Public Participation In Governance Research Articles

Meta-Analysis of Good Governance in the University System

Objective: The theory of good governance is among the newest topics in development in the contemporary world, and the university system, like other political systems, requires a deep and extensive understanding of the factors, components, and characteristics that make it more efficient and effective. The main goal of this research is to present a model of good governance within the university system. Methodology: Using a meta-synthesis tool with the seven-step Sandelowski and Barroso method, a systematic evaluation and analysis of 317 instances from past research findings were conducted, which, after the monitoring phases, were narrowed down to 50 relevant articles. At the end, the opinions of 11 experts and university managers were collected through a questionnaire method, and the impact coefficient of the identified factors was determined using Shannon's entropy method based on the content analysis approach. Findings: According to this research, five main dimensions were identified, including adherence to the law, government performance, participation, leadership, and vision. The adherence to the law dimension includes components (corruption control, transparency, political stability, quality of laws, and justice); the government performance dimension from components (accountability, effectiveness and efficiency, planning); the participation dimension from the component (public participation in decision-making); the leadership dimension from components (empowerment and innovative development, leadership duties, and responsibility); and the vision dimension from the component (determining political and economic goals and ideals). Results showed that the transparency component had the most significant impact among the research components. Conclusion: Good governance must, in the first place, enact very fair and progressive laws, and all country's institutions and organizations must follow the law and provide the necessary support for adherence to it, and create the necessary conditions for public participation in governance and utilize experts and opinion leaders for vision designing

The subject matter of administrative law as a basic category For distinguishing sectoral principles of administrative law

Problem setting. Administrative law as a fundamental branch of public law is a necessary tool in regulating the activities of public administration bodies, public organizations, enterprises, institutions, and organizations. Its influence is constantly felt by specific individuals. Norms of administrative law protect relations formed under the influence of civil, labor, financial and other branches of law. In recent years, administrative law has been in a state of transformation, a new ideology of relations between the state and the citizen is being formed, the administrative legal doctrine is undergoing fundamental changes, and administrative legislation is being updated. As a result, administrative law has turned from the law of state management into a branch that normatively defines and regulates the rights and obligations of public administration in relation to subjects of civil society. Analysis of recent researches and publications. A significant number of scientists dealt with issues of administrative law, its subject, principles, among which it is worth mentioning the works of such scientists as: V. B. Averyanov, Yu. P. Bityak, V. V. Galunko, R. S. Melnyk, A. A. Pukhtetska and others. However, despite the rather large number of works, questions related to the generalization of scientific positions, which highlight the subject of administrative law as a basic category for determining industry precepts, remain in most cases outside the attention of researchers, which makes it possible to talk about the need to carry out such research. The purpose of research is to clarify the role of the subject of administrative law as a basic category for determining the branch principles of administrative law. Article’s main body. The article is devoted to the peculiarities of the subject of administrative law as a fundamental criterion for determining the principles of administrative law. Of fundamental importance for updating the concept of the subject of administrative law were two theoretical conclusions that were made in the development of the ideas of the Concept of Administrative Reform in Ukraine. The transformation of the subject of administrative law is a factor in updating the content and classification of the principles of administrative law. The subject of administrative law is social relations that arise for the purpose of realizing and protecting the rights of citizens, creation of normal conditions for the functioning of civil society and the state. It follows that the main task of administrative law is to create a priority of legal conditions for ensuring by public administration the rights, freedoms and interests of man and citizen in the sphere of public administration. The subject of administrative law is a wide complex of social relations that arise in connection with the implementation of the functions of the state executive power, the content of which is the management of society. Ukraine’s new management model (with adapted principles of Good Governance) should be aimed at maximizing the scope of public participation in governance, ensuring that economic, social and political priorities are based on consensus in such a way that the voices of all citizens, even the poorest and most socially disadvantaged population groups were taken into account when making state decisions. The article emphasizes the fact that principles are the leading category in the administrative law of all continental European countries. The principles reveal the content of law, reveal the essence of law, its foundations, as well as the regularities of social life and needs, and highlight trends. In the theory of law, the principles of law mean the most general and stable requirements that contribute to the establishment and protection of social values, determine the nature of law and the direction of its further development. Conclusions and prospects for development. The principles of law are a natural phenomenon of legal science, which in their essence are universal and reflect modern approaches to their interpretation. In modern conditions, the principles of law have a universal character, as they must be taken into account by law-making subjects during the creation of norms for the legal regulation of social relations. The peculiarities of the subject of administrative law provide grounds for a new approach to updating and characterizing the principles of administrative law resulting from interdependence and influence on each other.

