The importance of an effective public sector is being acknowledged by the international community through a renewed interest in supporting and strengthening effective systems of governance. The unifying set of principles, goals and targets espoused in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), through which the international community aspires to address the most pressing issues of poverty and human development, has resulted in an environment that enhances the effectiveness of development assistance and international cooperation.
In this context, attention to good governance is crucial. Institutions that is transparent, accountable, and capable of achieving results are a critical requirement for nations working to meet their development goals. Each sector—public, private and voluntary— has an important role in the creation of an enabling environment for poverty reduction. In recognition of this, FIT has incorporated support for good governance, respect for human rights and the rule of law into its capacity development programs for several years.
Promoting a Culture of Good Governance: Code of Ethics - Ethiopia
In 2005, FIT began a dialogue with the Ethiopian Civil Service College (ECSC) to develop a project aimed at supporting Ethiopia’s public sector reform program through the development of a specialized course in ethics. Together, FIT and ECSC developed gender-sensitive ethics courses for civil servants, students and faculty. As well, a Code of Ethics was developed through a participatory process using an ethical climate survey to identify core values for the College. Exchange of expertise from Canada and other African nations was promoted through the creation of a seminar series on issues related to ethics, anti- corruption and the rule of law.
Regional Governance and Development – Ukraine
This is a project that strengthens governance at the regional level and is managed by the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI). FIT works with the CUI to promote models for including civil society in the shaping of regional development strategies and policies that will strengthen more open, accountable and effective government at the regional level.
Participatory Development Program (PDP) - Egypt
The PDP is designed to contribute to improved governance in Egypt by strengthening the capacities of civil society organizations to apply rights-based approaches to development and to better represent their communities. PDP works proactively to facilitate dialogue among development actors to encourage an enabling environment for a strong civil society. This has included a successful series of roundtable meetings with participation of NGOs, government officials, parliamentarians, the media and the private sector to establish common development goals and objectives in areas such as child rights, gender equality, corporate and social responsibility, services and rights for disabled people and building conditions for citizen participation and engagement. The PDP’s focus on rights-based programming approaches has also led to the development and application of models for civil society- government cooperation and collaboration.
China Migrant Labour Occupational Health and Safety Project
The MLOHS project is designed to strengthen the capacities of municipal authorities in Chongqing, China to better protect the rights of migrant workers, with a focus on Occupational Health and Safety (OHS). Through integrated training and technical assistance FIT and its partners, Equitas and Saint Mary’s University, are assisting Chongqing to realise improved coordination among the various departments that have responsibility for labour rights, health and migrant workers’ issues and to strengthen OHS inspection and enforcement services. As well, the project is undertaking studies among plants in targeted sectors in order to create practical models and guidelines for meeting international OHS standards. Using these models as a basis for learning, FIT works directly with employers and workers to generate better understanding and awareness of migrant workers’ rights and OHS standards. Building a “tri-partite” model, through which government, labour representatives and employers work together to review policy, regulatory and compliance issues, the MLOHS Project is building a system through which migrant workers themselves will participate in the decision making process.
Baltic Initiatives Program
The Baltic Initiatives Program (BIP) was a decentralized CIDA fund established to build the capacities of local institutions in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to manage the transition to democratic governance and market-based economies. FIT administered the BIP and provided technical support to Canadian organizations delivering “people-to- people” initiatives with their Baltic- country partners. The BIP supported several projects that introduced Baltic government departments and agencies to approaches to policy making, service delivery and public administration that address the needs of citizens within a democratic system, such as: the establishment of an Ethics Office by the Government of Latvia; the strengthening of local governance through improved regional planning and development, citizen engagement and reform of municipal administration; and the introduction of more “citizen friendly” service delivery models such as community policing, increased parental and community participation in education, and community-based health care services.
Child Rights Project – Sri Lanka
This project promotes child rights by developing capacities among NGOs and government duty-bearers to apply rights-based approaches to child protection. The project promotes the participation rights of children through training for adult partners and support to children- led organizations. In keeping with the rights-based approach, CRP is also facilitating the development of effective networking between NGO and government partners to promote coordinated approaches from all duty-bearers. The CRP has reached over 7,000 children in especially difficult circumstances, including school drop outs, working children, abused and neglected children and those affected by the armed conflict. These children now experience the empowerment that comes with having a voice in decision making on issues that affect them.
Enhancing Civil Society Project - Jamaica
In keeping with the Government of Jamaica’s vision to promote social cohesion, this project utilized participatory approaches to decentralization and good governance. Working with both community based organizations (CBOs) and local government authorities, the Project promoted platforms for increased community engagement. A series of capacity building initiatives with local authorities resulted in strategies for community participation in the municipal planning process and, in one pilot municipality, formalization of the process through the development and implementation of participatory planning tools.