Ibrahim Index of African Governance
Encyclopedia
The Ibrahim Index of African Governance is an attempt to statistically monitor African governance
levels throughout all the countries of Africa. Funded and led by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation
, it uses a number of different indicators to compile an overall ranking of countries, which is designed to be used as a tool for civil society
in African countries to hold their governments to account. Before 2009, the index was limited to Sub-Saharan Africa
, omitting Morocco
, Algeria
, Tunisia
, Libya
and Egypt
.
The index was designed to reflect accurately the nature of governance in Africa
. The idea of the Ibrahim Index is to measure this statistically, and be able to compare increases or declines in governance year on year. This serves two purposes - firstly, to show that Africa is not always badly governed, and should not be judged by only those countries experiencing severe problems. Secondly, to allow citizens of individual countries, and civil society institutions, to accurately monitor how well their government is doing.
on October 5, 2009. The fourth edition was published on 4 October 2010 and launch events were held in Cairo
, Accra
, Nairobi
, Dakar
and Johannesburg
.
The Index was initially produced in association with Harvard University
; academic and technical assistance has subsequently been provided by a range of African academics and research bodies.
The Ibrahim Index has been used by civil society and government bodies across the continent to monitor governance. One example is in South Africa
, where the party in opposition, the Democratic Alliance, used the Ibrahim Index to challenge the government's record on safety and security.
services provided to citizens by governments. The focus is on the results that the people of a country
experience, rather than stated policies and intentions. Each criterion is weighted and scaled to provide standardisation and proportional influence on the overall results of the Index.
The criteria are divided into four over-arching categories which the Index defines as the cornerstone of a
government’s obligations to its citizens:
Data is collected from all over the continent, and a particular year's index reflects data from 2 years previously, to ensure the greatest possible accuracy. This time-lag is more up to date than many other indices.
, rule of law
, accountability
and corruption
, and national security
. Scores in this category range from 9.06 for Somalia
to 89.94 for Cape Verde
.
The personal safety subcategory includes five indicators measuring personal safety in general, levels of violent crime
and social unrest
, human trafficking
, and the degree of domestic political persecution
.
The rule of law subcategory includes six indicators measuring the strength of the judicial process
and independence of the judiciary, property rights
, the time taken to settle contract
ual disputes, the orderly transfer of power following a change of government
, and whether the country is under UN sanctions
.
The accountability and corruption subcategory includes six indicators measuring corruption in general, transparency and the accountability of public officials, corruption among government and public officials, accountability, transparency, and corruption in rural areas, and prosecution
of abuse of office.
The national security subcategory includes seven indicators measuring domestic armed conflict
, numbers of internally displaced persons and refugee
s from the country, government involvement in armed conflict
, death due to war (both military
and civilian
), deaths resulting from targeted attacks on civilian
s, and levels of international tensions.
, rights
, and gender
. Scores in this category range from 12.53 for Somalia to 80.71 for Mauritius
.
The participation subcategory includes five indicators measuring political participation in general, the strength of democracy
and level of electoral
self-determination
, and the extent to which elections are free and fair, both in general and for the most recent executive
elections.
The rights subcategory includes eight indicators measuring human rights in general, civil liberties
, political and collective rights
, freedom of expression
and association
, freedom of the press
, and the implementation of international
human rights conventions.
The gender subcategory includes five indicators measuring gender equality
, the ratio of girls to boys in primary
and secondary education
, the primary school completion rate for girls, the proportion of women who are economically
active, and the proportion of parliamentary seats
held by women.
The economic management subcategory includes nine indicators measuring the quality of public administration and budget
management, management of public debt, the rate of inflation
, the proportion of currency held in banks, the proportion of imports covered by foreign exchange reserves
, and the ratios of budget deficit or surplus to GDP, revenue to expenditure, and external debt service to exports
.
The private sector
subcategory includes eight indicators measuring the competitive
environment and investment
climate (both in general and specifically for rural
businesses), access to credit
, the costs of importing and exporting goods
, the time taken to start a business
and deal with licences, and the extent of bureaucracy
.
The infrastructure
subcategory includes five indicators measuring the general quality of infrastructure, the reliability of the electricity supply
, the number of computer
s, and the number of mobile telephone and internet
subscribers.
The environment
and rural sector subcategory includes eight indicators measuring environmental policies and the role of the environment in policy formulation, access to agricultural markets
and agricultural
land and water, the extent of rural financial services
, the ease of forming rural organisations, the extent of government support for rural development
, and the level of consultation
between the government and the rural poor.
and health
, and education
. Scores in this category range from 28.26 for the Central African Republic
to 97.91 for Seychelles
.
