Document Title: Governance, ways institutions management can ensure sustainable governance

Paper code: 13049

Governance, ways institutions management can ensure sustainable governance

Governance has been defined to refer to structures and processes that are designed to ensure accountability, transparency, responsiveness, rule of law, stability, equity and inclusiveness, empowerment, and broad-based participation (Chaudhary, 2020). Governance also represents the norms, values and rules of the game through which public affairs are managed in a manner that is transparent, participatory, inclusive and responsive (Grindle, and Merilee, 2007). Governance therefore can be subtle and may not be easily observable. In a broad sense, governance is about the culture and institutional environment in which citizens and stakeholders interact among themselves and participate in public affairs.

Often there is a tendency to equate governance with management, the latter primarily referring to the planning, implementation and monitoring functions in order to achieve pre-defined results (Tchombe, 2019). Management encompasses processes, structures and arrangements that are designed to mobilize and transform the available physical, human and financial resources to achieve concrete outcomes. Governance systems set the parameters under which management and administrative systems will operate. Governance is about how power is distributed and shared, how policies are formulated, priorities set and stakeholders made accountable.

Sustainable governance helps a company/institution to implement sustainability strategy across the business, manage goal-setting and reporting processes, strengthen relations with external stakeholders, and ensure overall accountability (Ghosh, and Abu Bakar, 2015). Considering an institutions such as local government, sustainable governance assures that corruption is minimized, the views of minorities are taken into account and that the voices of the most vulnerable in society are heard in decision-making. It is also responsive to the present and future needs of society.

The Mercy Corps (2013) states that good governance model should be “informed by vision for change and commitment to relief and development programming that is both community-led and market driven”. The aspect of institutional coordination, feasible intergovernmental relations and stakeholders’ involvement are critical. In other words, good governance practices and effective service delivery requires coordinated efforts. Government as the main actor, private sector, and civil society should work together if an acceptable life standard of all people is to be realized.

There are a number of ways an institution management can ensure sustainable governance: These include;