Resources: participatory approaches

Rethinking governance handbook

University of Victoria’s Centre for Global Studies, no date, ‘Rethinking governance’ handbook. An inventory of ideas to enhance participation, transparency and accountability, Victoria, Canada.

This is a manual aiming at enhancing the legitimacy of international organisations, by presenting an inventory of best practices and innovative approaches to increase accountability, participation and transparency. It was compiled to be of use to top managers of international organisations, with the assumption that better accountability leads to fairer and more effective decisions. As the authors of the guide wrote in its introduction, the primary audience of the manual is architects of existing and possible new agencies, providing them with suggestions to improve the governance of the international system.

The guide is divided into three sections presenting examples of strategies used by international organisations such us the World Bank, WTO, UNICEF, IMF, UNIFEM, UNESCO, FAO, UNEP, UNAIDS and NATO to improve their accountability, participatory processes and transparency. Every activity undertaken is introduced with a summary, with information on its background, with the methods used to develop it, with guidelines and recommendations for future implementation and with a list of resources and contact points so that other relevant information can be obtained. Some of the activities put in place in order to improve organisational accountability are gender analysis, publication policy, creation of dedicated departments and advisory committees, peer reviews and complaint processes. Activities aiming at increasing people’s participation include staff training, orientation of new members, dedicated sessions, capacity building initiatives, open meetings, coordinating committees, community-based methods and forums. Finally, on-line bulletin boards, live web-casting, access to information by making documents and databases accessible, and open evaluations are among the strategies used to promote organisational transparency.

© 2009 People and Development.