Chandler Good Government Index (CGGI)

In the recently released Chandler Good Government Index (CGGI), which classifies 104 countries in terms of government capabilities and outcomes, India has been ranked 49th.

• The CGGI is the world’s most comprehensive index of effective national government.
• It shows the importance of investing time and energy into enhancing the skills of public servants and the structures they operate within in order to deliver a better, more sustainable future.

What is Chandler Good Government Index?

• The Chandler Good Government Index shows the importance of measuring and investing in governance capabilities that matter.
• It highlights a key need for ‘pracademics’ in government – people who combine a rigorous understanding of research and data with a practical and grounded sense of what governments need to do to succeed.”
• Under each list, each country is measured across over 50 open data points. 
• The index focuses on seven pillars:
  • leadership and foresight
  • robust laws and policies
  • strong institutions
  • financial stewardship
  • attractive marketplace
  • global influence and reputation
  • helping people rise

• Finland came top with 0.848 points ahead of Switzerland and Singapore, while Zimbabwe was Nigeria’s runner up followed by Venezuela at the bottom of the log.
• Mauritius, with an Index score of 0.5670 and at number 38 on the log, was Africa’s best performer.
• The report noted that countries that have done well under this pillar are all market economies with sound property rights and stable business regulations.
• It added that the ability to effectively tackle corruption is the indicator with the strongest correlation with overall good government rankings.
• The CGGI said the ranking comes amid the Covid-19 pandemic, which has revealed strengths and weaknesses in institutions, laws, and leadership, adding that governance is the deciding factor in whether countries succeed.

• India is a Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic with a Parliamentary form of government which is federal in structure with unitary features.
• There is a Council of Ministers with the Prime Minster as its head to advice the President who is the constitutional head of the country.
• Similarly in states there is a Council of Ministers with the Chief Minister as its head, who advices the Governor.

• As India faces its worst-ever health calamity since independence in 1947, the nation is being subjected to an unforgiving reality check.
• The current wave of Covid-19 has all but dismantled tall notions of development and progress that many Indians had come to believe over the last seven decades.
• The federal government, and various state governments too, were lulled into a false sense of comfort resulting in corona-related health infrastructure – painstakingly built in previous months – being dismantled.
• In all this, the country has unfortunately come out looking inept and woefully unequal to the task of governance.

• The governance competition is the most important contest in the world today; it is the deciding factor in whether nations prosper.
• Well-governed countries attract capital and talent, which enable marketplace innovation, leading to strong companies and vibrant economies.
• This in turn, enables greater investment in public services, creating a virtuous cycle.

• The Index stems from our belief that good national governanceand national prosperity are deeply connected.
• This relationship between national governance and prosperity is characterized by three principles:
  • Government capabilitiesmatter, and governments need to invest time and effort into enhancing these capabilities
  • Effective governments create opportunitiesfor citizens to thrive, building the foundation of national development and prosperity
  • Good governance leads to better outcomes and increased public trust; high levels of public trustmake it easier for governments to do their work

• High rate of corruption
• Low state capacity and resources
• Lack of planning and implementation skills often hinders regulatory enforcement and public service delivery

These constraints have been exacerbated in recent years, as governments face increasing challenges like climate change, digital transformation, and a global pandemic.

Every nation deserves good governance — good leadership, sound policy and effective institutions, and systems that work. Good governance is now more important than ever, and we need practical, relevant ways to measure this.