The poverty and health subcategory includes seven indicators measuring child mortality
, levels of immunisation, incidence
of HIV
and tuberculosis
, the welfare system and policies to help the poor, and levels of social exclusion
.
The education subcategory includes five indicators measuring the general quality of education, the ratio of pupils
to teacher
s in primary schools, the proportion of pupils completing primary school, the proportion of pupils progressing to secondary school
, and the proportion of the population entering higher education
.
It is also a way to measure a government's governance performance in a manner that is as impartial as possible. This allows for the challenging of perceptions and stereotypes. The 2008 Index results showed that, contrary to perceptions, the continent of Africa had improved in nearly two-thirds of Sub-Saharan African countries from the previous edition of the Index.
While the Index is certainly comprehensive, there are a few notable anomalies thrown up by the results. One example is the extremely high placing of Gabon
(8 out of 48 Sub-Saharan African countries); however, while Gabon's political participation and human rights record may be poor, it does have relatively high human development indicators.
Previous critique suggested that the Index was limited to the 48 Sub-Saharan African countries, ignoring Morocco
, Algeria
, Tunisia
, Libya
and Egypt
. To be a fully representative Index of African Governance, as it claimed, it needed to expand its coverage to include North Africa. The 2009 index included these countries.
Governance
Governance is the act of governing. It relates to decisions that define expectations, grant power, or verify performance. It consists of either a separate process or part of management or leadership processes...
levels throughout all the countries of Africa. Funded and led by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation
Mo Ibrahim Foundation
The Mo Ibrahim Foundation was launched in October 2006 to support good governance and great leadership in Africa.It was founded by Dr.Mo Ibrahim, a Sudanese philanthropist and businessman who founded telecommunications company Celtel International in 1998....
, it uses a number of different indicators to compile an overall ranking of countries, which is designed to be used as a tool for civil society
Civil society
Civil society is composed of the totality of many voluntary social relationships, civic and social organizations, and institutions that form the basis of a functioning society, as distinct from the force-backed structures of a state , the commercial institutions of the market, and private criminal...
in African countries to hold their governments to account. Before 2009, the index was limited to Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa as a geographical term refers to the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara. A political definition of Sub-Saharan Africa, instead, covers all African countries which are fully or partially located south of the Sahara...
, omitting Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
, Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
and Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
.
The index was designed to reflect accurately the nature of governance in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. The idea of the Ibrahim Index is to measure this statistically, and be able to compare increases or declines in governance year on year. This serves two purposes - firstly, to show that Africa is not always badly governed, and should not be judged by only those countries experiencing severe problems. Secondly, to allow citizens of individual countries, and civil society institutions, to accurately monitor how well their government is doing.
History
The Ibrahim Index of African Governance is the brainchild of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation. The first iteration was produced in 2007, and the second in 2008. The third edition was published in Cape TownCape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
on October 5, 2009. The fourth edition was published on 4 October 2010 and launch events were held in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, Accra
Accra
Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
, Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
, Dakar
Dakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
and Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
.
The Index was initially produced in association with Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
; academic and technical assistance has subsequently been provided by a range of African academics and research bodies.
The Ibrahim Index has been used by civil society and government bodies across the continent to monitor governance. One example is in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, where the party in opposition, the Democratic Alliance, used the Ibrahim Index to challenge the government's record on safety and security.
Methodology
The Ibrahim Index assesses national governance against 57 criteria. The criteria capture the quality ofservices provided to citizens by governments. The focus is on the results that the people of a country
experience, rather than stated policies and intentions. Each criterion is weighted and scaled to provide standardisation and proportional influence on the overall results of the Index.
The criteria are divided into four over-arching categories which the Index defines as the cornerstone of a
government’s obligations to its citizens:
- Safety and Rule of LawRule of lawThe rule of law, sometimes called supremacy of law, is a legal maxim that says that governmental decisions should be made by applying known principles or laws with minimal discretion in their application...
, - ParticipationParticipation (decision making)Participation in social science refers to different mechanisms for the public to express opinions - and ideally exert influence - regarding political, economic, management or other social decisions. Participatory decision making can take place along any realm of human social activity, including...
and Human RightsHuman rightsHuman rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national... - Sustainable Economic Opportunity
- Human DevelopmentHuman development (humanity)Human development in the scope of humanity, specifically international development, is an international and economic development paradigm that is about much more than the rise or fall of national incomes. People are the real wealth of nations...
