World Bank Governance Surveys

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The World Bank Governance Surveys are diagnostic tools used to assist World Bank partner governments in measuring and mapping governance challenges within the public sector structure. Survey questionnaires are applied to households, private enterprises and public officials within the country to assess both perceptions and direct experiences with corruption and the state. The data is used as a major input into the design and implementation of National Anti-Corruption Action Plans and serve as a benchmark to measure future progress. As of 2007 more than 20 countries in Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Africa have implemented the surveys.

The surveys are a country level governance assessment tool and complement the cross-country Worldwide Governance Indicators also produced by the World Bank Institute.

Contents

[edit] The Diagnostic Approach

The governance surveys are part of a process aimed at supporting policy reform which raises the level of good governance and reduces the incidence of corruption so as to improve access to and quality of public services. The surveys are implemented on a demand-only basis and executed by in-country partners with technical assistance from the World Bank Institute and other Bank experts. Bank assistance is not linked to any loans or other conditionality. The entire process is lead and supervised by a coalition of the requesting countries government and its civil society partners in a process that aims to be transparent and inclusive. To maintain independence and ensure confidentiality of the respondents the surveys are administered by a country-based private statistics firm wherever possible.

All components of the survey process are designed to improve the capacity of the country to use survey techniques to monitor public sector performance and for government to engage in participatory policy reform.

[edit] Process

The survey process is tailored to each country to address individual governance context and priorities. Generally, however, each survey process goes through the following 7 stages:

  • Phase 1: Preparatory phase - to identify and establish a partnership with the key counterparts in the partner country and in the Bank’s country team, and develop a detailed work program. This phase should also include a comprehensive assessment of the existing information on governance available and of the overall assistance strategy of the Bank and other donors.
  • Phase 2: ”Partnership-promoting” phase - focuses on establishing working partnerships with (i) the donor community working in the country on governance (ii) with country counterparts in government and civil society. Donor coordination is key to avoid duplication of efforts and inefficient use of resources. A Steering Committee of national stakeholders to manage the survey process should also be created. This entity should include government, Civil Society representatives, media, private sector and representatives from the donor community.
  • Phase 3: Development phase - to evaluate potential institutional and legal weaknesses, and to design and revise questionnaires for the field work. Includes a survey pilot and field report.
  • Phase 4: Fieldwork phase - to implement the questionnaires among household, private enterprise and public officials respondents. carried out by independent private statistical firms with oversight from the steering committees.
  • Phase 5: Analytical and action planning phase - to analyze the data collected and design a specific action plan to improve governance. Addresses questions such as: what is the cost of poor governance to firms, users, and public agencies? What effect does poor governance have in public service delivery? What are the causes of institutional vulnerability?
  • Phase 6: Dissemination phase - to disseminate the results of the analysis to national and regional governments officials, citizens, media and research agencies. Dissemination workshops are opportunities for citizens to comment on the analysis results and present their suggestions and inputs for the reform action plan.
  • Phase 7: Follow Up phase - to collaborate with the World Bank country team and other donors colleagues in order to integrate the results of the governance survey work into the broader country assistance initiatives.

[edit] Coverage

The following countries have completed at least one round of the survey.

[edit] Links