Good Governance and Development

Governance is a theoretical concept referring to the actions and processes by which stable practices and organisations arise and persist. These actions and processes may operate in formal and informal organisations of any size; and they may function for any purpose. Conceiving of governance in this way, one can apply the concept to states, corporations, NGOs, partnerships, and any number of humans engaged in some purposeful activity. The World Bank defines governance as the manner in which power is exercised in the management of a countrys economic and social resources for development. Better governance is crucial for translating the large development and welfare expenditure of the public authorities into enduring outcomes on the ground. While there is general appreciation that development programmes have the right objectives, their implementation on the ground is poor. Implementation of programmes can be improved through a multi-faceted approach relying on professionalisation of public service delivery, total quality management (TQM), and innovative use of digital and other technologies which improve monitoring and supervision. It can also be improved through: (a) greater emphasis on social mobilisation and capacity building, (b) strengthening of local institutions and (c) building deeper partnerships with civil society organisations and the community to determine the needs and aspirations of the people. The present volume contains 11 articles -- authored by experts in the field of public policy -- that provide deep insights into various aspects of governance in India in the context of socio-economic development.