Good Governance and transparency ideas

Good Governance from Transparency and Performance Ranking
Suggestions from a senior government advisor (New Zealand)
- Establish a DPMC and convert the PM’s office into a department with a CEO or Principal Secretary as it is who will oversee and report in addition to supporting the PM,
o Cabinet affairs support (coordinating select committees, commissions etc.)
o Ministers’ performance monitoring – ministers should be assessed on their performance against set priorities and goals, there should be a process of setting accountabilities and tracking performance
o Policy advice, issues of national interest (over and above all other policy groups – overarching view of how various policies work together – whether or not there are conflicts or short-comings. For example, every department/ ministry should have an A3 strategy/SOI or plan that the DPMC)
o Security and intelligence including cyber security
o Defence and border security (could be a link to the defence apex)
o Scientific research and update wing (to inform latest advancements in India and abroad and how that could be put to best use within India)
o State and Sector performance monitoring group (to assess states and sector performances against set goals and budget outlays)
- Start the implementation of computerised interactions in the public offices as done in Gujarat. However, for people to know the difference, State Governments, regional offices, local offices such as panchayats, taluks, municipal offices, corporation offices etc. should start using computers. Creating online transactions such as land registration is a good way to control black money in circulation. By computerising, we can reduce cost such as stamp paper etc. Computerisation will eliminate corruption.
- Begin development from the District level. Consider the District Collectors as the CEO of their district. Develop a score card for them such as a dashboard. In the dashboard, they should have the development performance indicators (social, economic, health, law and order, culture, tourism etc.). Each district collector will have a resource map which comprises of all the government schemes applicable, grants, bank lending, agriculture products and manufacturing products map, savings, labour etc. There are numerous voluntary agencies who can collect this information or we should device innovative ways to record the key real-time information. I have worked on a similar project, and can throw some more light into this.
- Assessment of each cabinet role and ministry should be part of the PM’s office – each ministry will have to show investment logic for the budget provision, and report back on Return on Investment. Outcomes should be classified as immediate, interim, and final. Outcomes should be system/ sector based, which ultimately makes a difference to our people. For example, education ministry should have a few key goals which are their performance indicators, and they get the budget allocated against their investment logic aimed at these goals.


Happy to volunteer more time into this, as I have experience working in New Zealand government system which is the most transparent and zero-corruption nation in the world (as per transparency international)

Lot more to add, but cannot crowd this space! more