Figure 8.6. Share of people who trust their national government

Evidence of corruption or a mishandling in the interest of a select few can undermine the ability to effectively respond to crisis situations and deepens the social and economic impact.245 Further, even the perception of corruption has a negative impact on trust in, or the perceived legitimacy of, governance institutions.246 A sur vey indicated that over 60 per cent of responding city governments in A frica and Latin America and the Caribbean, considered “lack of trust in local government” and “risks of corruption” relevant to highly relevant as an urban governance challenge247. According to a recent study, nearly half of South A frican and almost three-quarters of Zambian urban planners sur veyed are faced with pressure to ignore or violate planning rules, policies or procedures.248

According to Wellcome Global Monitor 2020, trust in public institutions is highly variable around the world and does not neatly align to income categories (Figure 8.6).249 Improving trust is not dependent on increased economic performance and trustworthy institutions can be built regardless of the countries income level. A recent sur vey of local governments across 35 countries on all continents indicated that many governments have been focusing on finding new ways to assure residents that they can be relied upon in times of crisis.250 One recent pathway for governments to rebuild trust is the Open Government Partnership Local initiative,251 which assists governments in their efforts to turn to open government principles, expand and facilitate access to public information, increase transparency and accountability of decision-makers and introduce co-creation into public policies with the ultimate goal of creating or rebuilding trust in the public sector. 252

Building trust also means building capacity of local planning offices. When there are few qualified planners and public pay is low and irregular, there is increased risk of planners working on private commissions alongside their public responsibility.253 The integration of mechanisms to ensure transparency and the protection of the common good are important within situations of crisis to ensure that emergency measures are accountable and proportional. Other means for building trust are reflected in the Open Contracting

Figure 8.6. Share of people who trust their national government

Source: Wellcome Trust, 2021.