The Role of Information in Improving Development

1
The Role of Information in Improving Development
Governance

• Sahr Kpundeh
• World Bank Institute

2
Overview of Presentation

• Information and Governance
• -- economic perspective
• -- governance perspective
• Information and Development
• -- transparency and corruption
• -- information and accountability
• -- information and efficiency
• WBIs Media, Information and Governance Program
  Components
• -- Media and Information Environment
• -- Public information capacity
• -- Media institutions and Capacity
• -- Development Journalism
• -- investigative Journalism
• Conclusion

3
Creating Freedom of Information
A Steep Ascent A Difficult Climb
4
The Dividend of Good Governance
Note
The bars depict the simple correlation between
good governance and development outcomes. The
line depicts the
predicted value when taking into account the
causality effects (Development Dividend) from
improved governance to better
development outcomes. For data and methodological
details visit http//www.worldbank.org/wbi/governa
nce.
5
Reforms for Improving Governance Combating
Corruption

• Civil Society Oversight
• Open Hearings
• Monitoring
• Access to Information
• Freedom of the Press

• Economic Policy
• Deregulation
• Privatization
• Competition Policy

Good Governance

• Accountability of Political Leadership
• Disclosure
• Inspector General/Anti-Corruption Agency
• Campaign Finance

• Financial Management
• Comprehensive Budget
• Transparency
• Procurement Reform
• Independent Audit

• Rule of Law
• Independence from Executive
• Upgrade Staff Training and Laws
• ADR Mechanisms

• Civil Service
• Pay
• Meritocracy
• Client Information

• Customs Reform
• Tariff Simplification
• Professionalization
• Reduce Discretion

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Perspectives on Information

• Economic perspective
• Information about prices
• More efficient markets
• Governance Perspective
• Information about functioning of public officials
• Transparency, accountability
• Better allocation of public resources
• Information as tool for empowerment

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Information from Economic Perspective

• Information as a public good
• Responsibility of the government to make
  information available to citizens about
  economy/markets publication of data and
  statistics
• Decreases uncertainty in the market. Hence
  decreases volatility and improves macroeconomic
  environment

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Information Development

• Governments design sound economic and social
  policies and implement policies more effectively
• Private business/individuals make better choices
  in private markets
• Business/individuals evaluate choices and make
  better choices in public/political markets
• Hold private and public actors accountable by
• --affecting reputation
• -- allowing to monitor with a view to devise
  penalties and rewards

9
Medias role in development

• Media as Gatekeeper
• News filter, determining what public knows
• Agenda-setting, shaping public discourse
• Mediator between leaders and public, influencing
  national debate
• Media as Public Watchdog
• Informs public about issues affecting their
  wellbeing
• Media as Public Conscience
• Platform for citizen voices
• Provides feedback on public perceptions of
  public and private sector leaders performance

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Information Governance

• Transparency Corruption Watchdog role
• Transparency in Government decisions, public
  expenditures, and transactions is key to averting
  corruption
• Transparency in the award of contracts and
  licenses is key to making them fair and open
• Information on public officials in the media
  provides a useful check on the discretionary
  exercise of authority

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Information Governance

• Transparency Policy makers
• The provision of information begins to inform
  by revealing the actions of policymakers.
• Making the consequences of those actions known
  on a timely basis, including through the efforts
  of academics, analysts and social activist, makes
  evaluation and monitoring possible, with an
  associated rise in the contestability of ideas.
• As new information on both actions and
  consequences becomes widely known, the quality of
  the public debate can improve, with new ideas
  proposed, and the prospect of holding the
  government accountable coming into focus.
• In so far as citizens can be motivated to
  raise their level of participation, the scope for
  public advocacy increases, and communication with
  the government becomes a two-way flow, generating
  further demands for more reliable information on
  economic, financial and institutional processes
  and outcomes.

