David Hulme | The University of Manchester (original) (raw)
Papers by David Hulme
Springer eBooks, 2021
SDG 16 on Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions targets the promotion of peaceful and inclusive ... more SDG 16 on Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions targets the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies, universal access to justice, and effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions. It defines (good) governance as a development goal and focuses on human rights and fundamental freedoms, the rule of law and equal access to justice, the fight against corruption and bribery, institution-building and decision-making processes, public access to information, and developing countries' participation in global governance institutions. Governance is the exercise and effectiveness of state authority through political, economic, and administrative institutions. It includes the selection and control of executives, government capacity to formulate and implement policies, and respect for institutions governing state-citizen interactions. At global level, governance is qualified as "good" and "democratic" if transparency of the institutions exercising it is guaranteed. Justice and the rule of law are defined by the UN as a governance principle that serves holding subjects and objects of governance accountable to laws. Equality before the law and an independent judiciary are essential to make the principle consistent with international human rights norms. Additional key factors of the principle are supremacy of law, accountability to the law, fairness in application, separation of powers, participation in decision-making, legal certainty, avoidance of arbitrariness, and procedural and legal transparency. Securing peace and saving future generations from the threat and consequences of war are prominently enshrined in Chapter 1, Article 1 of the Charter of the United Nations. They form the building blocks of the UN's peace-keeping and peace-building activities.
Social Science Research Network, 2014
The increasing realisation that governance quality is a fundamental element of long-run developme... more The increasing realisation that governance quality is a fundamental element of long-run development has led to its consideration as a desirable development goal in its own right. To contribute to such a process, this paper provides a framework to set, measure and monitor governance goals in the Post 2015 Development Agenda. First, we assess whether existing cross-national measures on governance quality can be exploited to measure and monitor aspects of legal, bureaucratic and administrative quality. Such a "quick fix" approach to measuring governance quality is fraught with challenges. The current practice of measurement is still subject to the short country coverage of most available measures, issues of comparability and legitimacy, as well as methodological shortcomings. Second, we argue that, in the long run, measuring and monitoring governance quality may require reconceptualising "good governance" and designing internationally shared measures that are routinely provided by national statistical offices, (but, international groups should also continue to make their independent measures). Finally, we consider the different approaches to setting governance goals, arguing in favour of a combination of national target setting and minimum standard with continuous improvement.
Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks, 2016
This introductory essay situates the subsequent special issue within a comparative framework that... more This introductory essay situates the subsequent special issue within a comparative framework that helps to unpack the new global politics of development. It argues that there is a set of countries beyond Brazil, Russia, India and China -often described as 'the BRICs' -that are emerging to a position of increased international prominence and which merit greater attention than they have hitherto received. Recent economic risers such as South Africa, South Korea, Turkey and Mexico are responding to their economic growth and seeking to secure greater influence within regional and global affairs. The analytical framework developed here distinguishes between four distinct strategies of international engagement: issue leading, opportunity seeking, region organising and region mobilising. The framework further suggests the need to focus on new global opportunities and pressures, as well as the specific interests and capacities of states when accounting for the adoption of a particular strategy of engagement. Cet essai d'introduction inscrit ce nume´ro spe´cial dans un cadre comparatif nous permettant d'analyser la nouvelle politique globale de de´veloppement. Il soutient qu'il existe un ensemble de pays au dela`du Bre´sil, de la Russie, de l'Inde et de la Chine -souvent de´nomme´les pays 'BRICs'-qui sont en train de gagner en importance sur la sce`ne internationale et qui me´ritent plus d'attention qu'ils n'ont rec¸u jusqu'a`pre´sent. Les pays en ascension e´conomique re´cente tels que l'Afrique du Sud, la Core´e du Sud, la Turquie, et le Mexique re´agissent al eur croissance e´conomique en s'efforc¸ant d'accroı ˆtre leur influence tant au niveau re´gional qu'international. Le cadre analytique de´veloppe´dans cet essai distingue quatre strate´gies d'engagement: Le leadership the´matique, la recherche d'opportunite´s, l'organisation re´gionale et la mobilisation re´gionale. Ce cadre met e´galement en avant le besoin de se pencher sur les nouvelles opportunite´s et contraintes se pre´sentant au niveau mondial, ainsi que sur les inte´reˆts et capacite´s spe´cifiques des E ´tats, pour comprendre et expliquer l'adoption de telle ou telle strate´gie d'engagement.
