The Role of Communication in Governance

This 37-page document from the Gamos Consortium is part of a series that presents evidence of the role of communication in a number of development sectors from a project entitled "ICD Knowledge Sharing and Learning Programme" funded by the United Kingdom (UK) Department for International Development (DFID).

From the introduction:
"The aim of this paper is to examine the role (both positive and negative) that communication plays in promoting good governance by analysing available evidence and highlighting specific case studies, evaluation reports and academic articles detailing the impact of communication on governance. The purpose is to move beyond anecdote and conjecture, to review the evidence and provide a reliable basis for policies and programmes on communication for good governance....This paper is structured as follows: Section One provides an analysis of the relationship between governance and communication. Section Two reviews the kinds of evidence available and warns about the difficulties of establishing a causal link. Based on available evidence, Section Three provides an overview of the role of communication in government capability, accountability and responsiveness using a range of empirical data (where available) but relying heavily upon peer reviewed case studies. Section Four concludes with a summary of findings about the role of communication in good governance and identifies the factors which can encourage or impede a direct causal link."

Using the World Bank model of the "Virtuous Circle of Transparency", the document observes that a two-way flow of information between policy making and public debate is necessary for good governance, and that media holds the role of facilitating that flow. However, it states that the media must be fostered to engender transparency, accountability, and responsiveness through an enabling environment.

The document's conclusions state the view that governance requires an inclusive public space based on informed dialogue and debate and suggests that communication, which can facilitate a broader voice and accountability, has a positive impact on good governance. Further, the positive benefit of communication "is most evident when the basic preconditions for democracy and/or good governance exist, for example, when there are established mechanisms for holding government to account, as in elections, and when the government is prepared to listen....[I]t is also necessary to ensure that enabling factors are in place so that voices can be heard and citizens be provided with the means to hold government to account." According to the document, maximising the impact of communication programmes on governance may be enhanced by advocating the use of the following: a differentiated approach - learning from conventional mass media - to reach large populations; social marketing to target specific groups; social mobilisation to bolster participation; media advocacy to gain support from governments and donors; and popular folk media to generate dialogue and activate information networks.