Who “We” are matters: the influence of organizational identity orientation on public participation in government

ABSTRACT Public participation in government remains far from ubiquitous despite calls for a modern administrative state defined by co-production. This research offers a new perspective on public participation by considering the relationship between organizational identity orientation (OIO) managerial views of the process and the frequency of engagement between local governments, citizens, and non-profits. Results show that in collectivistic public organizations, managers view participation as an important responsibility, even when it creates organizational inefficiencies. No direct link between OIO and frequency of participation is found. These findings point to a nuanced relationship between OIO, managerial beliefs, and organizational action.

Adopting e-government to monitor public infrastructure projects execution in Nigeria: The public perspective

Public infrastructure projects (PIPs) are critical to the socioeconomic development of any country and similar to most public activities, their governance requires effective public participation to be successful. Information and communication technology adoption in government-public engagements (i.e., e-government) has improved public participation in governance in developed countries. This study utilizes the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology to investigate determining factors for the Nigerian public to adopt e-government tools to promote public participation in monitoring PIPs execution. It adopts questionnaire survey and structural equation modelling techniques to show that performance expectancy, facilitating conditions, social influence, and effort expectancy significantly and positively affect behavioral intention to adopt e-government tools to monitor PIPs execution in Nigeria. This study provides scholars with an exploratory baseline for extension of e-government adoption to public infrastructure project management. This study also provides recommendations to policy makers, government technocrats, and project engineers on the need for policy changes, creation of interactive and up-to-date project websites for PIPs in Nigeria.

Deconstructing the Civic Engagement Context, Processes, and Outcomes in Nigeria

Civic engagement processes in the country have been constrained, thereby, resulting in poor public participation in governance and public policy processes. This is in contrast to well-functioning democracies where governments and citizens are required to work together to address issues of public concern. Through this process, the citizens influence public policy outcomes and determine the political choices that impact on their lives and wellbeing. This paper interrogates the civic engagement context and processes in the public sector, in the past decade (2012-2022). This is as a result of the backdrop of unprecedented low level of public participation in the political and governance processes during the period. The qualitative methodology is employed in the paper with focus on content and descriptive analysis. The paper adopted the Theory of Participatory democracy as the theoretical framework. The paper argued that this scenario has resulted in citizen’s exclusion from the policy process with attendant negative consequences on governance outcomes. The paper recommended expanding the engagement space through political reforms and good governance practices to ensure citizen’s participation in the political and governance processes, especially, at the grassroots level

Turning public engagement into standard practice: institutionalisation in the work of the South African Parliament

ABSTRACT Previous research and observed practices demonstrate that as hubs of public participation in governance, parliaments are devising means and prioritising resources that promote more public-facing initiatives to reach out to different segments of society. The diverse means through which these happen, across contexts, pose the ‘danger’ of randomness and spontaneity which ultimately limits institutional memory and consistency. This article explores how parliaments can enhance content and outcomes through the institutionalisation of public engagement. It demonstrates how legal and institutional frameworks – as a system of rules and formalised standards – are combined to set clearly defined templates, and how these align with processes for enhanced public engagement practices. In using South Africa to frame its analysis, the article draws on the 2022 IPU-UNDP Global Parliamentary Report interviews and document analysis of relevant frameworks and reports. We show how leveraging historical, geographic, social-linguistics, and demographic contexts help to strengthen parliament-public interface through institutionalisation.

