A Users' Guide to Measuring Local Governance

Box 4.
The Normative basis of the Good Governance for Local Development (GOFORGOLD) tool in
Afghanistan
The GOFORGOLD tool (see page 66 of the Source Guide) aims to provide a snapshot of governance at the sub-national
level, and more specifically, to help in monitoring the governance situation in the provinces, districts, municipalities, and
villages against benchmarks and governance indicators.
The GOFORGOLD indicators and reporting system is based in large measure on the UN-Habitat Urban Governance
Index (UGI), but has been customised in order to respond to the current national and local governance context in
Afghanistan. It is composed of 25 indicators, grouped under seven principles of good governance (representation,
participation, accountability, transparency, effectiveness, security and equity). These principles have been adopted by
Afghanistan’s Independent Directorate for Local Governance as part of its strategic framework. The overall conceptual
framework is provided by the MDGs.
1.7 Ensuring multi-stakeholder participation
Assessments differ considerably in regard to the
actors involved, as well as their different roles and
responsibilities in phases of the assessment
process. These phases are outlined in Box 5.
Stakeholders will be more active in some phases
than in others, depending on the assessment
approach and the origins and purposes of the
assessment. For each assessment tool in the
Source Guide, there is a description of the main
stakeholder roles.
Common stakeholders in most assessments of
local governance will include:
Local government representatives: local political
and administrative leaders are crucial for
launching, implementing and using governance
assessments. In many cases, local government will
be in the driving seat of the assessment process.
Local government representatives are especially
active in the partnership promoting, development,
action planning/dissemination and policy
implementation phases.
Central government representatives: central
government (e.g. the ministry/department
responsible for local government) is important in
assessments as it has a significant role to play in
capacity development of local authorities
including in the setting and maintaining of
standards of performance, monitoring, ensuring
the establishment of mechanisms of accountability,
and in the formulation and approval of local
government policy frameworks. The central
government may be especially active in the policy
implementation phase, integrating the assessment
results into its local government monitoring
mandate.
Local government associations: these are comprised
of local councils and express their collective voice
in the national arena. Some illustrative examples of
their roles and objectives include: shaping public
debate on local government issues, influencing
policy at the national level, supporting capacity
development that enables councils and their
partnerships to deliver services, and working to
enhance democratic accountability and
transparency in local government institutions.
Where these exist, they represent an important
stakeholder in assessments, especially in the
partnership promotion, development and policy
implementation phases.
Civil society organisations: the existence of a vibrant
and diverse civil society is an important indicator
of good local governance. CSOs also need to play
a role in the assessment process including
identifying and drawing attention to local
governance deficits as well as using their expertise
in data collection and analysis in the
implementation of the assessment. CSOs are
potentially active in every phase of the assessment
process.
Community based organisations (CBO): these are a
form of organised citizens and have a role in
mobilising local people around community
development actions and to act as a watchdog.
CBOs are also important for reflecting the views,
rights and interests of vulnerable or marginalised
groups in communities.
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