The Impact of Good Governance on Public Policy Effectiveness in Pakistan: An Analysis of Transparency, Accountability, and Public Service Delivery

Abstract

Good governance plays a vital role in enhancing public policy effectiveness by promoting transparency, accountability, and efficient public service delivery, particularly in developing countries such as Pakistan where governance challenges continue to affect institutional performance. This study aimed to examine the impact of transparency, accountability, and public service delivery on public policy effectiveness in Pakistan. A quantitative cross-sectional research design was employed, and primary data were collected through a structured questionnaire from 329 employees working in local government, education, health, and municipal departments using a convenience sampling technique. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 26 through descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, multiple regression, and independent samples t-test. The findings revealed that transparency had a strong positive relationship with public policy effectiveness (r = 0.756, p < 0.01), accountability significantly predicted public policy effectiveness (R² = 0.629, p < 0.001), and respondents reporting higher levels of public service delivery also reported significantly greater public policy effectiveness (t = 11.36, p < 0.001). The study concludes that strengthening governance through enhanced transparency, effective accountability mechanisms, and improved public service delivery significantly contributes to better policy implementation and institutional performance. These findings provide practical evidence for policymakers and public administrators to design governance reforms that improve the effectiveness and sustainability of public policies in Pakistan.