Family Planning in Asia and the Pacific - International Council on ...
Family Planning in Asia and the Pacific - International Council on ...
Family Planning in Asia and the Pacific - International Council on ...
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that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> transfer of authority would go smoothly <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> thataccess to FP services would not suffer unduly. BKKBNadvocated with local government authorities to ensure thata suitable <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>stituti<strong>on</strong>al home would be provided for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> FPprogramme <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> respective districts/municipalities afterdecentralizati<strong>on</strong>. It developed, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>sultati<strong>on</strong> with regi<strong>on</strong>algovernments <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> M<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>istry of Home Affairs, a list of“essential” family plann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g services which districts wouldbe obligated by law to provide, toge<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r with associatedperformance <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dicators to be used for m<strong>on</strong>itor<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g. BKKBNalso managed to secure central government funds to enableit to c<strong>on</strong>t<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ue furnish<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g subsidized c<strong>on</strong>traceptives (<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>some o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r supports) to districts <strong>on</strong> request.BKKBN fur<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r negotiated a favourable <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>stituti<strong>on</strong>alarrangement with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> government whereby <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> BKKBNprov<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>cial offices could stay “vertical” under <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> directc<strong>on</strong>trol of BKKBN at <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> central level (at least <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> shortterm) ra<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r than be part of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> adm<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>istrative apparatusc<strong>on</strong>trolled by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> prov<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>cial governor. 13 O<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r proactive<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>itiatives <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>cluded develop<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g an early warn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> rapidresp<strong>on</strong>se system, so that even if (as seemed <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>evitable)rout<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e m<strong>on</strong>itor<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g systems faltered <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> early stagesof decentralizati<strong>on</strong>, BKKBN <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r stakeholderscould still obta<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> some basic <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>formati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> how <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>programme was perform<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g from a nati<strong>on</strong>al perspective,<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> could identify emerg<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g problems quickly <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> work<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> partnership with districts to overcome <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m. BKKBNprepared for decentralizati<strong>on</strong> with arguably more care <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>deliberati<strong>on</strong> than any o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r government agency <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>volvedwith <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> delivery of public services.Follow<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g decentralizati<strong>on</strong> FP programme officials atall government levels now face new challenges regard<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> sourc<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g of resources, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> plann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g of programmeactivities, recruit<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> manag<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g pers<strong>on</strong>nel, def<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>scope of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir authority for policy formulati<strong>on</strong>, establish<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> need for advocacy, foster<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g good relati<strong>on</strong>s with o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rgovernmental <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> n<strong>on</strong>-governmental units, report<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>on</strong>performance <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> f<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ances, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> determ<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g how <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>irown performance would be evaluated. It is important torecognize that decentralizati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> Ind<strong>on</strong>esia <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>volves bothadm<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>istrative <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> political dimensi<strong>on</strong>s, so FP programmeofficials could not resolve all <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> adm<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>istrative issues<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>volved before politicians resolved outst<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g issuesregard<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> distributi<strong>on</strong> of authority across <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> central,prov<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>cial <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> district levels of government.Much of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> technical assistance offered to BKKBN (<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> M<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>istry of Health) has tended to focus <strong>on</strong> technicalissues as if <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> political issues had already been resolved.Sometimes <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> “form follows functi<strong>on</strong>” adage is <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>cludedwith <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> advice offered. This assumes that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> functi<strong>on</strong>sare already well def<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed, but often <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y are not. Even if<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y were, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>stituti<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> real world never adapt tofuncti<strong>on</strong>al requirements al<strong>on</strong>e – every <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>stituti<strong>on</strong> has itsown traditi<strong>on</strong>s, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> those with power are able to <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>fluenceprocesses of change <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> ways more favourable to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>mselves;<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>stituti<strong>on</strong>al reform is always path-dependent. Sometimestechnical assistance has been offered to help def<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>functi<strong>on</strong>s; however, as should be clear by now, this is partlya political process, not a simple technical matter. In o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rwords, problems fac<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> FP programme brought aboutby decentralizati<strong>on</strong> that often seem to outsiders to lend<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>mselves to technical soluti<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> fact often have anirreducible political comp<strong>on</strong>ent <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>refore need to beapproached as governance issues.The grow<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g dem<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> for goodgovernanceAlthough <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re is little agreement <strong>on</strong> an exact def<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>iti<strong>on</strong> of“good governance” as promoted by <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ternati<strong>on</strong>al agencies<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> d<strong>on</strong>ors (for example, see Jenk<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> Plowden,2006), <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re is broad agreement that certa<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> items, suchas freedom of speech, political party organizati<strong>on</strong>, publicaccountability of governments, transparency <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> politicaldecisi<strong>on</strong>-mak<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> an <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dependent judiciary, are all keycomp<strong>on</strong>ents of a “healthy” democracy. Instituti<strong>on</strong>aliz<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se items systemically can also make sectors, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>clud<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ghealth <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> FP, more resp<strong>on</strong>sive to local communities’ needs<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> aspirati<strong>on</strong>s.At <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> programme level, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>troduc<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g such elements asaccountability <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> transparency is relatively easy, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> thoseelements engender local participati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> ownershipof, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> programme. Good governance <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> this sense is animportant part of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> ICPD Programme of Acti<strong>on</strong>. An<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>itial obstacle, usually short-lived, is that <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> early stagesfew officials or members of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> public are familiar with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>senoti<strong>on</strong>s, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> mechanisms <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>troduced tend to be weak<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>nocuous: “accountability” is simply a “suggesti<strong>on</strong>sbox” placed at a service delivery po<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>t, for example. Goodgovernance depends crucially <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> development ofstr<strong>on</strong>g civil society <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>stituti<strong>on</strong>s, not just <strong>on</strong> an efficientstate apparatus, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> programme managers might not see itas <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir resp<strong>on</strong>sibility to foster this. Ind<strong>on</strong>esian NGOs are<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>creas<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gly effective <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> promot<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g good governance. Goodgovernance <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> str<strong>on</strong>g civil society <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>stituti<strong>on</strong>s are neededto check that key “pr<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>cipals” <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> state apparatus at alllevels do <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>deed serve <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> public <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>terest <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> that servicesare resp<strong>on</strong>sive to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> populati<strong>on</strong>’s needs <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> aspirati<strong>on</strong>s.BKKBN has supported some good governance <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>itiatives– for example, support<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g local NGOs <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir watchdogfuncti<strong>on</strong>s – but <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y could show much more leadership <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>promot<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g good governance <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> FP programme. To dateBKKBN <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>vests far more energy <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> protect<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> legalstatus of FP <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> government decrees <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> development plans235