Page 1 of 14
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/
e‐ISSN: 2395‐0463
Volume 01 Issue 07
August 2015
Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ Page | 37
Assessing the Prevalence of Good Governance in Public Sectors in
Gedeo Zone: Case of Yirga Cheffe Town Administration, Ethiopia
Tewodros Abuhay Meretu
Department of Civics and Ethical Studies, University of Gondar: Ethiopia
Author’s email: abtedi@gmail.com
Abstract
Good governance has become a central component in current strategies to bring development in developing
countries. The study dealt with the prevalence of good governance in some selected public institutions in Yirga
Cheffe town administration, Gedeo zone, Ethiopia. The main objective of this research was the perception of
public official, civil servants and service users to what extent good governance is prevalent in public institutions
both in principle and on the ground. Regarding the methodology of the study, mixed research approach has been
used to collect data. The quantitative and qualitative data gathered from these mixed techniques are analyzed
and interpreted. The researcher founded that frameworks and mechanisms for good governance implementation
are available. In conclusion, major core elements of good governance namely accountability, transparency, equity
and equality, effectiveness and efficiency and participation different achievements and failures were observed. To
uphold the prevalence of good governance at grass root level, the researcher recommended the necessity of
involving the society in different government affairs, the need for arranging trainings, workshop, and seminars on
good governance, and using different mass medias.
Key words: Good governance, Public sectors, Accountability, Transparency, Participation, Equity, Efficiency,
Effectiveness.
INTRODUCTION AND STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
One of the areas of consensuses reached by the
world leaders in September 2000 in their Millennium
summit general assembly of the United Nations
conference for the declaration of Millennium
Development Goal was democracy and good
Governance. That is why governance occupies a
Page 2 of 14
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/
e‐ISSN: 2395‐0463
Volume 01 Issue 07
August 2015
Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ Page | 38
central stage in the development discourse and is
considered as a crucial element to be incorporated
in the development strategy. It is also taken as a
mechanism in which the voices of the poorest and
the most vulnerable are heard in decision‐making
over the allocation of development resources
(M.Abdellatif, 2003; Kaufmann and Kraay, 2003;
Chowdhury and Skarstedt 2005; Amoko, k.y(2003);
Karl Turner, 2011).
The success of development is dependent on good
governance; therefore, it is an essential precondition
to ensure positive changes particularly in developing
nations of the world. In other words, good
governance is a requisite for promoting economic
growth and reducing poverty. Without good
governance, it is assumed that the benefits of most
reforms in developing countries, like Ethiopia, will
not be reached to the poor and the funds allocated
for various developmental issues will not be used
effectively. In those countries where there are lacks
of accountability, transparency, responsiveness,
inefficiency, ineffectiveness, corruptions, poor
control of public funds and abuses of human rights,
development inevitably suffers. Bad governance acts
as a barrier to economic, social, and political
development and this leads to the collapse of a
nation state (Stella, 2008; Imran and Shahnawaz,
2009; Amoko, k.y(2003).
According to African governance report (2004),
Ethiopia as one of the African countries trying to
achieve the millennium development goals accepted
the importance of good governance and striving to
achieve it. However, Ethiopia like any other African
country has faced a number of challenges in
democratization and good governance building
processes. In order to address the gaps identified
the government developed a multi‐sectoral national
capacity building strategy which advocates the
principles of decentralization, regional autonomy,
and efficiency to enhance popular participation and
to promote good governance, accountability and
transparency.
According to Ministry of Work and Urban
Development (2007), the main objectives of the
policy of decentralization has been to create and
strengthen urban local government that will ensure
the traits of good governance such as public
participation, democratization, and enhance
decentralized service delivery through institutional
reforms, capacity building, systems development
and training. Formerly in its strategy, Ethiopia’s
Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction
Program (SDPRP), the issue of good and
decentralized governance was considered as one of
the building block in the struggle against poverty.
As clearly stated in the Ethiopia’s guiding strategic
framework for the five year period 2005/06‐2009/10
commonly known as a Plan for Accelerated and
Sustained Development to End Poverty (PASDEP),
programs aimed at strengthening the
Page 3 of 14
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/
e‐ISSN: 2395‐0463
Volume 01 Issue 07
August 2015
Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ Page | 39
democratization processes are being taken step by
step in the form of Civil Service Reform, Justice
system Reform, Improved Democratic Governance,
and Decentralization which resulted significant
achievements in the last few years (MoFED, 2009).
In general, though the government of FDRE has
taken important measures to promote good
governance by ratifying a number of international
human right instruments, and the FDRE constitution
adopted multi‐party government system and
accepted most of the internationally recognized
human rights conventions since 1991, the process of
good governance building is facing serious and
complex challenges. The challenges are mainly
related with that of the infancy of building good
governance in the country (Kumera, 2011).
According to the African governance report(2005),
the major challenges include lack of adequate
awareness about human rights among the public,
the limited democratic culture and experience in the
country, limited participation of citizens in
governance, lack of adequate and appropriate
policies and laws in some areas and capacity
limitations of law enforcement and governance
organs of the government.
Based on the African governance survey conducted
by the Economic Commission for Africa for 28
countries (2004), Ethiopia’s performance in all
indices of measuring good governance has fallen
below the sample average which is 53%. According
to Shimelis (2005), while the sample index of
Ethiopia is 36% and the same trend persists in the
country governance profile by subsequent ECA’s
governance survey of 2005(ECA, 2005).This clearly
shows that Ethiopia is still good governance African
standards concerned. Moreover based on 2005 IFA
Resource Allocation Index in the area of public
sector management and institution Ethiopia scores
3.1 averages in which 6 points is the highest and 1 is
the lowest point. Especially in transparency,
accountability and corruption in public sector the
country score below average, 2.5 points. Mind full of
these facts, PASDEP recognizes the need for more
efforts to make local authorities more transparent,
accountable and efficient in their response to the
needs of the people. Therefore, in order to know
how far good governance in the country progresses
and/or face obstacles, the activities of making
regular assessments and measurements of
governance condition of the country is
necessary(MoFED, 2010).
The aim of this research is, therefore, to examine
how good governance is prevalent in public
institutions found in Yirga Cheffe town
administration, Gedeo zone; Ethiopia.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Data type and sources
