Governance
Governance concerns the capacity of a state to deliver basic services to its citizens. It determines how civil society participates to decision-making.
Governance refers to the rules (laws, decrees...), processes, and behaviour by which interests are articulated, resources are managed, and power is exercised in society.
Participatory, accountable and efficient governance harnesses the activities of the state and its citizens to objectives of sustainable social and economic development. Therefore, governance is essential to all development programmes.
Institutional support, capacity development, decentralisation...
BTC's interventions in the governance sector concern institutional support and capacity development, decentralisation and local governance, reforms in the security sector, reforms in the public sector, and budget support.
For instance, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), BTC supports the development of cities, communes and rural areas through the Support Programme for Local Development Initiatives (PAIDECO). PAIDECO fosters capacity development with agents of both the public administration and civil society organisations. The goal is to improve local governance, but especially to enhance and improve the services offered to the citizens.
In Burundi, the support targets specific areas of the reform of the security sector. Promoting more professional law enforcement or supporting the Ministry of Justice should enable Burundi on the long run to have reliable judicial institutions with enhanced organisational capacity and competent staff.
Finally, in the Palestinian Territories, a support project to the reform of the local governments strengthens the institutional capacity of the Ministry of Local Entities.
Whether in Congo, Palestine, Burundi or elsewhere, one thing is clear: fostering governance is fostering participation, accountability and efficient public management.