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Transparency and GDP Growth
Annual GDP Growth ()
Source Annual GDP growth over 1999-2001 is taken
from WDI 2002 GDP is computed in PPP terms.
The various transparency / governance variables
drawn from Executive Opinion Survey, 2002.
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Information Governance

• Information and Accountability Gatekeeping role
• Increases political accountability if politicians
  have to make information public
• Increases internal accountability of public
  officials if they are required to regularly
  report to policymakers
• Increases social accountability since citizens
  can monitor actions of bureaucrats and delivery
  of services, and participate
• Especially important to participation and
  accountability by local governments

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Transparency and Citizen Oversight
Tracking Education Dollars in Uganda
US per student
3.5
3.0
Public info campaign
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0
1990
1991
1993
1994
1995
1999
Intended grant
Actual grant received by primary school (means)
Source Uganda Public Expenditure Tracking Surveys
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Information Governance

• Information Efficiency Information transmitter
• Increases efficiency if information is
  effectively managed and shared between government
  departments
• Important for businesses to function effectively,
  and for a more stable macroeconomic environment
• Improves accessibility to public services if
  information about them is easily available

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Information Institutions Flows
Information
Government Central Ministries Local/Municipal
Bodies Legislatures (Central Local)
Checks Balance
Media
Citizens Civil Society Private sector
Information
Information
Voice Participation
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Information Governance
Politicians/ Policymakers
Information
Information
Information
Citizens
Bureaucrats
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Challenges

• Two broad sets of functions need to work well for
  this information triangle to work well
• The first comprises the processes for ensuring
  the production and dissemination of good quality
  information to underpin civic discourse.
• The second comprises the capacities for analysis,
  interpretation, debate and advocacy within civil
  society.

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Development Effectiveness of Media

• Impact of media on development determined by
• Autonomy the industrys ability to report
  information without undue fear of being penalized
  
• Access to information the ability of the citizen
  to obtain information in the possession of the
  state freely and non-selectively
• Reach consumer access to a media sources
  information services
• Quality the access to and capacity to
  objectively analyze basic economic, social and
  political information for news value and truth

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WBIs Media, Information Governance Program

• Needs Assessments, Learning workshops and
  programs to build capacity in client countries
• Target groups legislators, government
  information officials, media professionals, civil
  society
• Partners Local research institutions, media
  training institutes, international donor partners

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WBIs Media, Information Governance Program
Five Modules
Media Information Environment
Public Information Capacity
Media Institutions and Capacity
Development Journalism
Investigative Journalism
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Media and Information Environment

• Many countries have Secrecy laws Official
  Secrets Act
• Conflicts between FOI law and Secrecy laws
• Freedom of Information Law is a relatively new
  phenomenon in many countries
• FOI law provides exemptions, procedures for
  requests and outlines obligations of public
  officials for disclosure
• Provides guarantees against denial of information
• Also includes freedom of expression
• Enforcements Mechanisms Information
  Commissioners Ombudsman

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Public Information Capacity

• Even in the presence of FOI law, government
  agencies need the capacity to make information
  public
• Information as a public good. Obligation of
  public agencies to provide information about
  citizen rights and entitlements
• Press Information Departments fulfill this
  function
• Limited capacity for information management,
  processes for information flows
• Need for both structural solutions technology
  for better information management, capacity for
  dissemination, publications etc.
• Public Information Campaigns

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Public Information Capacity

• Importance of the architecture of information -
  to ensure that the information that is collected
  is comparable and accessible.
• Integrated financial management information
  systems - to track the use of money within the
  government. - used in Tanzania, and being
  implemented in many other African countries.
• Computerized audits - to ensure comparability of
  information on the use of public money across
  years and to enhance accessibility - used in
  South Africa. Implemented in Ghana.
• Mobilization of non-governmental groups in
  information gathering - use of service delivery
  surveys in Uganda and India.

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Media Institutions Capacity

• Mass media are important intermediaries of public
  information
• Political Economy of Media Ownership
• Political Influence Independence of the Media
• Financial Autonomy
• Media Management
• Independent media Print, Community radio,
  Internet

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Development Journalism

• The Role of the Media in Development
• Reporting on Poverty
• Public Service Obligations of Commercial Media
• State media and Development
• Balancing Commercial and Public Service Interests
• Quality and impact of good reporting

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Investigative Journalism

• Reporting and Writing Skills
• Research Skills
• Media Ethics
• Dealing with political pressures
• Uncovering Corruption

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Thank You
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QA and Discussion