While the World Bank and Asia Development Bank developed a set of analytical tools and indicators for monitoring democratic governance in developing countries at the national level, little attention has been paid to the development of a management capacity framework for local governments to strengthen transparent local governance. In particular, there is limited research on benchmarking the best practices of local government management capacity for transparent local governance in Asia. In light of these situations, the UNGC set out to present a new management capacity framework and a set of indicators that measure enhancements to transparency in local governance in developing countries in the Asian region. 

 

As a result, the final report of the research – undertaken by a consultant, Professor Kim (Syracuse University) – was completed at the end of 2007. The report will be soon published as well as posted on the UAPAN and on the website of the UNGC. The research output will also be presented at a local governance workshop to be organized by the UNGC in 2008. The report includes: 

 

(a) Review of existing literature and methodologies of local government management capacity and transparent local governance; 
(b) Two benchmarking case studies of best practices in selected countries based on original data from two locations (i.e. China and Korea); 
(c) Review of other best practices in Southeast Asian countries based on the available literature; and 
(d) Presentation of a new management capacity framework for local governments to strengthen transparent local governance. 

 

This report seeks to link local government management capacity to transparency in local governance by focusing on three dimensions of transparency: openness, participation, and integrity. In so doing, it proposes and analyzes twelve management capacity concepts based on the four dimensions of organizational capabilities for enhancing transparency in local governance (i.e. the structural, human resource, political, and symbolic frame). The argument of the report is that the core of building management capacity for enhancing transparency is collaboration between central and local government leaders and key stakeholders in local governance.