The Urban Governance Index: A tool to assist cities in improving local governance
The Urban Governance Index is an advocacy and capacity-building tool to assist cities and countries in monitoring the quality of urban governance. Envisaged to be a measure of good governance and inclusiveness in cities, the Index has been field tested in 24 cities across the world. The results of the field test are summarised in the Urban Governance Index Conceptual Foundation and Field Test Report, which was released in early 2005.

This publication discusses some key issues related to measuring urban governance and describes the various possible frameworks for the index and indicators. It summarises the process of identifying and shortlisting indicators, evaluates sub-indices on the basis of the field test in 24 cities, and presents a tentative strategy for UGI dissemination and data collection. The rigorous methodological framework as well as case studies of application of the Index can assist Habitat Agenda partners at various levels in developing more inclusive cities.
The Index is being adapted and applied in several countries, including Somalia, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Mongolia. In Zimbabwe, the Index is being applied in five cities in partnership with the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF) and the Urban Councils Association of Zimbabwe (UCAZ). In Mongolia, the UGI has been applied in Ulaanbaatar in collaboration with the ICNRD5 Follow-up project of UNDP. An agreement has also been reached with UNDP’s Oslo Governance Centre to jointly explore the integration of its national governance indicators and UN-HABITAT’s locally orientated Index in three pilot countries.