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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4<br />
<strong>Local</strong> Democracy Assessment <strong>Guide</strong><br />
Producer<br />
International IDEA<br />
His<strong>to</strong>ry<br />
In 2001, IDEA published a handbook titled<br />
“Democracy at the <strong>Local</strong> Level: The International<br />
IDEA Handbook on Representation, Participation,<br />
Conflict Management and <strong>Governance</strong>.”This was a<br />
comprehensive guide for local authorities, civil<br />
society, and the international donor community on<br />
the subject of local democracy. As part of its<br />
thematic work on democracy at the local level,<br />
IDEA has also developed a number of <strong>to</strong>ols<br />
designed <strong>to</strong> assist practitioners and assistance<br />
providers in supporting democratic development<br />
at the local level.The <strong>Local</strong> Democracy Assessment<br />
methodology is one such <strong>to</strong>ol, developed in<br />
2002-03.<br />
• give outsiders, such as peer reviewers, a <strong>to</strong>ol by<br />
which <strong>to</strong> conduct independent and impartial<br />
evaluations of democratic governance at the<br />
city level.<br />
Applicability<br />
It is currently being applied mainly in Africa and in<br />
the Arab region, but can be used anywhere in the<br />
world.<br />
Types and sources of data used<br />
The information needed for this assessment is<br />
both objective and subjective. Primary data<br />
collection is through meetings, workshops,<br />
interviews and discussions conducted by local<br />
teams. Publicly available data collected though<br />
documentary sources is used <strong>to</strong> double-check<br />
subjective information.<br />
Objectives<br />
The purpose of the <strong>Local</strong> Democracy Assessment<br />
<strong>Guide</strong> is <strong>to</strong> systematically review and catalogue the<br />
quality of representative as well as participa<strong>to</strong>ry<br />
democracy in a city. In particular, it aims <strong>to</strong>:<br />
• provide municipal officials, administra<strong>to</strong>rs,<br />
partners (such as non-government<br />
organizations), and civic leaders with a<br />
practical <strong>to</strong>ol <strong>to</strong> conduct self-evaluations of<br />
democratic life in their city;<br />
• identify the principal strengths and weaknesses<br />
of democratic life and ways <strong>to</strong> further<br />
consolidate strengths and <strong>to</strong> rectify weaknesses;<br />
• investigate the contributions that local or city<br />
level democracy makes <strong>to</strong>ward overall<br />
consolidation of democracy in democratizing<br />
societies;<br />
• stimulate further thinking on the ways <strong>to</strong><br />
define and describe the best ways <strong>to</strong> structure<br />
and practice local democracy; and<br />
Methodology<br />
The <strong>Local</strong> Democracy Assessment comprises 15<br />
‘assessment areas’ grouped under three themes:<br />
the city in context, the quality of representative<br />
democracy, and the quality of participa<strong>to</strong>ry<br />
democracy (see Table 7). Each one of the 15<br />
assessment areas is assessed based on a detailed<br />
list of questions. The <strong>Guide</strong> is an interactive<br />
questionnaire applied through participa<strong>to</strong>ry<br />
research and which relies on an intimate<br />
knowledge of local situations. Each theme is<br />
assessed based on a fairly comprehensive set of<br />
questions.<br />
Assessment teams typically consist of a representative<br />
of the national association of local municipalities, a<br />
representative of the local authority, an academic<br />
with an expertise in public administration, and an<br />
individual from civil society. After completing the<br />
questionnaire, the assessment team synthesises<br />
the findings in a report and discusses them<br />
critically, identifying areas where consensus exists<br />
and where it does not. The most significant<br />
problems are identified in each area, and<br />
recommendations are made by the team in<br />
the form of an “action plan” for improving local<br />
democracy.<br />
70 UNDP Oslo <strong>Governance</strong> Centre