The document discusses the concept of "good enough governance" and provides frameworks for assessing governance interventions. It notes that good governance is difficult to define and measure, and that some countries have achieved development with less than ideal governance. It presents tables outlining factors to consider like a country's existing capacities, what reforms are feasible, and who needs to be involved in the reform process. The conclusion is that while this analysis does not solve all dilemmas, it provides guidance for practitioners in choosing how to invest limited resources for governance improvements.

1. Good Enough Governance
A report of DFID
With reference to the Governance Target
Strategy Paper, 2001
By : Merilee S. Grindle
Harvard University, Feb 2005

2. What is this concept- Good Enough
Governance?
• This concept suggest that not all governance deficits need
to be (can be) taken at once, and the institution and
capacity are product of time; governance achievement can
also be reversed.
• Good enough governance directs attention to consideration
of minimal conditions of governance necessary to allow
political and economic development to occur.
• The concept of good enough governance has provided a
platform for questioning the long menu of institutional
changes and public capacity building that are currently
deem important for development.

3. Good Enough Governance
Part-1: Thinking about Good
Governance Part-2: Ambiguity to Practice
• Indicates that despite general • Indicates that the utility and
agreement on importance of Good feasibility of particular
Governance there remains a governance interventions can
number of questions about– which
institution matter most? Which be assessed by analyzing the
kind of governance intervention are context for change in
most likely to promote governance and implication of
development in individual country the content of the
or region? intervention being considered.
• Given limited resource of
money, time, knowledge and • The paper includes a
organizational capacities, what are framework for assessing both
the best ways to move towards contextual and content related
better governance in particular factors at the same time.
country context?

4. Part-1: Thinking about Good Governance:
Dilemmas and Debate
• In coming from definition of Governance to Good
Governance normative views of what ‘ought to be’ are
much more prominent. ( TABLE-1)
• Given such broad definition, it is often not clear how
governance can be distinguished from development itself.
• They deal also with concerns about cause and effect
relationships.
• Debate about measurement, indicators and inference.

5. Part-1: Thinking about Good Governance:
Dilemmas and Debate
• Methodological choice on about how to study
the issue of governance and development
have considerable impact on finding:
– Large N studies: tend to find consistent correlation
between development an good governance.
– Small N studies: tend to demonstrate that
development is fully dependent on ‘getting
governance right’.

6. Part-1: Thinking about Good Governance:
Dilemmas and Debate
‘Large- N’ cross National
Research Few findings:
• Institutional development
contributes to growth and growth
• The regression analysis of contributes to institutional
development.
cross-country analysis data • Institutional development reduces
indicate significant poverty
• Growth and investment are
correlations between increased in the presence of
characteristics and level of institution to protect property
rights.
economic development. • Unstable political context are
associated with lower levels of
investments.
• Corruption is associated with
ineffective growth and low growth.
• Fiscal decentralization is positively
correlated with good governance.

7. Part-1: Thinking about Good Governance:
Dilemmas and Debate
‘Small N’- Case Study
• Growth can be stimulated
by a small number of
institution and policy Example:
changes.
China and Vietnam have made
major gains in economic
development and poverty
reduction in the presence of
many characteristics of bad
governance, among which is
insecure property rights and
contracts are particularly
apparent

8. Part-2: Ambiguity to Practice
Assessing the ‘context’ for Governance Intervention
• Governance are built on
some foundation of existing
capacities, even if that
capacity is low. Frameworks:
– What is there to build upon ? • ‘Strength and Weakness of the
state’ (see TABLE 2)
• What to do ? (see TABLE 3)
• Drivers for change Framework
(see TABLE 4)

9. Part-2: Ambiguity to Practice
Assessing the content of Governance Intervention : What
are the characteristics of Specific Intervention ?
•
• It is important to Example
disaggregate an over all • Rule of Law– into the kinds of
governance objective or characteristics that contribute
output. to the objective.
• Each of these kinds of
activities varies in terms of
how easy/difficult they are to
put into practice.
(see TABLE 5)

10. Part-2: Ambiguity to Practice
Content and context in the ‘process’ of Reform:
• In addition to understand
the context and the content Example
of governance reforms, it is • How they are designed ?
important to understand
the PROCESS of reform • Who is involved in
itself. designing?
• Who needs to agree to its
reformist content..?
• Etc…

11. Concluding Remark
• Although this kind of analysis does not solve the dilemmas
that development practitioners face in terms of the focus
of their activities, nor does it ensure success of their
efforts,
It does indicate some ways for sorting through the
difficulties in making choices among options for the
investment of time and resources.
Presented by:
Yasin Khan
M.A .Development
Azim Premji University, Bangalore