New Political Economy, Jun 1, 2010
In September 2010 world leaders will meet in New York to discuss progress in meeting the UN Mille... more In September 2010 world leaders will meet in New York to discuss progress in meeting the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which include the promise of halving 'extreme poverty' between 1990 and 2015. The paper begins with a brief history of how the MDGs came into being (See Table for a list and other details), noting that they were primarily a product of the rich world, before looking at the progress made in achieving them and the degree to which the rich countries have lived up to the promises they made as part of Goal 8. The final section draws lessons from the MDG process to feed into the debate concerning what will take their place in 2015 when they come to an end.
Practical Action Publishing eBooks, 2010
DESA Working paper, Oct 31, 2009
The paper contends that more attention should be paid to micro savings in view of multiple ways i... more The paper contends that more attention should be paid to micro savings in view of multiple ways in which it can help poor to deal with economic insecurity. The paper presents information to show that while microsaving programs have spread, their full potential is far from being realized. It presents a detailed analysis on the basis of data from a selection of micro savings programs to show how savings help the poor to smooth consumption and undertake investment. The paper urges for a strong campaign to popularise micro saving programs.
What’s Wrong with Microfinance?, 2007
Sustainable Earth, 2018
It has been highlighted that the original article [1] contained a spelling mistake in the last na... more It has been highlighted that the original article [1] contained a spelling mistake in the last name of Elizabeth Stuart. Her last name was incorrectly captured as 'Stewart' in the original article which has since been updated.
Institute of Development Studies Bulletin Special Issue the Mdgs and Beyond 2010 41 15 25, 2010
European Journal of Development Research, 2005
Governance, Administration and Development, 1997
Throughout this book, and particularly in Chapters Two and Five, reference has been made to the w... more Throughout this book, and particularly in Chapters Two and Five, reference has been made to the ways in which international factors shape and influence the nature of public administration and policy-making in developing countries. These international factors have included the activities of colonial powers in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the operations of international development agencies — such as the World Bank and UN agencies — and the current promotion of ‘market forces’ and privatization. This chapter explores the international environment in detail. Initially it describes the historical background of the colonial and post-war eras and identifies their administrative legacy. Subsequently it explores the contemporary scene and in particular the implications of the end of the Cold War and the increasing globalization of production, exchange, media and ideas. During the 1990s the choices open to the governments of developing countries about the reorientation of public sector activities have narrowed and an increasingly powerful orthodoxy, arguing that all countries should practice the ‘new public management’, has emerged.
Governance, Administration and Development, 1997
‘Bureaucrats are still in business’ lamented a 1995 review of public enterprises in developing co... more ‘Bureaucrats are still in business’ lamented a 1995 review of public enterprises in developing countries (World Bank, 1995b). The reason for this pessimistic tone was that after a decade of public enterprise divestiture and a growing consensus that governments performed less well than the private sector in many business-type activities, the size of the public enterprise sector remained the same — too large. The number of such enterprises and their share of the GDP vary between countries but as we have already noted, they provide a far greater percentage of public sector employment than in the OECD economies and generally account for a larger percentage of GDP (see Box 8.1). They are engaged in a diverse range of activities such as steel manufacture, tractor-making, grain milling, bakeries, crop marketing, the provision of public utilities, banking, airlines, hotels, oil refining, chemicals, textiles and any other business venture in which government has decided to become involved. While the profile of the public enterprise sector is different for each country, the impulse to reform is common for all countries.
Australian Geographer, 1984
Governance, Administration and Development, 1997
A major obstacle to the effective performance of public bureaucracies in most developing countrie... more A major obstacle to the effective performance of public bureaucracies in most developing countries is the excessive concentration of decision-making and authority within central government. Public sector institutions are commonly perceived to be geographically and socially remote from ‘the people’ and to take decisions without knowledge or concern about actual problems and preferences. The popular remedy for such centralization is decentralization, a term which is imbued with many positive connotations — proximity, relevance, autonomy, participation, accountability and even democracy. So great is the appeal of decentralization that it is difficult to locate a government that has not claimed to pursue a policy of decentralization in recent years. It has currency across the ideological spectrum, and leaders from Khartoum to Kathmandu have made many declarations of their intent to promote decentralization. They receive support, and sometimes technical assistance from multilateral and bilateral aid agencies.