Data is collected from all over the continent, and a particular year's index reflects data from 2 years previously, to ensure the greatest possible accuracy. This time-lag is more up to date than many other indices.
Indicators
The report uses 84 indicators, grouped into four broad categories: safety and rule of law, participation and human rights, sustainable economic opportunity, and human development.Safety and rule of law
The 24 indicators in the safety and rule of law category are divided into four subcategories: personal safetyHuman security
Human security is an emerging paradigm for understanding global vulnerabilities whose proponents challenge the traditional notion of national security by arguing that the proper referent for security should be the individual rather than the state...
, rule of law
Rule of law
The rule of law, sometimes called supremacy of law, is a legal maxim that says that governmental decisions should be made by applying known principles or laws with minimal discretion in their application...
, accountability
Accountability
Accountability is a concept in ethics and governance with several meanings. It is often used synonymously with such concepts as responsibility, answerability, blameworthiness, liability, and other terms associated with the expectation of account-giving...
and corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
, and national security
National security
National security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II...
. Scores in this category range from 9.06 for Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
to 89.94 for Cape Verde
Cape Verde
The Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...
.
The personal safety subcategory includes five indicators measuring personal safety in general, levels of violent crime
Violent crime
A violent crime or crime of violence is a crime in which the offender uses or threatens to use violent force upon the victim. This entails both crimes in which the violent act is the objective, such as murder, as well as crimes in which violence is the means to an end, such as robbery. Violent...
and social unrest
Rebellion
Rebellion, uprising or insurrection, is a refusal of obedience or order. It may, therefore, be seen as encompassing a range of behaviors aimed at destroying or replacing an established authority such as a government or a head of state...
, human trafficking
Human trafficking
Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, or a modern-day form of slavery...
, and the degree of domestic political persecution
Political repression
Political repression is the persecution of an individual or group for political reasons, particularly for the purpose of restricting or preventing their ability to take political life of society....
.
The rule of law subcategory includes six indicators measuring the strength of the judicial process
Procedural law
Procedural law or adjective law comprises the rules by which a court hears and determines what happens in civil lawsuit, criminal or administrative proceedings. The rules are designed to ensure a fair and consistent application of due process or fundamental justice to all cases that come before...
and independence of the judiciary, property rights
Property law
Property law is the area of law that governs the various forms of ownership in real property and in personal property, within the common law legal system. In the civil law system, there is a division between movable and immovable property...
, the time taken to settle contract
Contract
A contract is an agreement entered into by two parties or more with the intention of creating a legal obligation, which may have elements in writing. Contracts can be made orally. The remedy for breach of contract can be "damages" or compensation of money. In equity, the remedy can be specific...
ual disputes, the orderly transfer of power following a change of government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
, and whether the country is under UN sanctions
International sanctions
International sanctions are actions taken by countries against others for political reasons, either unilaterally or multilaterally.There are several types of sanctions....
.
The accountability and corruption subcategory includes six indicators measuring corruption in general, transparency and the accountability of public officials, corruption among government and public officials, accountability, transparency, and corruption in rural areas, and prosecution
Trial
A trial is, in the most general sense, a test, usually a test to see whether something does or does not meet a given standard.It may refer to:*Trial , the presentation of information in a formal setting, usually a court...
of abuse of office.
The national security subcategory includes seven indicators measuring domestic armed conflict
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
, numbers of internally displaced persons and refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
s from the country, government involvement in armed conflict
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
, death due to war (both military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
and civilian
Civilian casualties
Civilian casualties is a military term describing civilian or non-combatant persons killed, injured, or imprisoned by military action. The description of civilian casualties includes any form of military action regardless of whether civilians were targeted directly...
), deaths resulting from targeted attacks on civilian
Civilian
A civilian under international humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her country's armed forces or other militia. Civilians are distinct from combatants. They are afforded a degree of legal protection from the effects of war and military occupation...
s, and levels of international tensions.
Participation and human rights
The 18 indicators in the participation and human rights category are divided into three subcategories: participationParticipation (decision making)
Participation in social science refers to different mechanisms for the public to express opinions - and ideally exert influence - regarding political, economic, management or other social decisions. Participatory decision making can take place along any realm of human social activity, including...
, rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
, and gender
Women's rights
Women's rights are entitlements and freedoms claimed for women and girls of all ages in many societies.In some places these rights are institutionalized or supported by law, local custom, and behaviour, whereas in others they may be ignored or suppressed...
