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Citizens ’ Engagement in Public Sector Management. Participatory Democracy through African Peer Review Mechanism in South Africa. Ledule Bosch AfCoP Annual Meeting May 24. Promoting Accountability Through African Peer Review Mechanisme (APRM).
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Citizens’ Engagement in Public Sector Management Participatory Democracy through African Peer Review Mechanism in South Africa Ledule Bosch AfCoP Annual Meeting May 24
PromotingAccountabilityThroughAfrican Peer ReviewMechanisme (APRM) • APRM to encourage conformityamongAfrican States on : • Political values • Economic codes • Corporate standards • A self-assessment • Action plan implementation
Challenges • APRM implementation process spearheaded by a government-designated focal point • Until 2007: limited collective engagement: • Implementation issues due to Government • Engagement and partnership were skewed, intermittent, ad-hoc and ill timed • Low level and contradictory contributions from all stakeholders • Non-compliance to implementation of core documents adopted at the 6th Summit of Heads of State & Government Implementation Committee of NEPAD in 2003
Approach • Increased trust and transparency of decision-making process • Open and participatory process to engage key stakeholders to facilitate exchange of information to build a national dialogue platform on good governance and all socio-economic development programs • Promote full participation of relevant stakeholders in the development • APRM provides a platform for RSA government, civil society, NGOs and their external partners to discuss and build consensus on the state of governance at national & provincial level • Systematic review of its performance by other states in order to help the country adopt optimal practices • Internal self-assessment and peer review will lead to the entrenchment of the principles of accountability and transparency that constitute the bedrock of good governance
Results • In 2009, extensive consultations in all nine provinces on development issues • Country’s ability to support the principles of participatory democracy and people centered government. • Enhanced interaction with citizens: • Succesfull launch of the Presidential Hotline in September 2009 • Budget documentation available online and in libraries • Robust public debate on public sector management and reform issues • Collective national citizen-owned self-assessment
Partners • Committee of Participating Heads of State and Governments • Panel of Eminent Persons • APR Secretariat • National Focal Point • National Governing Council • Institutional Technical Partners • 33 Participating African Countries • NEPAD • Business Sector and general organs of civil society. • African Union institutions • African Development Bank • United Nations Economic Commission for Africa • United Nations Development Programme for Africa
LessonsLearned • Affirmation of Africa’s political leadership with NEPAD to forge a new partnership with all development stakeholders • Development of strategies to determine how well the APRM indicators balance MTSF priorities for South Africa’s 12 outcomes, alignment with the MDGs, and activities for which APRM had a comparative advantage in the review process. • The RSA APRM results measurement system has anchored in the Continent’s broader effort to enhance its results orientation. • Four strenghts: country-led development, results-based management, and development effectiveness and global partnerships for better results. • Self assessment and peer review go beyond the APRM process to sustain a long-term dialogue on governance issues within the country, by its very citizens.