Springer eBooks, 2021
SDG 16 on Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions targets the promotion of peaceful and inclusive ... more SDG 16 on Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions targets the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies, universal access to justice, and effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions. It defines (good) governance as a development goal and focuses on human rights and fundamental freedoms, the rule of law and equal access to justice, the fight against corruption and bribery, institution-building and decision-making processes, public access to information, and developing countries' participation in global governance institutions. Governance is the exercise and effectiveness of state authority through political, economic, and administrative institutions. It includes the selection and control of executives, government capacity to formulate and implement policies, and respect for institutions governing state-citizen interactions. At global level, governance is qualified as "good" and "democratic" if transparency of the institutions exercising it is guaranteed. Justice and the rule of law are defined by the UN as a governance principle that serves holding subjects and objects of governance accountable to laws. Equality before the law and an independent judiciary are essential to make the principle consistent with international human rights norms. Additional key factors of the principle are supremacy of law, accountability to the law, fairness in application, separation of powers, participation in decision-making, legal certainty, avoidance of arbitrariness, and procedural and legal transparency. Securing peace and saving future generations from the threat and consequences of war are prominently enshrined in Chapter 1, Article 1 of the Charter of the United Nations. They form the building blocks of the UN's peace-keeping and peace-building activities.
Social Science Research Network, 2014
The increasing realisation that governance quality is a fundamental element of long-run developme... more The increasing realisation that governance quality is a fundamental element of long-run development has led to its consideration as a desirable development goal in its own right. To contribute to such a process, this paper provides a framework to set, measure and monitor governance goals in the Post 2015 Development Agenda. First, we assess whether existing cross-national measures on governance quality can be exploited to measure and monitor aspects of legal, bureaucratic and administrative quality. Such a "quick fix" approach to measuring governance quality is fraught with challenges. The current practice of measurement is still subject to the short country coverage of most available measures, issues of comparability and legitimacy, as well as methodological shortcomings. Second, we argue that, in the long run, measuring and monitoring governance quality may require reconceptualising "good governance" and designing internationally shared measures that are routinely provided by national statistical offices, (but, international groups should also continue to make their independent measures). Finally, we consider the different approaches to setting governance goals, arguing in favour of a combination of national target setting and minimum standard with continuous improvement.
Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks, 2016
This introductory essay situates the subsequent special issue within a comparative framework that... more This introductory essay situates the subsequent special issue within a comparative framework that helps to unpack the new global politics of development. It argues that there is a set of countries beyond Brazil, Russia, India and China -often described as 'the BRICs' -that are emerging to a position of increased international prominence and which merit greater attention than they have hitherto received. Recent economic risers such as South Africa, South Korea, Turkey and Mexico are responding to their economic growth and seeking to secure greater influence within regional and global affairs. The analytical framework developed here distinguishes between four distinct strategies of international engagement: issue leading, opportunity seeking, region organising and region mobilising. The framework further suggests the need to focus on new global opportunities and pressures, as well as the specific interests and capacities of states when accounting for the adoption of a particular strategy of engagement. Cet essai d'introduction inscrit ce nume´ro spe´cial dans un cadre comparatif nous permettant d'analyser la nouvelle politique globale de de´veloppement. Il soutient qu'il existe un ensemble de pays au dela`du Bre´sil, de la Russie, de l'Inde et de la Chine -souvent de´nomme´les pays 'BRICs'-qui sont en train de gagner en importance sur la sce`ne internationale et qui me´ritent plus d'attention qu'ils n'ont rec¸u jusqu'a`pre´sent. Les pays en ascension e´conomique re´cente tels que l'Afrique du Sud, la Core´e du Sud, la Turquie, et le Mexique re´agissent al eur croissance e´conomique en s'efforc¸ant d'accroı ˆtre leur influence tant au niveau re´gional qu'international. Le cadre analytique de´veloppe´dans cet essai distingue quatre strate´gies d'engagement: Le leadership the´matique, la recherche d'opportunite´s, l'organisation re´gionale et la mobilisation re´gionale. Ce cadre met e´galement en avant le besoin de se pencher sur les nouvelles opportunite´s et contraintes se pre´sentant au niveau mondial, ainsi que sur les inte´reˆts et capacite´s spe´cifiques des E ´tats, pour comprendre et expliquer l'adoption de telle ou telle strate´gie d'engagement.
