by Dr. Donald M. McCartney, D. M.
“If you intend to write as truthfully as you can, your days as a member of polite society are numbered." ~ Stephen King
“Corruption is the enemy of development, and of good governance. It must be got rid of. Both the government and the people at large must come together to achieve this national objective.” ~ Pratibha Patil
There are many factors that impact governance, particularly good governance. One of the fundamental requirements of good governance is a strong, vibrant, qualified, and efficient public or civil service both at home and abroad. An active and dynamic public (civil) service is maintained by senior public officers who are qualified and experienced in all aspects of the public service.
Senior public officers have reposed in them the responsibility of providing training and guidance for junior officers who represent the future of the public service. Simply put, in addition to maintaining the civil service, senior public officers must always we aware and sensitive to the necessity of succession planning.
The senior public officers have and play a critical role in advising, supporting and guiding the policy makers (ministers and politicians) in many important aspects of Bahamian public life (education, health, transport, security, the environment, protection of citizens, collecting taxes, and the payment of benefits).
If any administration (government) is to deliver on its promises and services to the citizenry in general and the electorate in particular; and successfully achieve its agenda, the government must be prepared to appoint persons, at home and abroad, who are qualified and capable of performing. By so doing, the government’s national and international agenda will be achieved; thus guaranteeing the efficient delivery of its promises and service to the electorate and developing a positive image and reputation in the international arena.
An examination of the present administration's appointees will show that some of them (though few) are eminently qualified and have a universal or worldview of what needs to be accomplished. Similarly, there were appointees of past administrations some of whom passed the same litmus test. There are other appointees, in the present and past administrations, whose expertise, qualifications and abilities left no doubt about their questionable capacity and performance. I guess one cannot expect perfection in all things. After all, we live in an imperfect world.
Perhaps, it may be instructive and in the best interest of the present administration and administrations that will follow to take a page out of Presidents Lincoln and Obama's books. After being elected President, Lincoln appointed all three rivals to his cabinet—Seward as secretary of state, Chase as secretary of the treasury, and Bates as attorney general. When the situation demanded it, President Obama brought people into his administration who have the credentials regardless of their politics. The appointments made by Presidents Lincoln and Obama do not mean that the majority of persons whom they appointed are outside the political circles of the Republican Party and the Democratic Party.
This administration and administrations generally must not be insular in their thinking. They too must be prepared, when the situation demands it to look for the brightest and the best to assist in delivering quality service to the Bahamian people. An excellent example of this was the appointment of Algernon Allen as a co-chair of Urban Renewal 2.0.
Earlier, I alluded to the appointment of Foreign Service officers as public officers, and indeed they are just that. While I am not addressing international appointments as separate and apart from public service officers who serve at the national level or are considered local appointments, it would be prudent, for present and successive administrations to be deliberative when making those appointments as well. In general, both domestic and foreign appointments deserve the same careful and deliberate scrutiny and attention of any government. The quality of local appointments is the support and foundation of foreign appointments.
Foreign appointees may work as assiduously as they wish, but if there is not a cadre of qualified capable appointees, domestically all that is done to boost The Bahamas internationally will come to naught. Those who come to governance must be mindful of the necessity of quality in all of their domestic and foreign appointments, as this speaks volumes about the government’s approach to governance.
Representatives of the government and its appointees who have a worldview and an international outlook have a positive impact on domestic and foreign issues confronting any government. If the government of The Bahamas does not have the foresight to recognize this then what is the purpose of making appointments be they domestic or foreign? Failure to apply prudence when making domestic and foreign appointments then becomes a raw political exercise, which, in itself is an exercise in futility. All successful administrations must be minded not to be occupied with the notion of wholesale political paybacks as this strikes at the very core of good governance.
As a Bahamian, I do understand and subscribe to the principal in politics which states: "To the victor go the spoils…" What this approach recognizes is any government coming to power is expected to "pay some political debts" but it cannot be a wholesale "sell out" at the peoples' interest and expense…It cannot be the order of the day because it does not make for good governance.
The exercise regarding appointments should be as transparent as possible given the fact that there are so many persons who feel that they are entitled to an appointment for whatever reason. Frankly speaking, if the present administration is not prudent in its appointments (which, to date, they have not), they will be doomed to one term, and thus the Bahamian people will be shortchanged by not realizing the full complement of the administration’s ability to deliver on its promises in order to achieve its agenda.
