Design of the Index

CONSTRUCTING THE INDEX

The CGGI is the most comprehensive index of effective national government in the world. It measures the capabilities and effectiveness of governments in 113 countries.

We have intentionally reached for the broadest global coverage possible — subject to the limitations of available data. The Index is made up of 35 indicators which are organised into seven broad pillars as shown below:

Pillars

Leadership & Foresight
Ethical Leadership Long-term Vision Adaptability Strategic Prioritisation Innovation
Robust Laws & Policies
Rule of Law Quality of Judiciary Transparency Regulatory Governance
Strong Institutions
Coordination Data Capability Implementation Quality of Bureaucracy
Financial Stewardship
Government Debt Country Budget Surplus Spending Efficiency Country Risk Premium
Attractive Marketplace
Property Rights Macroeconomic Environment Attracting Investments Logistics Competence Stable Business Regulations
Global Influence & Reputation
International Trade International Diplomacy Nation Brand Passport Strength
Helping People Rise
Education Health Satisfaction with Public Services Personal Safety Environmental Performance Income Distribution Social Mobility Gender Gap Non-Discrimination

The first six pillars focus on six dimensions of government capabilities. Each of these six pillars and its results are featured in depth in the CGGI Report. The final pillar measures a range of key outcomes of good government that help create opportunity and prosperity, helping people to rise. Ultimately, good capabilities must translate into achieving outcomes that are valued by people and businesses. Each indicator has a quality or component that governments can take concrete steps in, to strengthen performance.

The Index uses more than 50 publicly available global data sources, the full list of which can be found in the Technical Annex. Since data sources come in a variety of formats, the data from each source is normalised, given equal weight, and aggregated to produce the final CGGI score on a scale of 0 (lowest score) to 1 (highest score).

Description of the Indicators for CGGI

Leadership & Foresight
Ethical Leadership:  The extent to which government leaders demonstrate integrity and credibility, through the control and prevention of the abuse of public power for private benefit
Long-term Vision:  The ability to develop and express the desired goals and destination for the nation over a longer period of time
Adaptability:  Responding to various trends and changes with appropriate strategies, policies and actions
Strategic Prioritisation:  Developing longer-term plans and decision-making frameworks that focus on important goals and outcomes
Innovation:  The capacity for learning, and the generation, adaptation and application of ideas
Robust Laws & Policies
Rule of Law:  Whether laws are just and impartial, whether governments observe due process and are accountable to the laws, and whether justice is accessible to all
Quality of Judiciary:  Whether courts of law are efficient and independent from external influence
Transparency:  The public availability and accessibility of government information
Regulatory Governance:  The ability of governments to establish clear and representative policies and regulations
Strong Institutions
Coordination:  The ability to balance interests and objectives, and to ensure that multiple government agencies act coherently and in a collaborative manner
Data Capability:  The ability to gather and use data, and to provide quality digital and online services
Implementation:  The degree to which a government can execute its own policies and meet its policy objectives
Quality of Bureaucracy:  The capability and performance of the civil service, regardless of political and policy changes
Financial Stewardship
Government Debt:  The ability of a government to manage its debt sustainably
Country Budget Surplus:  A government’s average revenue and expenditure position, based on its fiscal balance, over a 5-year period
Spending Efficiency:  The extent to which public spending translates into outcomes and services with minimal wastage
Country Risk Premium:  The risk of investing in a country due to its sovereign debt repayment ability and economic governance
Attractive Marketplace
Property Rights:  The extent to which the legal rights to own and use physical and intellectual property are established and protected
Macroeconomic Environment:  The maintenance of inflation and unemployment levels within optimal ranges, given the economic situation and needs
Attracting Investments:  The ability to attract foreign domestic investment (FDI)
Logistics Competence:  The quality of logistics infrastructure and systems within a country
Stable Business Regulations:  The stability of policies and regulations concerning business activities
Global Influence & Reputation
International Trade:  The freedom, access and capabilities to buy and sell goods and services beyond national borders
International Diplomacy:  The extent of a nation’s diplomatic representation and presence abroad
Nation Brand:  The coherence of a country’s national tourism promotion, and its image and appeal to a variety of non-commercial stakeholders
Passport Strength:  The credibility of a nation’s passport, as measured by the number of visa-free arrangements that passport holders enjoy globally
Helping People Rise
Education:  Youth literacy rate, participation in employment, education or training, and years of schooling for the population
Health:  How long a newborn child can expect to live, given current health and mortality expectations
Satisfaction with Public Services:  Satisfaction with public transport, infrastructure and education
Personal Safety:  The state’s ability to protect its people from violent crime
Environmental Performance:  The safety and sustainability of a nation’s ecosystems and environment
Income Distribution:  The evenness of income distribution across the population
Social Mobility:  The extent to which socio-economic circumstances at birth influence a person’s future status and prosperity
Gender Gap:  The extent to which both women and men can participate in, and benefit from, educational and economic opportunities
Non-Discrimination:  Freedom from discrimination, regardless of a person’s socio-economic status, ethnicity, gender, identity or faith