A Users' Guide to Measuring Local Governance
A Users' Guide to Measuring Local Governance
A Users' Guide to Measuring Local Governance
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1<br />
Urban <strong>Governance</strong> Index<br />
Producer<br />
UN-HABITAT<br />
His<strong>to</strong>ry<br />
The Urban <strong>Governance</strong> Index (UGI) was developed<br />
as an advocacy and capacity development <strong>to</strong>ol<br />
under the umbrella of UN-HABITAT’s Global<br />
Campaign on Urban <strong>Governance</strong>. Principles of<br />
good urban governance and indica<strong>to</strong>rs were<br />
identified through consultations with various UN<br />
agencies, including UNDP, UN-HABITAT, UNHCHR,<br />
UNDESA and UNICEF, from expert group meetings<br />
and through contributions made by local<br />
professionals taking part in the field tests.<br />
Objectives<br />
The UGI is a self-assessment <strong>to</strong>ol for cities and local<br />
authorities which can help <strong>to</strong> initiate a dialogue<br />
with a wider range of governmental and nongovernmental<br />
stakeholders – belonging <strong>to</strong> the civil<br />
society and private sec<strong>to</strong>rs – on development<br />
priorities. At the global level, the UGI aims <strong>to</strong><br />
demonstrate the importance of good urban<br />
governance in achieving broad development<br />
objectives (i.e. the Millennium Development Goals)<br />
and those in the Habitat Agenda (i.e. provision<br />
of adequate shelter for all and promotion of<br />
sustainable urban development).<br />
Applicability<br />
• The UGI is best applied in those urban contexts<br />
where the local government has the<br />
willingness and capacity <strong>to</strong> take the lead in this<br />
exercise. It is possible <strong>to</strong> use it both in<br />
situations where civil society is strong and<br />
active, and where it is weak. In the first case, it<br />
can be used <strong>to</strong> build and increase the<br />
relationships and mutual rapport and<br />
confidence between the local government and<br />
civil society.Where civil society is weak, the UGI<br />
can encourage community participation and<br />
strengthen the voice of Community Based<br />
Organisations.<br />
• It assumes an adequate level of technical<br />
capacity in the city (either within the<br />
municipality or in civil society) <strong>to</strong> operate the<br />
UGI. Furthermore, it is based on the assumption<br />
that stakeholders are interested and willing <strong>to</strong><br />
devote time, and share information, in order <strong>to</strong><br />
improve urban governance.<br />
Types and sources of data used<br />
The UGI uses publicly available data from mainly<br />
objective sources: national and city statistics and<br />
regulations, and available administrative data<br />
on population, budgets and procedures. All<br />
information is converted in<strong>to</strong> quantitative data of<br />
two types: single numbers (expressed by averages,<br />
means, ratios, percentages), and binary variables<br />
(yes/no expressed as 0/1 assessments).<br />
Methodology<br />
The UGI comprises 25 indica<strong>to</strong>rs grouped under<br />
four themes corresponding <strong>to</strong> core urban<br />
governance principles – efficiency, equity,<br />
participation and accountability (see Table 3). Data<br />
from each indica<strong>to</strong>r are normalised (allocated a<br />
value between 0 and 1) and weighted before being<br />
aggregated in<strong>to</strong> the 4 sub-indices. The UGI is an<br />
average of the values of the four sub-indices.<br />
The UGI approach emphasises the processes of<br />
urban decision-making, the mechanisms and<br />
institutions through which various stakeholders<br />
articulate their interests, exercise their legal rights,<br />
meet their obligations and mediate their<br />
differences.The indica<strong>to</strong>rs also focus on the quality<br />
of relationships between key stakeholders at the<br />
local level.<br />
UN-HABITAT strongly advocates the use of<br />
participa<strong>to</strong>ry methods for the identification,<br />
collection and analysis of indica<strong>to</strong>rs at the local<br />
level. The data on the indica<strong>to</strong>rs is collected<br />
through a stakeholder meeting where all key<br />
urban ac<strong>to</strong>rs are present. Participa<strong>to</strong>ry data<br />
collection not only enhances access <strong>to</strong> data and<br />
information, but also ensures collective ownership<br />
of results and lays the ground for joint initiatives<br />
<strong>to</strong>wards governance reform. It also indicates<br />
openness on part of the municipality and<br />
improves its credibility with external partners and<br />
donors.<br />
56 UNDP Oslo <strong>Governance</strong> Centre