A Users' Guide to Measuring Local Governance

Summary matrix: Main features of tools profiled in the Source Guide (continued)
Tool
Cost-benefit
analysis
Purpose
Information
sources
Lead actor(s)
applying the tool
Explicit poverty
measures
Explicit gender
measures
Remarks
Approaches based on citizen perspectives
12
CITIZEN REPORT
CARDS (Public
Affairs Centre,
India)
Quick, cheap and
‘indicative’ findings
Both diagnostic and
CD to facilitate
engagement of
citizens in
governance
processes
Subjective sources
Both: Facilitated by
independent
organization or by a
representative
consortium of
stakeholders; report
card is designed by
both service
providers and users;
respondents are
users of services
(Potentially) both
disaggregated and
specific to the poor
(Potentially) both
disaggregated and
gender specific
Can be applied as
Community Score
Card as well using
focal groups in
stead of individuals
cost reduction but
less reliable
Strengths:
• Effective
diagnostic tool to
assess service
satisfaction
• In combination
with UGI/LGB a very
strong tool to assess
local governance
• Applied in many
countries
Weaknesses:
• Assesses actual
satisfaction against
unknown individual
benchmarks (if a
publicly known
service charter
doesn’t exist
13
SOCIAL AUDIT OF
LOCAL
GOVERNANCE
(Bosnia &
Herzegovina)
Longer, costlier and
more detailed/
reliable findings
Diagnostic Subjective sources External: Household
survey conducted
by independent
organization
No
Both disaggregated
and gender specific
• Combines service
satisfaction
assessment and
local governance
assessment
Strengths:
• Good as
diagnostic and
monitoring tool
Weaknesses:
• Still in
development (one
country application)
14
SOCIAL AUDIT OF
GOVERNENCE AND
DELIVERY OF
PUBLIC SERVICES
(Pakistan)
Longer, costlier and
more detailed/
reliable findings
Both diagnostic and
CD to facilitate
engagement of
citizens in
governance
processes
Mainly subjective
sources,
complemented by
some objectives
sources
Both: Both
government officials
/ service providers
and citizens serve as
facilitators of the
audit and as
respondents
Both disaggregated
and specific to the
poor
Both disaggregated
and gender specific
More or less similar
to the above
Strengths:
• Good as
diagnostic and
monitoring tool
• High level of
accuracy
Weaknesses:
• Still in
development (one
country application)
• Costs are very
high
15
LOCAL
GOVERNANCE
SELF-ASSESSMENT
(Bangladesh)
Quick, cheap and
‘indicative’ findings
Both diagnostic and
CD to facilitate
engagement of
citizens in
governance
processes
Mainly subjective
Both: Facilitated by
independent NGO,
with participation
by both local
government and
citizens
Both disaggregated
and specific to the
poor
Both disaggregated
and gender specific
• Narrative report
• Mainly a dialogue
and CD tool
Strengths:
• Action oriented
Weaknesses:
• No indexation –
limited comparison
possible
54 UNDP Oslo Governance Centre