Mapping multi-stakeholder initiatives for public governance and transparency: a comparative assessment of trends and motivations

Abstract

Global multi-stakeholder initiatives aiming to strengthen public governance and transparency (PGMSIs) in participating countries are increasingly prominent but little researched and undertheorized. This analysis provides a preliminary mapping of the 121 countries that participate in the six most prominent initiatives (CoST, EITI, OCP, OGP, IATI). Rates of participation in single and multiple initiatives are characterized according to contextual factors of geography, economic development, and democratic governance. This mapping is complemented by 31 interviews with government focal points in countries that participate in multiple initiatives, assessing national motivations for participation. Interview results suggest that countries are motivated by considerations related both to technical capacity development and reputational effects, and that in many countries these motivations are mutually reinforcing. Interview responses further highlight how different types of actors are associated with different motivations, including government agencies, domestic civil society, international donor organizations, and PGMSIs themselves. Findings indicate that national decisions to participate in PGMSIs are perceived to be driven by both capacity and reputational motivations, but primarily by national actors (heads of state, ministries, and to a lesser extent civil society). The particular role of the World Bank, different types of government actors, and the PGMSIs themselves are given particular attention.