Strengthening Governance through Engaged Societies : Lessons from the Implementation of Poverty Reduction Strategies

In December 1999, the Boards of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund approved a new approach to their relations with low-income countries. The approach was centered around the development and implementation of Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRS), which are intended to be country-driven...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors:	Barbone, Luca, Sharkey, Katrina
Format:	Policy Research Working Paper
Language:	English
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2012
Subjects:	ACCESS TO INFORMATION ACCOUNTABILITY ADVOCACY ANTICORRUPTION BUDGET ANALYSIS BUDGET PROCESS BUDGETARY ALLOCATIONS BUSINESS COMMUNITY BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY BUILDING CAPACITY CONSTRAINTS CITIZEN CITIZEN FEEDBACK CITIZEN INPUT CITIZENS CITIZENS REPORT CARDS CIVIL SOCIETY CIVIL SOCIETY ENGAGEMENT CIVIL SOCIETY INVOLVEMENT CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS CONSENSUS CONSULTATIONS CORRUPTION COUNTRIES COUNTRY LEVEL CREDIT SCHEMES CRITICAL IMPORTANCE DATA COLLECTION DEBT RELIEF DEMOCRACY DEVELOPED DEVELOPING COUNTRY DEVELOPMENT REPORT DISTRIBUTIONAL OUTCOMES ECONOMIC GROWTH ECONOMIC POLICY ENABLING ENVIRONMENT ETHNIC MINORITY FOCUS GROUPS GOOD GOVERNANCE GOVERNANCE ENVIRONMENT GOVERNANCE INDICATORS HEAVILY INDEBTED POOR COUNTRIES HIPC HUMAN RIGHTS IMPACT MONITORING INCOME INCOME POVERTY INDIVIDUAL COUNTRIES INEQUALITY INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY INSTITUTIONAL REFORMS INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY INTERNATIONAL LABOR INTERVIEWS LOCAL CAPACITY LOCAL INSTITUTIONS LOW-INCOME COUNTRIES MACROECONOMIC FRAMEWORK MARGINALIZED GROUPS MICRO-CREDIT NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT NGO NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS OPENNESS PARLIAMENT PARTICIPATORY ACTIVITIES PARTICIPATORY APPROACH PARTICIPATORY APPROACHES PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING PARTICIPATORY MECHANISMS PARTICIPATORY MONITORING PARTICIPATORY POVERTY ASSESSMENTS PARTICIPATORY PROCESS PARTICIPATORY PROCESSES PARTICIPATORY TOOLS POLICY DEBATE POLICY LEVEL POLICY MAKERS POLICY PROCESS POLICY RESEARCH POLITICAL CHANGE POLITICAL ECONOMY POLITICAL PARTICIPATION POLITICAL RIGHTS POLITICAL SUPPORT POLITICAL SYSTEM POOR GOVERNANCE POOR PEOPLE POOR PERSON POOR POPULATIONS POVERTY ALLEVIATION POVERTY ANALYSIS POVERTY ASSESSMENTS POVERTY POLICIES POVERTY REDUCTION POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGIES POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGY POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGY PAPERS POWERLESSNESS PREPARATION PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS PROJECT DESIGN PUBLIC EXPENDITURE PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS PUBLIC POLICY PUBLIC SECTOR REFORM PROGRAMS REGULATORY FRAMEWORK RELATIVE IMPORTANCE RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS RULE OF LAW RURAL POVERTY SERVICE DELIVERY SOCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENTS STAKEHOLDER STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT STAKEHOLDER INVOLVEMENT STAKEHOLDER PARTICIPATION STAKEHOLDERS SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT TARGETING TERM EMPOWERMENT THE GAMBIA TRANSPARENCY VILLAGE VULNERABLE GROUPS VULNERABLE MEMBERS OF SOCIETY YOUTH
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2006/04/6737268/strengthening-governance-through-engaged-societies-lessons-implementation-poverty-reduction-strategies http://hdl.handle.net/10986/8703

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Summary:	In December 1999, the Boards of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund approved a new approach to their relations with low-income countries. The approach was centered around the development and implementation of Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRS), which are intended to be country-driven and medium- to long-term in perspective, comprehensive and results-oriented, partnership-oriented, and built on broad-based participation. Against this tall order of business, experience to date has been varied, and much debate is ongoing on whether the approach can be considered more than "old wine in new bottles." This paper-based on the results of a thorough review of the five-year implementation experience-examines the implementation of the PRS approach from the point of view of participation and accountability. For some 50 countries adopting the approach since 1999, it discusses the factors which can facilitate the development of accountability and participatory governance mechanisms. Lessons learned from distinct country circumstances are analyzed, arguing that ownership of the PRS depends on the way countries and their external donor partners handle real tensions in the relationship between country ownership on the one hand, and perceptions of internationally-driven prescriptions on the other. The central message of the paper is that in several countries the PRS initiative has helped open up societies to forms of dialogue and contestability not previously experienced in-country or observed by external partners. This positive outcome, however, has been largely influenced by the extent to which the PRS process has reinforced existing trends and strengthened institutions already prone to open discussion of policy choices. The paper also shows that even in the best cases change has, to date, been largely in the area of process and that impact of participatory governance on policymaking, while emerging, is still a work in progress. The paper concludes with recommendations for how developing country societies might sustain real achievements in participatory governance and domestic accountability going forward, with external partners playing a key supportive role through harmonization and alignment.

Strengthening Governance through Engaged Societies : Lessons from the Implementation of Poverty Reduction Strategies

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