Facilitators as culture change workers: advancing public participation and deliberation in local governance

ABSTRACT Practitioners who facilitate public participation in governance operate at the interface of three policy agendas: public service reform, social justice and democratic innovation. Scotland offers a paradigmatic site for studying this interface through the role of officials who work as facilitators of public participation. Reforms in the last two decades have generated new spaces for engaging citizens and communities while challenging official facilitators to reconcile grassroots community action with institutional engagement. This article draws on empirical research from the What Works Scotland dataset (2014–2019), which is the first to examine the nature of this role across Scotland. Our analysis unpacks the tensions of interactive modes of governance and explores facilitators’ agency in responding to cultural practices that are resistant to change. The paper argues that official facilitators are more than process designers and discursive stewards; their work involves challenging and changing the cultural practices of the state at the frontlines of democratic upheaval and renewal.

Exploring public participation modes in government: The case of infrastructure policies

ABSTRACT In this study, we compare three modes of public participation in government (policy endorsement, coproduction, and co-investment) and introduce a two-layer explanation to the variations in citizens’ willingness to participate in these modes. We present effort as an overarching factor so more demanding modes receive lower public support. We also argue that issue importance, trust in government, and political ideology shape individuals’ degree of participation. Using data from a public opinion survey on local infrastructure, we demonstrate the overarching role of effort and the direct effects of all three factors on the different levels of public participation in government policy.

Analysis of the modern functional field of effective implementation of public control in the system of public administration in Ukraine

AbstractThe relevance of this article lies in the fact that the study of the public administration system in Ukraine is an important issue. In modern Ukrainian society there is a clear demand for effective ways to involve the general public and create real mechanisms for implementing democratic principles of public administration through European integration processes. The aim of the study is to analyse the current functional field in the processes of public control in the public administration system of Ukraine. The following research methods were used: analysis and synthesis of information, comparative method, method of sociological research, as well as the method of induction. At the final stage of the study, an analysis of scientific sources on the research topic was carried out. According to the results of the study, it can be argued that the effectiveness of public control in Ukraine directly depends on the state of development of civil society and the level of interaction of its subjects with state authorities and their officials. This largely depends on the motivation of the competent authorities, since state institutions, especially in the legal and organisational spheres, ensure the development of civil society and form the basis for public participation in governance. The practical significance of the research results lies in the fact that the research presented in the article and the analysis of literature sources provides an idea of the implementation of public control in the public administration system in Ukraine, and also opens up new opportunities for its improvement.

Evaluation of Participatory Communication in the Governance of Busia County – Kenya

Public Participation (PP) was inscribed in the Kenya’s 2010 constitution to facilitate collaborative dialogue in governance. Inclusive governance was meant to facilitate and sustain citizen’s empowerment and developmental wellbeing. Busia County has been on record for high poverty rate. The study explored the communicative challenges that inhibit the performances of Participatory Communication (PC) in governance of the County. The questions comprised: How does Busia County use Public Participation as a tool of communication with the stakeholders? What are the communication benefits of Public Participation in Busia County? What are the communication challenges of using Public Participation in governance at Busia County? Newcomb’s communication model was applied to illustrate the role of PP as the communicative tool in governance. The study was carried out through qualitative approach via case study method. Barnlund’s Transactional Model, provided the study with functional communication cues inherent in collaborative engagements. Conflict Theory was applied to illustrate the factors that create systematic disorders in organizations. Purposive sampling was used to raise 35 participants from seven sub counties of the county. The participants comprised teachers, traders, farmers, MCAs and County Government staff. The qualitative data was analyzed through thematic technique. The study established apathy and lack of committed goodwill by the leadership as the major setback to PP performance in governance. The knowledge about functions of PC in the performance of PP in governance is significant information to academia. To policy makers, the findings are useful for formulating and sustaining legal and enforceable communication framework to improve inclusive governance. To practice, the proposed ideals would empower PRE’s to be the responsible advocates and enforce goodwill for mutual gains of all county stakeholders. The findings would further good governance in CG to facilitate the general publics to have a say in prioritization and implementation of their development wishes. These ideals would liberate citizens from challenges associated with underdevelopment, thus culminating to sustainable livelihood.

