UN. Public Administration and Democratic Governance: Governments Serving Citizens

United States of America; United Nations Publication, 2007. — 312 p.Making public administration and governance more responsive to the needs of citizens is one of the most important aims of the United Nations’ “Reinventing Government” programme. This volume brings together concepts and ideas from around the world about the need for and ways of achieving more responsive and accountable public administration within the framework of democratic governance. The chapters are edited versions of papers that were originally prepared for the Sixth Global Forum on Reinventing Government.
The Global Forums on Reinventing Government have explored a wide range of topics for improving governance and public administration including the challenges facing governments in the 21st century arising from globalization, means of fostering democracy and development through e-government, partnerships among citizens, businesses and governments for development and democracy, innovation and quality in government, and participatory and transparent governance. The Seventh Global Forum, to be held in June 2007, will explore ways of building trust in government.
All of these themes are reflected in the chapters in this volume and focus on ways of strengthening trust, accountability and participation in government so that it can serve citizens more effectively, efficiently and responsively. This publication is one of the analytical products emerging from the Global Forum on Reinventing Government designed to make the ideas and approaches developed during discussion more widely available to policy makers and practitioners, scholars and researchers and the public at large. Its aim is to provide interested governments with conceptual and policy tools to understand the complex challenges facing 21st century public officials and administrators and to select and adapt those ideas that are most appropriate for enhancing their ability to serve citizens effectively.
This publication will stimulate thinking, policy discussions and implementation of innovative ideas to strengthen democratic governance and public administration in ways that will enhance citizens’ trust in government and participation in public affairs.Foreword
Acknowledgments
Governments Serving People: The Changing Roles of Public Administration in Democratic Governance
Linking Governments and Citizens through Democratic Governance
Representative Democracy and Capacity Development for Responsible Politics
Reinventing Government: Putting Democracy and Social Justice Back into the Discourse
Dimensions of Transparency in Governance
E-Government: Providing Value to Citizens
Accountable Governance and Administrative Reform in Europe
Roles of Civil Society Organizations in Governance
Auditing for Social Change: Learning from Civil Society Initiatives
Decentralization and Local Autonomy for Participatory Democracy
Participatory Governance in Cities