Right to Information: A Tool to Good Governance through Transparency Dr. P.K. Mohanty Joint Secretary & Mission Director (JNNURM) Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation, Government of India, New Delhi

Market : Creating opportunities for people Civil Society : Mobilising peoples’ participation State: Creating a favourable political, legal & economic environment Governance: Three Key Actors

Governance: Interplay of Multiple Interfaces State Market Civil society Employer Organizations, Trade Unions, etc. NGOs, Cooperatives, etc. Private Voluntary Organizations etc. State: Legislature, Executive & Judiciary Market: Private Sector Civil Society: Peoples’ Institutions

Addressing Governance Governance: “Exercise of political, economic and administrative authority in the management of a country’s affairs at all levels, including social and economic resources.” “Comprises mechanisms, processes and institutions through which citizens & groups articulate their interests, exercise their legal rights, meet their obligations and mediate their differences.”

Dimensions of Governance Exercise of authority: political, administrative and economic Use of inputs - resources: social, economic, human Outcomes: social, economic, human development Delivery mechanisms and processes Institutions: formal and informal Participation of citizens and groups Mediation and conflict resolution mechanisms Institutional and managerial capacity to govern

The Good Governance Paradigm Good Governance Strategic Vision & Consensus Orientation Good Governance Accountable Responsive Transparent Equitable & Inclusive Effective & Efficient Rule of Law Participatory

Service Delivery: Three Key Elements Policy-making Implementation Assessment

Improving Service Delivery: A Framework Adopting a Holistic Approach Enhancing Accountability Focusing Governance on the People Improving Performance Targeting the Poor & Disadvantaged Ushering in Transparency

Improving Service Delivery: Adopting a Holistic Approach STAFF SKILLS SHARED VALUES STYLE SITUATION STRUCTURE STRATEGY SYSTEMS & PROCESSES

People First: Centering Governance on People Consultation: People should be consulted regarding service levels & service quality Service Standards: People must be made aware of what to expect in terms of level and quality of services Access: People should have equal access to the services to which they are entitled Courtesy: People should be treated with courtesy and consideration Information: People must receive full and accurate information about their services

People First: Centering Governance on People Openness and Transparency: People should be informed about the operation, budget and management structures of government departments Redress: People are entitled to an apology, explanation and remedial action if the promised standard of service is not delivered Value for Money: Public services should be provided economically and efficiently Contd…..

The Customer is Right Rule No. 1 The customer is always right. Rule No. 2 If you find the customer is wrong then return immediately to Rule 1. Stew Leonard

Dimensions of Accountability Legal Accountability Performance Accountability Financial Accountability Public Accountability Adherence and conformance to legal and administrative rules, code of conduct etc. How responsive and accountable are power holders to their clients and citizens How power holders manage public funds Meeting specified performance standards and targets based on verifiable indicators

Enhancing Public Accountability: Nurturing & Sharing Values Probity Objectivity Selfless Ness Openness Account- Ability Leadership Honesty Integrity

Improving Performance “Government is famous for endless figures and forms. To an outsider, it seems like an industry that pays an enormous amount of attention to numbers. People in government are always counting something or churning out some statistical report. But most of this counting is focused on inputs; how much is spent, how many are served, level of service each person receives. Very seldom does it focus on outcomes, on results ” David Osborne and Ted Gaebler; Reinventing Government, 1992

Why Measure Performance? What gets measured gets done. If you don’t measure results, you cant tell success form failure. If you can’t see success, you can’t reward it. If you can’t reward success, you are probably rewarding failure. If you can’t see success, you can’t learn from it If you can’t recognize failure, you can’t correct it. If you can demonstrate results, you can win public support. Osborne & Gaebler, 1992

INPUTS PROCESSES OUTPUTS OUTCOMES EXTERNAL Performance Measurement Framework: Outlay-Output-Outcome Linkages

Planning Process Development Priorities & Objectives Review & Measure Performance Key Performance Indicators Measurable Targets Monitor Performance Community Participation Community Participations Instituting Performance Management Draw Lessons Report Improve Performance

Importance of Knowledge

Right to Information Act 2005: Promoting Good Governance through Transparency Any body owned, controlled or substantially financed directly or indirectly by Government’ – defined as a public authority Information includes that “relating to a private body which can be accessed by a public authority under any other law for the time being in force” Section 4 (1)b of RTI Act – Suo motu Disclosure on 17 Items Disposal of Information Requests Central & State Information Commissions Information Commission’s Report to Legislature Annual Disclosure by all Public Authorities

Role of ICT in Information Management & Good Governance Demystifying Opaque Government Processes and Procedures Effective Information Management for Decision- making & Implementation Promoting One Stop-shop Service Delivery & Reducing Direct Interface between Service- providers and Citizens Improving Tracking of Performance, Enhancing Accountability and Transparency

Right to Information: A Central Piece in Good Governance Transform Conform Perform Inform Reform Form

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