Public Policy Management and Good Governance: Challenges and the Way Forward

Abstract

The world is facing extraordinary challenges. Policymakers are attempting to develop institutions that are able to cope with rapid changes in demographics, the environment, and the economy. Policymakers are part of the system in which governments operate. Numerous external and internal pressures continuously attack this structure. Exogenous changes or fresh knowledge caused policies to be reversed or revised more frequently than necessary. In India, policymakers are confronted with an increasing number of issues caused by various types of complexity. In this complex environment, the demand for good policy making is steadily increasing. The objective of this paper is to study various facets and dimensions of good governance from public policy perspective. The paper also explores the public policy alternatives and methods to address the issues and challenges of good governance in India. During the discussion, the authors found that corruption and poor capacity building are main impediments in establishing good governance which in turn hampers the efficiency and equity in the provision of public services, thereby weakening the enforcement mechanism of public policy management principles. The paper also revealed that for effective public policy management and administration, there is a dire need to formulate and implement stringent rules and regulations against the menaces like illegal use of force, corruption, bureaucratic bungling, criminalisation of politics and other constraints hampering good governance. Therefore, to create checks and balances across tiers of government and to correct the existing distortions, the paper suggests reform strategies such as decentralisation of public services through participation of private sector, involvement of poor people in state sponsored development programmes, outcome orientation and having women representation in democratic institutions for ensuring good governance. In order to accomplish these desired social changes, enacting strong legislation with severe penalties and its rigorous execution is the need of the hour.