From the Ground Up Improving Government Performance with Independent Monitoring Organizations

by Kosack, Stephen; Tolmie, Courtney; Griffin, Charles C.

• ISBN13: 9780815704126
• ISBN10: 0815704127
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-03-11
• Publisher: Brookings Institution Press

Summary

This book is based on a simple concept: no one is in a better position to hold a government accountable than those it governs. Yet, when governments fail to meet the needs of their citizens, the international community often turns to large organizations such as the International Monetary Fund or the World Bank. These external researchers have the resources and expertise to analyze and advise on issues of accountability and transparency, but where do they go when the time comes to implement new policies? And can they really have a more nuanced understanding of the country's problems than its own citizens?This insightful book proposes that the international community's efforts to improve governance would be more effective if it collaborated with local independent monitoring organizations (IMOs). The authors track the work of 16 IMOs from across the developing world, demonstrating how these small groups of local researchers produce thoughtful analysis and workable solutions. They achieve these results because they are citizens and can more effectively discern problems with governance and communicate with their fellow citizens about the ideals and methods of good governance. Yet the book also outlines some of the disadvantages these organizations face --such as lack of resources, access to data, and influence with high government officials --which is precisely why collaboration with international organizations could help to strengthen them and speed up the improvement of governance from the ground up.

Author Biography

Stephen Kosack is a lecturer in development management at the London School of Economics. He is a former research fellow in Global Economy and Development at the Brookings Institution. Courtney Tolmie is a senior program officer for the Transparency and Accountability Program, a project of the Results for Development Institute. Charles C. Griffin is senior adviser to the vice president for Europe and Central Asia at the World Bank and was previously a senior fellow in Global Economy and Development at Brookings.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xi
Improving governance from the ground up	p. 1
Organization of the book	p. 5
The 16 independent monitoring organizations	p. 7
Support from the Transparency and Accountability Project	p. 8
Note	p. 13
Gather the budget data	p. 14
Integrated Social Development Centre, Ghana	p. 15
El Centro de Investigación de la Universidad del Pacífico, Peru	p. 17
Bandung Institute of Governance Studies, Indonesia	p. 19
Centre for Budget and Policy Studies, India	p. 21
Institute for Urban Economics, Russian Federation	p. 22
Conclusion	p. 26
Notes	p. 27
Follow the money	p. 28
El Centro de Investigación de la Universidad del Pacífico, Peru	p. 29
Pusat Telaah dan Informasi Regional, Indonesia	p. 37
Institute of Policy Analysis and Research, Kenya	p. 41
Institute for Development and Social Initiatives, Moldova	p. 45
Conclusion	p. 46
Notes	p. 47
Examine the spending	p. 50
Center for Democratic Development, Ghana	p. 51
Centra de Implementación de Políticas Públicas Para el Equidad y el Crecimiento, Argentina	p. 55
Institute of Policy Analysis and Research, Kenya	p. 61
El Centro de Investigaciones Económicas Nacionales, Guatemala	p. 64
Gdansk Institute of Market Economics, Poland	p. 69
Conclusion	p. 71
Notes	p. 73
Recommend solutions	p. 77
Center for Democratic Development, Ghana	p. 78
Center for Democratic Development, Ghana	p. 78
Centro de Implementación de Políticas Públicas Para el Equidad y el Crecimiento, Argentina	p. 79
Societatea Academica din Romania, Romania	p. 81
Indo-Dutch Project Management Society, India	p. 83
Conclusion	p. 84
Notes	p. 85
Disseminate and advocate	p. 86
Center for Democratic Development, Ghana	p. 87
El Centro de Investigaciones Económicas Nacionales, Guatemala	p. 88
Centre for Budget and Policy Studies, India	p. 89
Centro de Análisis y Difusión de la Economia Paraguaya, Paraguay	p. 91
Gdansk Institute of Market Economics, Poland	p. 92
2A Consortium, Albania	p. 94
Conclusion	p. 95
Notes	p. 96
Possibilities and lessons of independent monitoring	p. 98
Lessons about independent monitoring organizations—from each step and the process as a whole	p. 99
The future of monitoring governments	p. 103
References	p. 105
Index	p. 109
Figures
Map of resource flows to healthcare facilities in Peru	p. 19
Rates of teacher absenteeism during the week of fieldwork in select Ghanaian public primary schools, 2008	p. 53
Class time lost due to teacher absenteeism in 31 schools in Florencio Varela and San Martín, Argentina, 2007	p. 57
Delays in delivery of meals, milk, textbooks, and school supplies for students in the Department of Guatemala, 2008	p. 68
Tables
Key differences between external and internal accountability	p. 3
Independent monitoring organizations supported by the Transparency and Accountability Project	p. 9
Actual expenditure as a share of planned expenditure for health in three regions of Ghana, 2002–06 (percent)	p. 16
Actual expenditure as share of planned expenditure for education in three regions of Ghana, 2002–06(Percent)	p. 17
Government spending on health and education in the Russian Federation, Chuvash Republic, and Kaliningrad Region, 2004–06	p. 24
Pharmaceutical shortages in 14 health facilities in Metropolitan Lima, Peru, 2008	p. 33
Supply shortages in 14 health facilities in Metropolitan Lima, Peru, 2008	p. 33
Comparison of responses from the health network and 12 health facilities in Metropolitan Lima, Peru, about pharmaceuticals provided under the National Health Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Tuberculosis, 2008	p. 34
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