The Role of Public Participation in Governance towards Achieving Sustainable Development. Part 2

Public participation aimed at improving the effectiveness of governance by involving citizens in governance policy formulation and decision-making processes. It was designed to promote transparency, accountability and effectiveness of any modern government. Although Kenya has legally adopted public participation in day-to-day government activities, challenges still cripple its effectiveness as documented by several scholars. Instead of reducing conflicts between the government and the public, it has heightened witnessing so many petitions of government missing on priorities in terms of development and government policies. Results show that participation weakly relates with governance hence frictions sustainable development. Theoretically, public participation influences governance efficiency and development, directly and indirectly, thus sustainable development policy and implementation depends on Public participation and good governance. However, an effective public participation in governance is has been fractioned by the government. Instead of being a promoter/sponsor of public participation, the government of Kenya has failed to put structures that would spur participation of citizens in policy making and other days to activities. This has brought about wrong priority setting and misappropriation of public resources; The government officials and political class interference ultimately limit public opinion and input effects on decision-making and policy formulation, which might be an inner factor determining the failure of public participation in Kenya. The study suggests the need for strengthening public participation by establishing an independent institution to preside over public participation processes.

Enhancing Public Participation in Governance for Sustainable Development: Evidence From Bungoma County, Kenya

The use of PP in government policy formulation, decision making as well as the implementation of government programs has been embraced by many countries in the world. Kenya is among the recent developing economies that legally adopted PP through the promulgation of the new constitution a decade ago that ushered in PP. Despite this, its efficiency has staggered as information regarding public involvement in governance is still limited. We present the analysis of challenges facing the integration of public participation in governance and their impact on sustainable development. We use primary data from Bungoma County in Kenya, and SEM techniques that encompassed the CFA test to validate variables, path analysis to model perceived underlying direction of causality amid the constructs, and impact estimation using the coefficient estimator of SEM regression. The study finds PP significantly impacting on governance for H1, public participation meaningfully influences sustainable development (SD) for H2, governance considerably moderates the PP-SD relationship for H3, and the PP-Governance interaction process substantially supports SD. The study recommends consolidation of public awareness through civic education to strengthen understanding of their civil role in governance, timely notice as well as equitable facilitation in attending government development forums. Further, in enhancing PP functionality, the study suggests institutionalization by establishing the Office of Public Participation Rapporteur (OPP) responsible for collecting citizen and leaders’ views, and implementation of associated policies and regulations.

The Role of Public Participation in Governance towards Achieving Sustainable Development. Part 1

Public participation aimed at improving the effectiveness of governance by involving citizens in governance policy formulation and decision-making processes. It was designed to promote transparency, accountability and effectiveness of any modern government. Although Kenya has legally adopted public participation in day-to-day government activities, challenges still cripple its effectiveness as documented by several scholars. Instead of reducing conflicts between the government and the public, it has heightened witnessing so many petitions of government missing on priorities in terms of development and government policies. Results show that participation weakly relates with governance hence frictions sustainable development. Theoretically, public participation influences governance efficiency and development, directly and indirectly, thus sustainable development policy and implementation depends on Public participation and good governance. However, an effective public participation in governance is has been fractioned by the government. Instead of being a promoter/sponsor of public participation, the government of Kenya has failed to put structures that would spur participation of citizens in policy making and other days to activities. This has brought about wrong priority setting and misappropriation of public resources; The government officials and political class interference ultimately limit public opinion and input effects on decision-making and policy formulation, which might be an inner factor determining the failure of public participation in Kenya. The study suggests the need for strengthening public participation by establishing an independent institution to preside over public participation processes.