If the present administration is to govern successfully, the "slippery slope" of business as usual must be avoided at all costs…This administration must avoid the impression or the appearance of saying one thing and doing the opposite. It must be remembered that the right and legality of any government to govern comes from the Bahamian people. If the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) is to survive in the 21st Century, it must be seen that there is a distinct and positive difference between the PLP’s style of governance and that of the previous administration of the Free National Movement (FNM), and this must be obvious to the Bahamian people.
Having dealt with some issues as they relate to good governance on the local scene that has, perhaps, prohibited the exercise and the practice of good governance in The Bahamas, let us examine some the universal principles that undergird good governance and are supported by the United Nations.
Participation. Good governance requires the participation of men and women who must have a voice in the decision-making process. This participation can be direct or indirect through those agencies that represent their interests. The foundation, of this participation, is based on freedom of association and speech coupled with the ability to constructively participate.
The Rule of Law. The rule of law is fundamental for the facilitation of the principles of good governance. The rule of law is the framework for fairness and impartiality. Fairness and impartiality apply particularly to the laws that govern the protection of human rights.
Transparency. Transparency in good governance is closely linked to participation and the rule of law. Transparency guarantees and is built on the free flow of information based on the principle of the “need to know.” It must be clearly understood that despite the principle of freedom of information, not all information can be released to all and sundry. Information that has implications for national security must be guarded and is for the “eyes” of those whose responsibility it is to protect the best interest of the state and its citizens. It is important to note that it is inappropriate and against the principles of good governance, for those in authority, to use national security as an excuse for not revealing information that does not present government in a favourable light under the guise of national security.
Responsiveness. Responsiveness is another key component of good governance that has implications for its success if it is included in the principles upon which the national government is based. Simply put, institutions, particularly, public institutions must serve all citizens and stakeholders without fear or favour. It must be borne in mind that many public (service) institutions are all purveyors of services and products that can ONLY be purchased or obtained from the government. Therefore, the political views of those who serve the public or who are recipients of those services have no bearing on the quality of the service rendered. Additionally, a requirement of responsiveness is the rendering service in a reasonable time frame, which has nothing to do with the mood or the feelings of the provider of the service.
Consensus Orientation. The delivery of good governance dictates that the mediation of differing interests is necessary in order to arrive at a broad consensus on matters that are in the best interest of the group, where it is possible, in matters of policy and procedure. The chief mediator in such matters is the national government.
Equity. Equity speaks to the concept of equal opportunity. A fully functioning society depends on the assurance given to its members that they have a vital part to play in it; and that they are not excluded from its mainstream. It is essential that all groups, particularly the vulnerable, must be given the opportunity to improve and maintain their well-being.
Effectiveness and Efficiency. The processes performed by institutions, in society, are required to produce results that meet the societal needs. The results are obtained based on the maximum use of the resources provided by the state (government). Stakeholders must understand that the resources, provided by the government, are derived from the taxes paid by them. Therefore, it is crucial that stakeholders be prudent in their demands.
Accountability. Decisions made by the government, the private sector, and civil society affect the public at large. Therefore, the decision-makers, members of the private sector, and civil society are accountable to the public and institutional stakeholders. The accountability is different because it is dependent on the organization based on whether the decision is internal or external to the organization. A key component of effectiveness and accountability is the sustainable use of all natural resources.
Strategic Vision. The strategic vision relies heavily on the broad and long-term perspective that leaders and the public have and understand about good governance and the development of the human capital in the society. The preceding must be undergirded by a sense of what is required to educate the members of society about good governance and the development of the human capital. Important in this process of having a strategic vision to undergird good governance is a keen understanding and appreciation of the complexities in which the historical, cultural, and social mores of the society is grounded.
Conclusion. The preceding discussion makes it abundantly clear that good governance, while difficult to achieve, is an ideal, for which the government, citizens, the private sector, civil society, and the public at large, must continue to strive. There is no country or society has come anywhere near the requirements to achieve total good governance. If sustainable human development is to be achieved, it is essential that we must all take action to make the ideal of good governance a reality.
