Fourth Conference | Nepal Administrative Staff College

4th Conference on Governance and Public Policy in South Asia

Conference Theme: Deepening Democracy: Enhancing Voices and Choices of Citizens

Conference has been Postponed until further Notice

Venue: Nepal Administrative Staff College, Jawalakhel, Lalitpur, Nepal

Background & Rationale

Recent decades have witnessed a broad acknowledgement that formal processes of democracy are necessary but not sufficient for delivering good governance and societal expectations for development and change. Important lessons have already emerged as to how such formal processes fail to live up to expectations of good governance and efficient and effective service delivery, and on tackling myriad of social, economic and environmental challenges. In South Asia, as elsewhere, this realization has led to arguments that democracies should move beyond the formal constitutional process and periodic elections. it is also essential that democracies allow people to participate in decisions affecting their lives and livelihoods and enable them to have a sense of control over their circumstances. Accordingly, the main concern remains – how we devise government policies and institutions that enhance citizens’ voices and expand their choice?

The conference themed “Deepening Democracy: Enhancing Voices and Choices of Citizens” is the fourth in the series of Conference on Governance and Public Policy in South Asia which has been hosted by Nepal Administrative Staff College in collaboration with Association of Management Development Institutions in Pakistan (Pakistan), BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (Bangladesh), Institute of Public Enterprise (India), Institute for Social and Environmental Transition - Nepal (ISET-N), Kathmandu University School of Management (KU SOM), Management Development Institute (MDI India), Nepal Open University, Niti Foundation (Nepal), North South University (Bangladesh), Southasia Institute of Advanced Studies (Nepal) and Sukkur IBA University (Pakistan). The fourth conference will be joined together by Kathmandu University, School of Management, Nepal Open University from Nepal and other like-minded institutions from South Asia. The fourth conference brings forth the cumulative learning of the previous three conferences to bear on how the governments in South Asia can act to enhance citizens’ voice and choices.

The conference will prove to be opportunity to share innovations in the South Asia region and beyond. It will allow participants share the common challenges of deepening democracy in the region, either as specifically a national character of a particular country, or within each as specific historical, political, social, cultural contexts in the sub-national contexts.

Aim and Objectives

This conference aims to bring together researchers, public policy actors and political leaders of South Asia to deliberate and share learning on the particular policy challenges, ground-level experiences, and reform opportunities for expanding citizens’ voice and choice in the South Asia region. Specifically, the conference has the following objectives:

Deliberate on the larger political context of deepening democracy in the region – especially of the political will, bottlenecks and reform opportunities.
Share experiences of national and sub-national level practices, innovations or challenges in enhancing government transparency, accountability, and for expanding citizen voice
Discuss reform opportunities, cross-country learning and collaboration

Conference Theme and Sub-Theme

This fourth conference on Deepening Democracy: Enhancing Voices and Choices of Citizens will focus on the following themes. The organizers encourage papers and panels on these themes.

A. Democratic Institutions

B. Quality of public services

C. Accountability

D. Inclusive governance

E. Public space for contestation and collective action

F. Governance of Infrastructure

G. Political economy of representation

H. Deliberative democracy

I. E-governance and citizen’s engagement

J. Sub-national governance

Key Dates

Abstract submission	*15 January 2020*
Extended deadline for the submission of abstract	*15 March 2020*
Abstract acceptance notification	*20 March 2020*
Full paper submission	*15 May 2020*
Conference date	*11-12 June 2020*