Publication: Benchmarking Governance as a Tool for Promoting Change
Loading...
Date
2013-06
ISSN
Published
2013-06
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
Transparency and openness are fundamental elements of institutional development. Recent events in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have highlighted the importance of openness and transparency in governance-government processes, decisions, and expenditures that are visible to public scrutiny and voice for citizens in decisions affecting their access to basic services and economic opportunities. This applies to higher education just as much as it does to social and financial institutions, corporations, and public agencies. Institutions that are governed fairly, openly, and honestly improve the lives of individuals, enhance innovation, and function more effectively than closed and secretive organizations. Measuring governance and quality of service delivery is central to improving education outcomes. This report addresses how university governance has been assessed and compared in 100 higher education institutions (HEIs) in seven countries in MENA, using an instrument that takes into account the underlying principles of transparency, openness, accountability, and voice and participation of stakeholders in decision making. The key role played by university governance in the improvement of education quality has been a focus of attention in MENA countries for the past three years. HE ministers and policy makers expressed their specific need to benchmark university governance at a seminar held in December 2009 at the Center for Mediterranean Integration (CMI) in Marseille. The results of this exercise to benchmark university governance in 100 universities in seven countries in MENA and the implications they have for policy changes at the national and institutional levels are discussed in this report.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“World Bank. 2013. Benchmarking Governance as a Tool for Promoting Change. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/16249 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication SABER - Tertiary Education Governance : Data Collection and Assessment Tool on Governance in Tertiary Education(2012-09-29)Systems Assessment for Better Education Results (SABER) is designed to assess existing education policies of participating countries in order to enable comparisons between them and learning of best practices. The purpose of this background paper is to present SABER-Tertiary Education Governance, a tool for facilitating comparisons of both system-wide policies and practical implementation of these policies at the institution-level across and within countries in the tertiary education sector. This paper was prepared as a background papers for SABER Tertiary Education, one of the domains in the SABER initiative at the World Bank, itself launched within the context of the Bank s new education strategy 2020 which sets the goal of Learning for All. Among the factors influencing tertiary education performance, recent research has identified governance as a key determinant. A good governance structure and favorable regulatory conditions can promote innovative behavior among tertiary education institutions, enable the development of strong quality assurance systems, and facilitate the design of effective financing mechanisms. This tool aims to assess tertiary education policy according to eight policy goals.Publication The Growing Accountability Agenda in Tertiary Education : Progress or Mixed Blessing?(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2009-01)The purpose of this paper is to examine the accountability agenda in the tertiary education. Author proposes three principles of good accountability. First, accountability should not focus on the way institutions operate, but on the results that they actually achieve. Second, accountability works better when it is experienced in a constructive way, rather than being imposed in an inquisition-like mode. Tertiary education institutions are more likely to appreciate the value of reporting obligations if their relationship with stakeholders, especially government authorities, is based on positive incentives rather than punitive measures. Third, the most effective accountability mechanisms are those that are mutually agreed or are voluntarily embraced by tertiary education institutions. The paper concludes that the successful evolution of tertiary education hinges on finding an appropriate balance between credible accountability practices and favorable autonomy conditions.Publication Tertiary Education in Indonesia : Directions for Policy(Washington, DC, 2014-06)Indonesia has made notable progress in raising attainment levels in primary and secondary school. More than 1 million additional students graduated high school in 2012 when compared with 1999, and graduation rates are expected to increase further. Major efforts are being made throughout the system to improve learning outcomes and ensure graduates have more knowledge and better skills. This progress at primary and secondary school creates more demand for tertiary education (TE). Most students (88 percent in a recent survey) profess a desire to continue studying after high school. Indonesia's TE system, however, is not well prepared to help create relevant, high-quality opportunities for this growing pool of high school graduates. Wages for those with TE are high and have remained so even as more and more workers enter the labor market with at least some TE. TE is a good investment in Indonesia, even when one attends a TE institution (TEI) of perceived low quality. Empirical analyses of labor markets do not support the anecdotes about large numbers of unemployed and underpaid workers with TE. This fact is a main general conclusion that should shape the direction of TE policy in Indonesia.Publication Affiliated Colleges in South Asia : Is Quality Expansion Possible?(Washington, DC, 2011-10)South Asia is at the cusp of change. Aside from being blessed with abundant natural resources, it is one of the world's most densely-populated regions, being home to over 1.6 billion people. Most importantly, it had experienced rapid population growth and is now home to a talented young population. At the same time, South Asia's economy is booming. The South Asian countries share many similar characteristics, in their political, societal and cultural, DNAs'. One common feature is that these countries experienced a rapid expansion of their higher education sector in recent decades. This is not surprising, given the increasing quality, access and affordability of primary and secondary education. This is matched concurrently by the region's strong economic growth resulting in higher demand for skilled labor.Publication The Challenge of Establishing World-Class Universities(World Bank, 2009)There are many important questions to ask about the widespread push toward world-class status for universities around the world. Why is 'world-class' the standard to which a nation should aspire to build at least a subset of its tertiary education system? Might many countries be better served by developing the most locally relevant system possible, without concern for its relative merits in a global comparison? Is the definition of "world-class" synonymous with "elite Western" and therefore inherently biased against the cultural traditions of tertiary education in non-Western countries? Are only research universities world-class, or can other types of tertiary education institutions (such as teaching universities, polytechnics, community colleges, and open universities) also aspire to be among the best of their kind in an international perspective? To answer these questions, the report starts by constructing an operational definition of a world-class university. It then outlines and analyzes possible strategies and pathways for establishing such universities and identifies the multiple challenges, costs, and risks associated with these approaches. It concludes by examining the implications of this drive for world-class institutions on the tertiary education efforts of the World Bank, offering options and alternative perspectives on how nations can develop the most effective and relevant tertiary education system to meet their specific needs.