Accountability
Improving accountability relationships is an effective strategy for developing capacity. Effective accountability mechanisms induce both governmental and non-governmental organizations to remain relevant and responsive to the needs and demands of the groups they serve.
Holding those in power accountable for tackling poverty and ensuring the well-being of all citizens is quite a challenge, especially in societies characterized by authoritarian styles of leadership. Furthermore, the concept of accountability is itself quite broad: ranging from macro-level financial systems to the interpersonal relationships that drive the most basic level of development action. Civil society organizations, in particular, are becoming more innovative in influencing policymaking and monitoring the use of public resources. Drawing from a wide variety of governance contexts, this section showcase innovative approaches and tools that can help empower individuals and groups seeking to make a greater contribution in this area.
Featured Article
SNV Practice Brief: Supporting domestic accountability
Accountability can be an abstract concept, but it comes alive for ordinary citizens if it
involves looking at whether (and how) funding for services is distributed and spent at the local
level. This Practice Brief is the first of a new series prepared by practitioners working with the
SNV Netherlands Development Organisation. It helps to shed some light on what support organisations
can do to amplify the voice of local stakeholders in demanding greater accountability from
governments and service providers.
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Recent Articles
Islands of integrity: Identifying positive outliers
16 March 2012
Why have some public organizations or sectors seen a reduction in corruption (or a greater
reduction than might be expected) while others have not? What explains the differences across or
within countries and sectors? What are the political processes that drive corruption reduction and
what policy lessons can be learned from studying cases where it has happened? This paper, the first
in a series on this topic, is part of a project that seeks to try to answer those questions, and is
being undertaken by the Developmental Leadership Program (DLP) in conjunction with Transparency
International (TI). The paper outlines the way in which a ‘long list’ of cases has been identified
by a careful statistical analysis of TI’s Global Corruption Barometer (GCB)
SNV Practice Brief: Supporting domestic accountability
25 November 2011
Accountability can be an abstract concept, but it comes alive for ordinary citizens if it
involves looking at whether (and how) funding for services is distributed and spent at the local
level. This Practice Brief is the first of a new series prepared by practitioners working with the
SNV Netherlands Development Organisation. It helps to shed some light on what support organisations
can do to amplify the voice of local stakeholders in demanding greater accountability from
governments and service providers.
L’évaluation du renforcement des capacités
13 September 2011
Pourquoi les évaluations sont rarement satisfaisantes
Du fait de l’intégration progressive du
renforcement des capacités dans les programmes d’aide internationaux, la demande d’évaluations
systématiques des initiatives de renforcement des capacités est en nette croissance. Doug Horton
explique ici comment l’on peut améliorer ces évaluations.
Interview: Au-delà des mots
28 May 2011
Le rôle des ONG dans le renforcement de la santé
publique
La promotion de « l’appropriation » dans les pays dépendant de l’aide extérieure est essentielle pour assurer l’efficacité de l’aide, mais les initiatives mondiales dans le secteur de la santé ont souvent encouragé une orientation diamétralement opposée. En 2008, un Code de conduite des ONG a été élaboré pour lutter contre cette tendance.
MoreÉtude de cas: Application de la Déclaration de Paris au secteur de la santé en Zambie
28 May 2011
Les fonds préaffectés et thématiques vont souvent à l’encontre du renforcement des systèmes de santé. Est-il possible d’y apporter des aménagements pour éviter leurs effets négatifs?
MoreThe road to Busan
28 May 2011
Débat sur le renforcement des capacités et l’efficacité de l’aide
Le Quatrième Forum de haut niveau sur l’efficacité de l’aide se tiendra à Busan (République de Corée) cette année. Comment la question du renforcement des capacités sera-t-elle traitée dans les décennies à venir?
MoreOther Topics
Essential Readings
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Theisohn, T. (2007) Using accountability relationships to support capacity, in Capacity.org issue 31
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Rakesh Rajani (2010) "Capacity is Political, Not Technical: The Case of HakiElimu in Promoting Accountability in Education in Tanzania" in Ubels, J., N. Acquaye-Baddoo and A. Fowler (eds) Capacity Development in Practice, Earthscan, pp. 157-166
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Asian Development Bank (2007) Improving Local Governance and Service Delivery: Citizen Report Card Learning Tool Kit
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World Bank (2004) Making services work for poor people
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“Our Money, Our Responsibility: A Citizens’ Guide to Monitoring Government Expenditures” The International Budget Project (IBP) 2008
Featured Community
ALNAP
Active Learning Network on Accountability and
Performance in Humanitarian Assistance (ALNAP) is a unique, sector-wide network that brings
together the major actors involved in international responses to conflicts and natural disasters.
Established in 1997, following the multi-agency evaluation of the Rwanda genocide, ALNAP is a
collective response dedicated to improving humanitarian performance through increased learning and
accountability.
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