The Influence of Devolved Governance System in Participation Management of Public Funds in Meru and Tharaka Nithi Counties in Meru Community, Kenya

The purpose of the study was to find out the influence of devolved governance system in participation management of public funds in Meru and Tharaka Nithi counties in Meru community. Devolved governance system in Kenya has taken root with the central government devolving funds, policies and programs with minimal involvement of the people on the grass root level.. Since the advent of devolution it is critical to find out whether people have taken the initiative to influence governance and be involved in fund management. The research questions guiding the study were: What is the influence of Devolved System of Governance in managing funds in County Governments in Meru Community? What is the influence of devolution and public participation in governance of County Governments in Meru Community? How does devolution and political representation in counties influence performance of governance in County Governments in Meru Community? To which extent does devolution and public participation in decision making is being institutionalized by county governments in Meru community?  What is the effectiveness of control activities in the management of public funds in county governments in Meru community? The research was conducted in Meru and Tharaka Nithi Counties and through purposeful sampling had two case studies from each county in Meru community. Data was collected using guided interviews and semi structured questions. The data was collected through a focus group discussion, documents and audio-visual materials..   The study examined the literature review to understand devolved governance system and its practice globally, regionally and in Meru and Tharaka Nithi Counties. The theoretical framework was anchored on the governance theory, devolution theory, management theory and participation theory which imply that citizens are able to participate in fund management. The study findings indicated that the devolved system of governance is able to improve on financial planning, which eases the decision making process. It improves the transparency on financial matters and there is accountability on financial utilization which has influenced the financial management in Meru and Tharaka Nithi Counties.  The study concluded that public participation is a pivotal factor in the budgeting process as optimal participation by the public reduces instances of fractious processes and the budgets captured the wishes of the masses. The essence of assuring public participation is requisite in the quest to have openness in budget making. Keywords: Devolved governance system, Participation, management, Public Funds.

Determine How Training And Nature Influences Public Participation In Governance In Narok County, Kenya

Determine How Training And Nature Influences Public Participation In Governance In Narok County, Kenya

Exploring the Impact of Urban Built Environment on Public Emotions Based on Social Media Data: A Case Study of Wuhan

In the era of public participation in government, public emotions and expectations are important considerations influencing urban construction, planning, and management. A desirable urban environment can make people feel at ease and comfortable and contribute to promoting positive public emotions. However, in the process of rapid urban development, the high-density and overloaded urban built environment has triggered people’s mental tension and anxiety and has contributed to negative emotions. Thus, this study aimed to explore the spatial distribution of public emotions and urban built environments in cities and to thoroughly investigate the correlation between urban built environments and public emotions. Considering the lack of dynamic elements analysis and emotions spatial analysis in previous studies, this study takes Wuhan City as an example, uses social media big data as the basis for text emotion analysis, introduces dynamic traffic elements, and establishes a multidimensional urban built environment measurement index system from five aspects: land use, spatial form, road and traffic, green space and open space, and daily life service facilities. Subsequently, the spatial distribution characteristics of public sentiment and urban built environment elements in Wuhan were analyzed. Finally, a geographically weighted regression method was used to analyze the degree of influence of different urban built environment elements on public emotions. The results showed that public emotions in Wuhan are not homogeneously distributed in terms of score and space and that there are significant differences. The urban built environment has a significant influence on public emotions. Higher land use mix, higher road network density, higher number of public transportation facilities, higher number of public open spaces, lower traffic congestion, and impact of freight transportation play important roles in promoting positive emotions. Therefore, in the process of urban construction, planners and decision makers should purposefully improve the quality of the built environment. Measures can include improving the mix of land functions, alleviating traffic congestion, avoiding the negative effects of freight traffic, rationally constructing green and open spaces, and improving various living facilities. This can help contribute toward improving urban functions and urban environments, and promote the construction of a people-oriented healthy city.

