FRAMEWORK OF GOVERNANCE

POLITICAL

LEGAL

ADMINISTRATIVE

CORPORATE

SOCIAL

Exercise of
franchise

Rule of Law

Efficient, Effective
and Economical

Corporate
Governance

Social Equity
& Unity

Conduct of
political
representatives

Access to
justice

Citizen interface &

participation

Profit +
Welfare

Civic sense &

Participation

Functioning of
legislature

Judicial
Appointments

Quality of
Service delivery

Fair trade
practices

Role of Media

Political
Decentralisation

Judicial
Activism

Responsiveness

CSR

Forums for
Public Opinion

ANSWERABILITY V/S RESPONSIBILITY

Answerability refers to the obligation created upon an individual or institution to provide justification for
its actions or decisions. Such an obligation is based upon external criteria, such as orders, rules,
commitments, charters etc. This makes it easy to identify deviations and, if required, impose material or
professional penalties. This implies that answerability is capable of being highly objective and easy to
enforce. However, its scope is limited by its dependence on the presence of adequate authority,
knowledge or time. Therefore if governance is limited to answerability, some individuals may escape the
consequences of their actions.
Thus, an indispensable component of ethical governance is a sense of responsibility. Responsibility also
involves an obligation but such an obligation is now self-imposed. This makes it more dynamic and
wider in scope than answerability, as the individual can assess changing situations and select the most
suitable course of action.
The problem with responsibility is that it is self-determined and hence subjective. This makes it difficult
to arrive at a standardised evaluation of what would constitute responsible conduct or to impose
penalties that would affect an individuals material position. The only penalties that can be imposed are
feelings of shame, guilt or regret and even these cannot be imposed without self-realisation. Thus,
enforcing responsibility becomes extremely difficult and necessitates the establishment of accountability.