citizens and their government, 3) the scale of effort required to achieve
results, 4) the particular role that communications in all forms play in
modern governance, and 5) the measurable impact on communities
that sustained initiatives can demonstrate. In short, here lie the political
returns of democratic, local, governance:
• The more
local
focus reinforces the momentum for
accessibility
of
government by citizens.
• This strengthens the impetus for greater
accountability
of those
elected by the people.
• It is likely to encourage a wider circle of citizen engagement, in
effect, broader
inclusiveness
.
• More accessible and accountable governance means a more
responsive
government and leads to a more
transparent
one.
The Bolivia case study shows increased government responsiveness to
citizen priorities. In the Colombian case, attention is drawn to ensuring
greater transparency in the manner government delivers services. In the
