THE ART OF

GOVERNANCE

Prof. Ramces M. Dili

Department of Political Economy

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

 In traditional parlance,
government rules and
controls, but in governance, it
orchestrates and manages.
To rule is to be the sole authority, for which the appropriate
response is to obey. A government that rules relies on force to
exact compliance, the state has the monopoly of legitimate
violence.

It enacts laws binding on all the inhabitants and metes out

sanctions according to these laws. It delivers services to
passive recipients who have little influence in the definition of
the programs or their eligibility requirement and methods.
By contrast, to
orchestrate is to call Because built on trust, transparency in the
on everyone to play a conduct of governing is essential. Laws still
part in moving the bind all, but they are laws they had a part in
society. Power rests on bringing about. Accountability is shared,

the trust the players and they who have the greatest power bear

have on the director the greater responsibility.

and on each other.

 A manager then must be open to inputs from
outside him which might provide new information
and to methods other than those originally
promulgated that could lead to the specified goal.

All governing is an act of leadership, of moving a society

towards a preferred direction. While government can have a
connotation of being interested only in maintenance and in
preserving peace and order, governance implies leadership
toward societal development.
To control is not to
manage, one cannot To control is to direct what each part of the

found a definition of system must do. It assumes that the controller

knows the goals and is certain how an action
governance that uses
it requires can lead to it. Deviation will be
control instead of viewed as error in a context of full knowledge.
management.
Controlling assumes a law but to manage is
to act on a hypothesis. The manager works
on incomplete information and tests if the
hypothesis is borne out in a given situation.

A manager then must be open to inputs from

outside him which might provide new information
and to methods other than those originally
promulgated that could lead to the specified goal.
Governance chooses
management over control
because its system is
permeable, admits outside the
influences, assumes no
omnipotence or omniscience on
the part of the decision-maker,
and subjects decisions to the
evaluation and critique of all
those with a stake in them.
Governance is “the process
whereby elements in
society wield power and
authority, and influence
and enact policies and
decisions concerning
public life, economic and
social development.”
The Need for Good
Governance:
Why Governance
Matters
Good governance creates a
strong future for an
organization by continuously
steering towards a vision and
making sure that day-to-day
management is always lined
up with the organization’s
goals. At its core, governance
is about leadership.
An effective board will improve the organization’s
results, both financial and social, and make sure the
owners' assets and funds are used appropriately.

Poor governance can put organizations at risk of

commercial failure, financial and legal problems for
directors/trustees or allow an organization to lose
sight of its purpose and its responsibilities to its
owners and people who benefit from its success.
Another vital attribute of governance is efficient
and effective administration. The Government of
India, for example, is determined to be more
responsive and accountable to the public.

A further governance priority in Asia and the Pacific is the

fight against corruption, which degrades the quality of
governance and hits hardest at the poorest. The Government
of China for example is among those taking firm measures to
combat corruption and promote integrity in governance.