. Scores in this category range from 12.53 for Somalia to 80.71 for Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
.
The participation subcategory includes five indicators measuring political participation in general, the strength of democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
and level of electoral
Election
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
self-determination
Self-determination
Self-determination is the principle in international law that nations have the right to freely choose their sovereignty and international political status with no external compulsion or external interference...
, and the extent to which elections are free and fair, both in general and for the most recent executive
Executive (government)
Executive branch of Government is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the idea of the separation of powers.In many countries, the term...
elections.
The rights subcategory includes eight indicators measuring human rights in general, civil liberties
Civil liberties
Civil liberties are rights and freedoms that provide an individual specific rights such as the freedom from slavery and forced labour, freedom from torture and death, the right to liberty and security, right to a fair trial, the right to defend one's self, the right to own and bear arms, the right...
, political and collective rights
Individual and group rights
Group rights are rights held by a group rather than by its members separately, or rights held only by individuals within the specified group; in contrast, individual rights are rights held by individual people regardless of their group membership or lack thereof...
, freedom of expression
Freedom of speech
Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used...
and association
Freedom of association
Freedom of association is the individual right to come together with other individuals and collectively express, promote, pursue and defend common interests....
, freedom of the press
Freedom of the press
Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the freedom of communication and expression through vehicles including various electronic media and published materials...
, and the implementation of international
International law
Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
human rights conventions.
The gender subcategory includes five indicators measuring gender equality
Gender equality
Gender equality is the goal of the equality of the genders, stemming from a belief in the injustice of myriad forms of gender inequality.- Concept :...
, the ratio of girls to boys in primary
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
and secondary education
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
, the primary school completion rate for girls, the proportion of women who are economically
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
active, and the proportion of parliamentary seats
Electoral district
An electoral district is a distinct territorial subdivision for holding a separate election for one or more seats in a legislative body...
held by women.
Sustainable economic opportunity
The 30 indicators in the sustainable economic opportunity category are divided into four subcategories: economic management, the private sector, infrastructure, and the environmental and rural sector. Scores in this category range from 0.89 for Somalia to 80.47 for Mauritius.The economic management subcategory includes nine indicators measuring the quality of public administration and budget
Government budget
A government budget is a legal document that is often passed by the legislature, and approved by the chief executive-or president. For example, only certain types of revenue may be imposed and collected...
management, management of public debt, the rate of inflation
Inflation
In economics, inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time.When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. Consequently, inflation also reflects an erosion in the purchasing power of money – a...
, the proportion of currency held in banks, the proportion of imports covered by foreign exchange reserves
Foreign exchange reserves
Foreign-exchange reserves in a strict sense are 'only' the foreign currency deposits and bonds held by central banks and monetary authorities. However, the term in popular usage commonly includes foreign exchange and gold, Special Drawing Rights and International Monetary Fund reserve positions...
, and the ratios of budget deficit or surplus to GDP, revenue to expenditure, and external debt service to exports
Debt service ratio
In economics and government finance, debt service ratio is the ratio of debt service payments of a country to that country’s export earnings. A country's international finances are healthier when this ratio is low...
.
The private sector
Private sector
In economics, the private sector is that part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is run by private individuals or groups, usually as a means of enterprise for profit, and is not controlled by the state...
subcategory includes eight indicators measuring the competitive
Competition (economics)
Competition in economics is a term that encompasses the notion of individuals and firms striving for a greater share of a market to sell or buy goods and services...
environment and investment
Investment
Investment has different meanings in finance and economics. Finance investment is putting money into something with the expectation of gain, that upon thorough analysis, has a high degree of security for the principal amount, as well as security of return, within an expected period of time...
climate (both in general and specifically for rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
businesses), access to credit
Credit (finance)
Credit is the trust which allows one party to provide resources to another party where that second party does not reimburse the first party immediately , but instead arranges either to repay or return those resources at a later date. The resources provided may be financial Credit is the trust...
, the costs of importing and exporting goods
International trade
International trade is the exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories. In most countries, such trade represents a significant share of gross domestic product...
, the time taken to start a business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
and deal with licences, and the extent of bureaucracy
Red tape
Red tape is excessive regulation or rigid conformity to formal rules that is considered redundant or bureaucratic and hinders or prevents action or decision-making...
.
The infrastructure
Infrastructure
Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...
subcategory includes five indicators measuring the general quality of infrastructure, the reliability of the electricity supply
Electricity distribution
File:Electricity grid simple- North America.svg|thumb|380px|right|Simplified diagram of AC electricity distribution from generation stations to consumers...
