Background: The Human Development Report 2002, Deepening Democracy in a Fragmented World, explicitly reaffirmed the idea that “politics is as important to successful development as economics”. Today, ten years later, the world is no less fragmented and the idea that the quality of politics and governance is as important as the economy is more pronounced than ever.
In 2011 and 2012, the world witnessed the mobilization of people, particularly young people, demanding more accountability, transparency and participation in governance. The persistence of the economic crisis and the increasing discontent of people, posed questions related to the “system itself”, bringing democratic governance to the centre of the debate on politics and the agenda of sustainable human development.
Economic, political and social signals indicate that the world is undergoing a transformation in terms of knowledge, communications, institutions and new expectations. It can be argued that the world is entering a critical juncture caused by the accumulation of a series of factors in recent years. First, there is scepticism, even outright aversion in some circles, toward market institutions that has emerged in the light of the 2008 recession and the inability of national governments and international finance institutions to effectively address it. Second, there is a widely perceived threat to sustainable human development that stems from the failure of the international community to find consensus on issues that are of critical importance to the human condition. Third, people are growing suspicious toward simple institutional and technical “fixes” that have dominated approaches to development, including governance, since the 1990s. Finally, the unexpected political awakening in North Africa, the Arab World and several other countries around the world has stirred minds into renewed thinking about accountability and governance. Global Democratic Governance Report: objectives, analytical framework and structure: To contribute to changing thinking about effective development practice in the context of a variety of global and regional trends, UNDP Democratic Governance Group (DGG) will produce a flagship publication – the Global Democratic Governance Report (GDGR) – exploring the role of democratic governance in relation to key development challenges, including the importance of ensuring inclusive growth, and sustainable human development. In particular, the publication will build on the role of public and private institutions, with a central role for the inclusive, accountable and responsive state in meeting these challenges in different country and regional contexts and in relation to different governance challenges.
Objectives of the report
The Global Democratic Governance Report will analyze the state of democratic governance in different countries and regions of the world in light of the global, regional and national shifts in economic, social and political relations. It is first of all meant to bring a better conceptual clarity to the idea of democratic governance and to provide a comprehensive perspective on “democratic governance in action”: the principles and practice of democratic governance in different regions and how diversely it is being conceived and practiced in varying socio-political and economic contexts.
Further on, GDGR will reflect on the progress/regression experienced in the decade 2002-2012 and analyze democratic governance in a two-dimensional framework of legitimacy and functional performance illustrating the connections between political process, governance and sustainable human development. The report will explore the implications of increasing social, economic and political inequalities for democratic governance and how multiple forms of insecurities pose challenges for democratic governance. The specific objectives of the report are: - Identify the democratic governance trends in the last ten years in relation to the major shifts taking place in the world;
- Strengthen the knowledge and practice of democratic governance by identifying best practices and the implications of democratic governance at the local, regional and global levels;
- Provide strategic knowledge and inputs to the post 2015 agenda through national and international consultations;
- Develop a democratic governance indicator framework to enable periodic assessments of democratic governance every two years;
- To strengthen and complement the Human Development Report.
- The report will present an agenda for further debate, analysis and policy development. The GDGR will reflect on the HDR 2002 and build on the HDR 2011, raising the profile of democratic governance and helping to frame the debates for discussions at and after the 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio +20), as well as contributing to the discussions surrounding the post-2015 development framework.
Against this background, the UNDP RSC Democratic Governance Team which is acting as Project Coordinator of the Africa Section of the Global Democratic Governance report is seeking consultants to develop Sub-regional papers for the five (5) regions of the African Union (Southern Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, West Africa and North Africa). The expectation is that one institutional or individual consultant will develop the report for each sub-region. |
Under the overall supervision of the Project Coordinator for DG Report Africa the research institution or scholar will conduct the core analytical research and data analysis and produce a Sub-regional Report to fit into the overall Africa Regional Report. Specific responsibilities include, but will not be limited to: - To develop a sub-regional paper on trends in Democratic Governance in Africa, in consonance with the concept and technical notes on the Democratic Governance Report and with specific reference to Participation and Representation (civic and political), Accountability, (social and political), Access to Justice and Access to public Service, as well as Economic, Environment and Natural Resource Governance. The report will seek to establish trends, challenges, opportunities and strengths and in so doing situate the intrinsic and instrumental value of DG in relation to sustainable human development, inclusive economic growth and environmental justice.
- Undertake a largely a desk assignment to analyze and interpret the available information and data sources, particularly from Human Development Report, Africa Governance Report, and APRM, Universal Periodic Review reports, reports of UN Agencies and other relevant data source for Democratic governance.
- To identify case studies to demonstrate innovative practices in democratic governance in different countries of Africa as well as their impact on specific demographic groups such as women, youth, the unemployed, rural folk, fisher folk, forest and mining communities, whichever is applicable?
- To incorporate relevant review of the studies and literature on democratic governance in the Regional/sub-regional paper.
Expected results, key deliverables:
- The final product will be a flagship publication on the role of democratic governance in meeting key development challenges. Intermediate deliverables include:
- A highly analytical paper (of up to 30 pages) on the trends in Democratic Governance in the African Sub-region covered in consonance with the concept and technical notes on the Democratic Governance Report. The paper should make use of the APRM indicators as well as the African Charter on Democracy Elections and Governance(ACDEG), the African Charter on Values and Principles of Public Service and the AU Shared Values.
- Identify up to three (3) or four (4) case studies (up to 300 to 500 words) that can demonstrate innovative practices in democratic governance in Africa.
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