New Political Economy, Jun 1, 2010
In September 2010 world leaders will meet in New York to discuss progress in meeting the UN Mille... more In September 2010 world leaders will meet in New York to discuss progress in meeting the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which include the promise of halving 'extreme poverty' between 1990 and 2015. The paper begins with a brief history of how the MDGs came into being (See Table for a list and other details), noting that they were primarily a product of the rich world, before looking at the progress made in achieving them and the degree to which the rich countries have lived up to the promises they made as part of Goal 8. The final section draws lessons from the MDG process to feed into the debate concerning what will take their place in 2015 when they come to an end.
Practical Action Publishing eBooks, 2010
DESA Working paper, Oct 31, 2009
The paper contends that more attention should be paid to micro savings in view of multiple ways i... more The paper contends that more attention should be paid to micro savings in view of multiple ways in which it can help poor to deal with economic insecurity. The paper presents information to show that while microsaving programs have spread, their full potential is far from being realized. It presents a detailed analysis on the basis of data from a selection of micro savings programs to show how savings help the poor to smooth consumption and undertake investment. The paper urges for a strong campaign to popularise micro saving programs.
What’s Wrong with Microfinance?, 2007
Sustainable Earth, 2018
It has been highlighted that the original article [1] contained a spelling mistake in the last na... more It has been highlighted that the original article [1] contained a spelling mistake in the last name of Elizabeth Stuart. Her last name was incorrectly captured as 'Stewart' in the original article which has since been updated.
Institute of Development Studies Bulletin Special Issue the Mdgs and Beyond 2010 41 15 25, 2010
European Journal of Development Research, 2005
Governance, Administration and Development, 1997
Throughout this book, and particularly in Chapters Two and Five, reference has been made to the w... more Throughout this book, and particularly in Chapters Two and Five, reference has been made to the ways in which international factors shape and influence the nature of public administration and policy-making in developing countries. These international factors have included the activities of colonial powers in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the operations of international development agencies — such as the World Bank and UN agencies — and the current promotion of ‘market forces’ and privatization. This chapter explores the international environment in detail. Initially it describes the historical background of the colonial and post-war eras and identifies their administrative legacy. Subsequently it explores the contemporary scene and in particular the implications of the end of the Cold War and the increasing globalization of production, exchange, media and ideas. During the 1990s the choices open to the governments of developing countries about the reorientation of public sector activities have narrowed and an increasingly powerful orthodoxy, arguing that all countries should practice the ‘new public management’, has emerged.
Governance, Administration and Development, 1997
‘Bureaucrats are still in business’ lamented a 1995 review of public enterprises in developing co... more ‘Bureaucrats are still in business’ lamented a 1995 review of public enterprises in developing countries (World Bank, 1995b). The reason for this pessimistic tone was that after a decade of public enterprise divestiture and a growing consensus that governments performed less well than the private sector in many business-type activities, the size of the public enterprise sector remained the same — too large. The number of such enterprises and their share of the GDP vary between countries but as we have already noted, they provide a far greater percentage of public sector employment than in the OECD economies and generally account for a larger percentage of GDP (see Box 8.1). They are engaged in a diverse range of activities such as steel manufacture, tractor-making, grain milling, bakeries, crop marketing, the provision of public utilities, banking, airlines, hotels, oil refining, chemicals, textiles and any other business venture in which government has decided to become involved. While the profile of the public enterprise sector is different for each country, the impulse to reform is common for all countries.
Australian Geographer, 1984
Governance, Administration and Development, 1997
A major obstacle to the effective performance of public bureaucracies in most developing countrie... more A major obstacle to the effective performance of public bureaucracies in most developing countries is the excessive concentration of decision-making and authority within central government. Public sector institutions are commonly perceived to be geographically and socially remote from ‘the people’ and to take decisions without knowledge or concern about actual problems and preferences. The popular remedy for such centralization is decentralization, a term which is imbued with many positive connotations — proximity, relevance, autonomy, participation, accountability and even democracy. So great is the appeal of decentralization that it is difficult to locate a government that has not claimed to pursue a policy of decentralization in recent years. It has currency across the ideological spectrum, and leaders from Khartoum to Kathmandu have made many declarations of their intent to promote decentralization. They receive support, and sometimes technical assistance from multilateral and bilateral aid agencies.