, the number of computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
s, and the number of mobile telephone and internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
subscribers.
The environment
Sustainable business
Sustainable business, or green business, is enterprise that has no negative impact on the global or local environment, community, society, or economy—a business that strives to meet the triple bottom line. Often, sustainable businesses have progressive environmental and human rights policies...
and rural sector subcategory includes eight indicators measuring environmental policies and the role of the environment in policy formulation, access to agricultural markets
Farmers' market
A farmers' market consists of individual vendors—mostly farmers—who set up booths, tables or stands, outdoors or indoors, to sell produce, meat products, fruits and sometimes prepared foods and beverages...
and agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
land and water, the extent of rural financial services
Financial services
Financial services refer to services provided by the finance industry. The finance industry encompasses a broad range of organizations that deal with the management of money. Among these organizations are credit unions, banks, credit card companies, insurance companies, consumer finance companies,...
, the ease of forming rural organisations, the extent of government support for rural development
Rural development
Rural development in general denotes economic development and community development actions and initiatives taken to improve the standard of living in non-urban neighbourhoods, remote villages and the countryside...
, and the level of consultation
Public consultation
Public consultation, or simply consultation, is a regulatory process by which the public's input on matters affecting them is sought. Its main goals are in improving the efficiency, transparency and public involvement in large-scale projects or laws and policies...
between the government and the rural poor.
Human development
The 12 indicators in the human development category are divided into two subcategories: povertyPoverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
and health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
, and education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
. Scores in this category range from 28.26 for the Central African Republic
Central African Republic
The Central African Republic , is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It borders Chad in the north, Sudan in the north east, South Sudan in the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo in the south, and Cameroon in the west. The CAR covers a land area of about ,...
to 97.91 for Seychelles
Seychelles
Seychelles , officially the Republic of Seychelles , is an island country spanning an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar....
.
The poverty and health subcategory includes seven indicators measuring child mortality
Child mortality
Child mortality, also known as under-5 mortality, refers to the death of infants and children under the age of five. In 2010, 7.6 million children under five died , down from 8.1 million in 2009, 8.8 million in 2008, and 12.4 million in 1990. About half of child deaths occur in Africa....
, levels of immunisation, incidence
Incidence (epidemiology)
Incidence is a measure of the risk of developing some new condition within a specified period of time. Although sometimes loosely expressed simply as the number of new cases during some time period, it is better expressed as a proportion or a rate with a denominator.Incidence proportion is the...
of HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
and tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
, the welfare system and policies to help the poor, and levels of social exclusion
Social exclusion
Social exclusion is a concept used in many parts of the world to characterise contemporary forms of social disadvantage. Dr. Lynn Todman, director of the Institute on Social Exclusion at the Adler School of Professional Psychology, suggests that social exclusion refers to processes in which...
.
The education subcategory includes five indicators measuring the general quality of education, the ratio of pupils
Student
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
to teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
s in primary schools, the proportion of pupils completing primary school, the proportion of pupils progressing to secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
, and the proportion of the population entering higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
.
Utility
The Ibrahim Index, even though it is only in its second iteration, is designed to be a tool for civil society to use to hold their governments to account - this includes non-governmental organizations, businesses, trade unions, and citizens themselves. Its annual publication receives massive media attention from across the African continent and in the international media.It is also a way to measure a government's governance performance in a manner that is as impartial as possible. This allows for the challenging of perceptions and stereotypes. The 2008 Index results showed that, contrary to perceptions, the continent of Africa had improved in nearly two-thirds of Sub-Saharan African countries from the previous edition of the Index.
Critiques
While no one questions the worthiness of the Index's ambitions, some scholars have questioned the effectiveness of the Index and particularly the need for civil society to engage with its results - the point is that there does not often exist in Africa a strong and effective civil society. Others maintain that such perspective ignores the important role that civil society is now beginning to play in African politics.While the Index is certainly comprehensive, there are a few notable anomalies thrown up by the results. One example is the extremely high placing of Gabon
Gabon
Gabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west...
(8 out of 48 Sub-Saharan African countries); however, while Gabon's political participation and human rights record may be poor, it does have relatively high human development indicators.
Previous critique suggested that the Index was limited to the 48 Sub-Saharan African countries, ignoring Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
, Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
and Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. To be a fully representative Index of African Governance, as it claimed, it needed to expand its coverage to include North Africa. The 2009 index included these countries.