Capacity building for improved governance

Governance has become a major theme in public discourse in various contexts in recent times. The term could mean ‘administering’, ‘overseeing the implementation’, etc. Governance is used in the context of governments, public institutions, and
corporate entities.
While the term is very relevant in the context of all governments and their institutions since they are public bodies accountable to people (the electorate), it is all the more relevant in the case of urban local governments as these are closest to the people and are in a position to directly respond to and impact the lives of people in their local jurisdictions.
There is therefore effort at all levels to tone up and upgrade the governance at our urban local bodies in order to deliver better services to citizens given the rapid and relentless urbanisation taking place in the country and the accompanying challenges which in many cases are mounting. We believe there are several planks that are to be addressed as we work to align the governance architecture of our urban local bodies with the emerging challenges and the rising aspirations of the people. Among them are organisation structure, systems, and processes within various parts of the ULB organisation. These need to be tuned to receive feedback and capture the ‘people’s voice’, process the same, and respond with appropriate interventions and actions on the ground. In recent years there have been several urban development missions announced by the national and state governments realising the importance of building vibrant cities and efficient urban spaces in order to reap the economic benefits that urbanisation has to offer. Our ULBs are tasked with implementation of these initiatives on the ground in a timely, transparent, and accountable manner.
Above all, in all their efforts, ULBs must keep sustainability firmly in their sights. In all that they do, there must be the element of environment protection. Principles of waste reduction, recycling, reuse, and circular economy must be incorporated in all that we do. All these will need an organisation of well-skilled and well-trained personnel with insightful knowledge and enlightened approach to the problems of cities and crafting sustainable solutions. In short there is need for continued capacity building of ULB personnel to equip them to carry out their functions effectively. We at AIILSG have since many decades continued as a trusted partner of our ULBs in this journey to create more livable urban spaces. We are working with them for capacity building of their personnel in all areas of their work to ensure that the governance at ULBs is constantly upgraded and they can discharge their functions smoothly, efficiently, and effectively.
This issue of Urban Update looks at the subject of governance at ULBs. We trust that readers will find the issue engaging. We shall look forward to hearing from you.