Measuring democratic governance: a framework for developing for selecting pro-poor and gender sensitive indicators
The guide uses International IDEA’s Democracy Assessment Framework as the source for the basic principles and values required to derive a set of pro-poor gender sensitive indicators of democratic governance. The methodology of the framework is based on two basic democratic principles, i.e. popular control of public decision-making and decision makers and political equality between citizens. The guide also provides assistance on the ways in which different indicators of governance can better reflect poverty and gender dimensions.
Illustrative tools and example indicators are provided for measuring governance across seven thematic areas:
- parliamentary development
- electoral systems and processes
- human rights
- justice
- access to information and the media
- decentralisation and local governance
- public administration reform and anti-corruption.
This guide argues that indicator selection is itself a governance process. A system of indicators can only be used to promote pro-poor and gender sensitive democratic governance if it is fully understood by, and if it commands widespread support among, a broad range of national stakeholders. For these reasons, it is important to ensure that all key decisions including the choice of indicators and the creation of an appropriate institutional framework for data collection and monitoring, derive from an inclusive and participatory debate.
