Towards Governance for Uncertain Times: Joining up Public, Business and Civil Society Sectors

This paper examines the complexity and "fuzzy logic" actually at play in governance in case studies such as HIH (Australia) and Enron (USA). The rules applying to each sector cannot fully explain events. Non?prescribed factors influencing behaviours affecting the interconnections, interdependencies and interactions of the individuals and institutions concerned often determine outcomes. Socio-political systems are dynamic complex evolving systems that function according to bounded self?organisation. Their governance often involves decision-making behaviour that does not operate according to formulaic rules but is analogous to the fuzzy logic according to which certain systems behave. Viewing the relationship between public management as regulators, corporations and others as complex dynamic relationships assists understanding the role of unanticipated events and the management of responses and adaptation to uncertainty in a society’s internal and external environments. This can facilitate the protection and advancement of the public interest by public management.governance, uncertainty, adaptation, fuzzy logic, complexity

Integrated governance : a pre-requisite for sustainable market-orientated development in Bangladesh

Using agriculture input sector as an exemplar, this article assesses Bangladesh\u27s efforts towards a market-oriented development approach. It examines the changing role of the state following the market-based reforms undertaken in this sector and assesses whether the outcomes of the reforms are sustainable. Findings reveal that, although the current move towards a market-oriented approach has led to a shift away from a state-dominated hierarchical structure, it has not been associated with adequate changes in institutional arrangements, safeguards, and regulation. As a result, despite notable achievements of the reforms, the sustainability of these successes is in question. To facilitate participatory, accountable, and sustainable, market-oriented development, the paper proposes an integrated governance model linking state, business, and civil society.<br /

Integrated governance: a possible solution for a sustainable private sector led development in Bangladesh?

In the quest for \u27good governance\u27, the developing countries have embarked on ambitious NPM style market-oriented reform policies mainly advocated by international development agencies (IDA) over the last two decades. Bangladesh has been pursuing decades of market-oriented reforms advocated by IDAs with the prime objectives of achieving an efficient, cost effective service delivery through increased involvement of the private sector. The shift towards marketisation has led to a complex, horizontal and networked structure of partnerships between state and non state actors. The private sector and NOOs are now delivering goods and services which were once the exclusive domain of the state. These changes have however, not been associated with changes in institutional arrangements, safeguards and regulation required to support the private sector led development, which is not sustained independently of the context in which it operates. Using the agriculture input sector as an exemplar, this paper explores the constraints of sustainable private sector led development. The paper argues that the main impediment to private sector led development in this sector centre on lack of good governance. In addition, lack of an integrated market structure, market information, capacity and awareness building are other factors that are inhibiting the private sector led development. We argue that a functional governance model is required in Bangladesh that engages the state, civil society and the private sector to work effectively in a participatory approach to deal with the constraints of private sector led development and for improving good governance.<br /

Governance gone bad

The problems of the Bangladesh agriculture input sector are an example of good governance gone bad. The solution is a functional governance model bringing together state, the private sector and civil society, write Fara Azmat, Ken Coghill and Quamrul Alam.<br /

Self-regulation: a risky option for developing countries? The case of Bangladesh

In recent years, the command and control type of government regulation is giving way to self- regulatory approaches in which industry sectors are responsible for controlling the conduct of their own members. Although self-regulatory approaches are increasingly being adopted with the objective of both improving the rate of compliance and reducing costs in developed countries, this paper argues that this might be a risky option. Developing countries often do not have adequate levels of standards of efficiency, effective legal regulatory frameworks, institutional safeguards and public awareness. Using the Bangladesh agriculture sector as an exemplar, this paper investigates the prospects of self-regulation of small businesses trading in agricultural inputs as a possible remedy for the recent problems associated with the sale of contaminated inputs to the farmers. The paper argues that self-regulation does not develop and is not sustained&nbsp; independently of the context in which business operates. Importantly, the context includes the legal infrastructure created by the state and the enforcement effort imposed by the state. In the absence of effective state intervention in the public interest, institutional safeguards and public awareness, private entrepreneurs are less constrained to behave in the public interest and in conformity with the objectives of self-regulation. The findings of this paper provide significant implications for addressing the issue of effective regulation in developing countries.<br /

Victoria's Reforms: Implications For The Standing Of Parliament

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E-government: a possible solution to the problems of the agricultural input market in Bangladesh?

Although e-government offers unique opportunities for streamlining good governance, there remains considerable skepticism about its applicability in developing countries due to their lack of required level of infrastructural, technological, legal and human development. This paper argues that developing countries can introduce e-government practices by re-engineering their existing infrastructure rather than waiting for massive investments and perfect technological advancements. Using Bangladesh- a developing country- as an exemplar, this paper assesses the applicability and prospects of e-government practices in dealing with the problems in the agricultural input sector which is predominantly associated with poor, marginalised and semi-illiterate farmers. The utilization of the Bangladesh case study has important implications for examining and highlighting the probable introduction of e-government practices in developing countries.<br /

Parliamentary accountability to the public: the role of professional development programmes for MPs

The contradiction between public concerns over reports of the behaviour and performance of parliamentarians and parliaments and the standards which the public expects of its democratic institutions and representatives raises a key accountability issue: what steps are appropriate to be taken by parliaments to address such public concerns? The paper examines the particular issue of the exercise of ethical judgments by parliamentarians. It reviews the experience of parliaments and other public institutions in addressing ethical standards of behaviour, including through training, institutions such as parliamentary standards commissioners. Particular attention is given to appropriate sources of professional development in ethical behaviour

Options for the States in and Australian republic. by Ken Coghill

The 1991 ALP National Conference resolutions make little specific reference to the states but appear to assume their continued existence