Conflict, Legitimacy and Government Reform: Equitable Allocation of ...

90 KPI Congress XI
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) IDG-Net is being
spearheaded by the Institute On Governance, in partnership with the
Institute of Governance Studies (IGS) in Bangladesh and the Centre for
Good Governance (CGG) in India. IDG-Net is put forward as one
model through which good governance, and equitable allocation of
resources, could be enhanced.
Defining and Assessing Equitable
Allocation of Resources
In defining ‘equitable allocation of resources’ it is helpful to review
the definition of equity from the 2006 World Development Report:
Equity means that the resources which are being distributed to the
people are distributed in a way that results in individuals having equal
opportunities to pursue a life of their choosing and be spared from
extreme deprivation in outcomes. 1
In practical terms, when we talk of ‘equitable allocation of resources’
we refer to a situation where everyone has equal opportunities to pursue
goals like economic prosperity, educational achievement, and political
representation. Equitable allocation of resources also means equitable
access to services of the state, including infrastructure, health services and
other public supports. Opportunity would be granted regardless of place
of birth, race, gender, class or social standing. In a Thailand in which
resources were allocated equitably there would be virtually no difference
in the opportunity afforded to a girl born to farmers in a hill tribe north
of Chaing Mai, than to a boy born in Bangkok to a family of large land
and property owners with strong connections to the power holders.
In reality, income inequalities both within and across countries are
severe and they are growing. In much of the world opportunities for
1 This definition is based on a definition of equity used in the “Overview”, World
Development Report 2006 P. 2