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication World Development Report 2011(World Bank, 2011)The 2011 World development report looks across disciplines and experiences drawn from around the world to offer some ideas and practical recommendations on how to move beyond conflict and fragility and secure development. The key messages are important for all countries-low, middle, and high income-as well as for regional and global institutions: first, institutional legitimacy is the key to stability. When state institutions do not adequately protect citizens, guard against corruption, or provide access to justice; when markets do not provide job opportunities; or when communities have lost social cohesion-the likelihood of violent conflict increases. Second, investing in citizen security, justice, and jobs is essential to reducing violence. But there are major structural gaps in our collective capabilities to support these areas. Third, confronting this challenge effectively means that institutions need to change. International agencies and partners from other countries must adapt procedures so they can respond with agility and speed, a longer-term perspective, and greater staying power. Fourth, need to adopt a layered approach. Some problems can be addressed at the country level, but others need to be addressed at a regional level, such as developing markets that integrate insecure areas and pooling resources for building capacity Fifth, in adopting these approaches, need to be aware that the global landscape is changing. Regional institutions and middle income countries are playing a larger role. This means should pay more attention to south-south and south-north exchanges, and to the recent transition experiences of middle income countries.Publication Global Economic Prospects, June 2024(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-06-11)After several years of negative shocks, global growth is expected to hold steady in 2024 and then edge up in the next couple of years, in part aided by cautious monetary policy easing as inflation gradually declines. However, economic prospects are envisaged to remain tepid, especially in the most vulnerable countries. Risks to the outlook, while more balanced, are still tilted to the downside, including the possibility of escalating geopolitical tensions, further trade fragmentation, and higher-for-longer interest rates. Natural disasters related to climate change could also hinder activity. Subdued growth prospects across many emerging market and developing economies and continued risks underscore the need for decisive policy action at the global and national levels. Global Economic Prospects is a World Bank Group Flagship Report that examines global economic developments and prospects, with a special focus on emerging market and developing economies, on a semiannual basis (in January and June). Each edition includes analytical pieces on topical policy challenges faced by these economies.Publication Doing Business 2014 : Understanding Regulations for Small and Medium-Size Enterprises(Washington, DC: World Bank Group, 2013-10-28)Eleventh in a series of annual reports comparing business regulation in 185 economies, Doing Business 2014 measures regulations affecting 11 areas of everyday business activity: Starting a business, Dealing with construction permits, Getting electricity, Registering property, Getting credit, Protecting investors, Paying taxes, Trading across borders, Enforcing contracts, Closing a business, Employing workers. The report updates all indicators as of June 1, 2013, ranks economies on their overall “ease of doing business”, and analyzes reforms to business regulation – identifying which economies are strengthening their business environment the most. The Doing Business reports illustrate how reforms in business regulations are being used to analyze economic outcomes for domestic entrepreneurs and for the wider economy. Doing Business is a flagship product by the World Bank and IFC that garners worldwide attention on regulatory barriers to entrepreneurship. More than 60 economies use the Doing Business indicators to shape reform agendas and monitor improvements on the ground. In addition, the Doing Business data has generated over 870 articles in peer-reviewed academic journals since its inception.Publication World Development Report 2006(Washington, DC, 2005)This year’s Word Development Report (WDR), the twenty-eighth, looks at the role of equity in the development process. It defines equity in terms of two basic principles. The first is equal opportunities: that a person’s chances in life should be determined by his or her talents and efforts, rather than by pre-determined circumstances such as race, gender, social or family background. The second principle is the avoidance of extreme deprivation in outcomes, particularly in health, education and consumption levels. This principle thus includes the objective of poverty reduction. The report’s main message is that, in the long run, the pursuit of equity and the pursuit of economic prosperity are complementary. In addition to detailed chapters exploring these and related issues, the Report contains selected data from the World Development Indicators 2005‹an appendix of economic and social data for over 200 countries. This Report offers practical insights for policymakers, executives, scholars, and all those with an interest in economic development.Publication Classroom Assessment to Support Foundational Literacy(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-03-21)This document focuses primarily on how classroom assessment activities can measure students’ literacy skills as they progress along a learning trajectory towards reading fluently and with comprehension by the end of primary school grades. The document addresses considerations regarding the design and implementation of early grade reading classroom assessment, provides examples of assessment activities from a variety of countries and contexts, and discusses the importance of incorporating classroom assessment practices into teacher training and professional development opportunities for teachers. The structure of the document is as follows. The first section presents definitions and addresses basic questions on classroom assessment. Section 2 covers the intersection between assessment and early grade reading by discussing how learning assessment can measure early grade reading skills following the reading learning trajectory. Section 3 compares some of the most common early grade literacy assessment tools with respect to the early grade reading skills and developmental phases. Section 4 of the document addresses teacher training considerations in developing, scoring, and using early grade reading assessment. Additional issues in assessing reading skills in the classroom and using assessment results to improve teaching and learning are reviewed in section 5. Throughout the document, country cases are presented to demonstrate how assessment activities can be implemented in the classroom in different contexts.