Rebuilding active public participation after the COVID‐19 era: The South African case

The consequences of COVID‐19 have impacted the poor and vulnerable populations of the world significantly, particularly in countries like South Africa. State institutions have been prioritising mitigating the impacts of the pandemic. And in the academy, there has been an influx of recent scholarship contending with the psychological and physical repercussions of the pandemic. This article focuses on South Africa's rebuilding of public participation in governance in the country post‐pandemic. The article is based on a qualitatively rooted methodology consisting of a wide range of primary and secondary sources, including official state documents, academic books and articles, and reports from non‐governmental organisations and think tanks. The article further draws on the findings of global and continental research and proposes steps for rebuilding public participation in South Africa in a manner that ensures accessible governance for all, especially the poor and vulnerable populations. An exposition of the legislative measures enhancing public participation in South Africa is accompanied by a brief social and economic picture before and during COVID‐19, and a comparative synopsis of old and new direction of the processes and realities of the phenomenon in society. The research‐based key steps leading to successfully rebuilding political and social engagement after COVID‐19 were identified as being founded on a number of steps. The first related to the process of moving from community diversity to communal unity through the continuous development of trust between community and leadership, the processes of community developmental empowerment, the active participation of women in political leadership and the active role of the ward committees in community governance.

Toward a positive theory of public participation in government: Variations in New York City's participatory budgeting

AbstractNormative research on public participation in government related to desirable amounts and modes of participation has been flourishing. However, positive research explaining variations in real‐world participation processes, while gaining momentum, is still thin and fragmented. This article aims to further the positive perspective by examining differences in participatory budgeting (PB) and the reasons for these differences in six New York City council districts based on fieldwork and secondary sources. The evidence suggests that district offices were invested in PB to gain strategic advantages, such as answering calls for political renewal, recovering from a mismanagement scandal, and signaling progressive values. Similarly, civil society organizations steered their resources toward PB only if they were interested in agenda items and in doing work with as opposed to against public officials. In the end, this study discusses implications for positive research and possible external interventions to achieve more even participation standards.

The Role of Participatory Budgeting in Forming an Ecosystem of Civic Participation in State and Municipal Governance

The purpose of the article is to substantiate the ecosystem approach as a basis for building a model
 of citizen participation in state and municipal governance, manifested in the laws of the Russian
 Federation, strategic planning documents, and other regulations, as well as in participatory practices
 of budget decisions. The ecosystem of citizen participation in governance is an urgent need for the
 modern stage of development of civil society and the entire complex of state–civil relations in Russia.
 The creation of such an ecosystem can increase the efficiency of state and municipal governance,
 include citizens and civil society institutions in the process of selecting priorities for the actions of
 public authorities, and reduce the protest potential caused by the lack of a comprehensive toolkit for
 citizen participation in governance. Among the first steps toward the formation of this ecosystem is the
 development of a federal law on public participation in governance. This law should become the basis
 for the inclusion in sectoral legislation of provisions governing relations between public authorities and
 citizens directly involved in decision-making on state and municipal governance issues. An important
 role in the deployment of the ecosystem is played by the development and implementation of a set of
 measures aimed at including the issues of citizen participation in the activities of state programs and
 national projects of the Russian Federation, implemented at all levels of public authority. The article
 also defines the basic principles of the development of the civic participation ecosystem.

Participatory budgeting for research funding decisions

This paper argues that funding decisions about scientific research should be made using participatory budgeting public engagement methods, to support publicly-funded research translation into evidence-based policymaking, given evident public support. This would reflect international shifts toward public participation in governance and respond to the need for changes in research funding policies, evidenced in studies showing how research funding allocations are inefficient or inequitable. Involving consumers in decision making is an established practice in health research, while experiments involving the public in prioritising between research proposals have promising results. Furthering such methods and moving towards participatory budgeting for research funding would further the shift towards participatory governance and public engagement with science. However, for participatory budgeting to support evidence-based policy by evidencing public support, who is participating is an important consideration. Upstream research does not yet have clear consumers for applying stakeholder participation methods established in health research. Moreover, civic engagement differs from consumer engagement in promoting democratic ideals. Legitimacy for public funding and policy decisions depends on a diversity of public participants in decision-making processes, reflecting broader society rather than a consumer group.