ENABLING DEMAND FR GREATER ACCUNTABILITY Afri4R, LUSAKA 16 May 2013 Jacqueline Nzisabira
PRESENTATIN UTLINE DEFINITINS BACKGRUND RATINALE AND BJECTIVE MDEL F TLS CNCLUSIN
DEFINITINS Accountability: traditionally understood as the obligation of power-holders to give account for or take responsibility for their actions. (Supply) Social accountability refers to strengthening the voice and capacity of normal citizens to directly demand accountability and responsiveness from public officials and service providers (Demand)
INTRDUCTIN Accountability is a consequence of the implicit social compact between citizens and their delegated representatives and agents in a democracy. A fundamental democratic right for citizens to demand accountability and public actors have an obligation to be accountable. Elected officials and civil servants are accountable for their conduct and performance. In other words, they can and should be held accountable to obey the law, not abuse their powers, and serve the public interest in an efficient, effective and fair manner. (WB Sourcebook on SA)
HISTRICAL CNTEXT Social accountability mechanisms complement and enhance conventional internal (government) mechanisms of accountability. In the past, citizen-led efforts to hold government accountable focused on: Public demonstrations/protests Advocacy campaigns, Investigative journalism, and public interest lawsuits.
HISTRICAL CNTEXT ctd With time, the methods became more proactive and participatory and less reactive. They emphasize a solid evidence base and direct dialogue and negotiation with government counterparts. These methods include as an example: participatory public policy-making, participatory budgeting, public expenditure tracking, citizen monitoring and evaluation of public service delivery
NSA AND STATE PARTNERS FR MfDR
BUILDING BLCKS
AN ENABLING ENVIRNMENT
METHDS AND TLS FR A GREATER DA Participatory Budgeting Independent Budget Analysis Expenditure Tracking Participatory Performance Monitoring ther methods/ tools
Guiding questions What is the exact nature of the problem? What set of factors are causing the problem? What is the social, political, cultural setting in which the method/tool needs to be applied? What is the enabling environment in which this initiative is to be taken up? What is the functional relationship between stakeholders (issues of power and control)? What would be the most appropriate entry point, given the diagnosis of the problem and the overall context? Is the problem local (community level), provincial/ state or national level? Should the solution be local, provincial or national in scope?
MDEL of PARTICIPATRY TLS FR MfDR Participatory approach in the budget cycle
EXAMPLE F A REGINAL TL FR SA, ANSA (Affiliated Network for Social Accountability) Awareness: Civic engagement will gain by organising around networks Capacity Building to demand: Networks are necessary to raise public awareness on what, when and how demand for accountability should be done Lessons learnt and cross pollination: learning will happen intra and inter regions to better the understanding of the fast evolving nature of the relationship between the governed and the governors (e.g. global changing context, Africa power relations changing, i.e. the Arab spring )
REGINAL NETWRKS Ctd Accountability Networks: need to create space for democratic engagement hence provide a platform for for finding cross-sectoral consensus in demanding better outcome in policy areas. Create a community of social accountability practitioners Tools: continue to build the capacity of practitioners to engage with the budget, in other words, focusing on applied budget analysis skills and budget advocacy (mostly lacking amongst advocates), budget tracking, participatory budgeting, participatory public expenditure tracking, Performance Monitoring (includes Citizen Report Cards, Community Scorecards, Social Audits, Procurement Monitoring, and others)
UTILS ET METHDLGIES Réseaux de redevabilité sociale doivent: créer un espace pour la participation démocratique par conséquent fournissent une plate-forme pour trouver un consensus intersectoriel en exigeant une gestion axée sur les résultats dans les domaines politiques. Créer une communauté de praticiens de la redevabilité sociale utils: Continuer à renforcer la capacité des praticiens à s'engager dans les discussions concernant le budget, en d'autres termes, en se concentrant sur les compétences d'analyse budgétaire appliquée et le plaidoyer, suivi budgétaire, la budgétisation participative, la participation dans le cycle de gestion des dépenses publiques et le suivi des performances (y compris Citizen Report Cards, scorecards communautaires, les audits sociaux, contrôle des marchés publics, et autres)
MDEL TL FR INCREASING DfA The RGB (Regional Governance Barometer) Tool for assessing & strengthening governance in service delivery at local level. Promotes accountability among all stakeholders engaged at various levels of governance structure Provides opportunities for multi-stakeholder dialogue to develop creative solutions to challenges Governance Improves citizen participation in governance processes
utcomes 1. To enhance public and government awareness of good governance at national and regional level and to assist them in drafting a regional/national policy framework for good governance. 2. To improve the capacity for good governance at the regional level both within government and Nongovernmental organisations
utcomes ctd 3. To enhance the capacity of national and regional level NGs and other actors to actively monitor and address issues related to good governance at both national and regional level. 4. To enhance the understanding and appreciation of good governance at regional level within a given region by documenting and publicizing experiences and best practices.
Methodology Regional level 1. Citizen Report Card 2. CS and Media performance assessment 3. Local Government performance 4. Municipal service profile 5. Local Governance Barometer Reg Dev Committees CSs & media Government Staff 6. State of governance and Governance improvement statement 7. CS and media Capacity Development Plan 8. LG Capacity Development Plan (councillors + staff) Traditional authorities Business sector Reg Representatives (parliementarians, mayors
CNCLUSINS The African context is still not very conducive for a greater demand for SA A need for mindset change Regional organisations and networking could foster the change needed and hence assist in creating an enabling environment.
BIBLIGRAPHIE World Bank site resources on Social Accountability ANSA (Affiliated Network for Social Accountability), Idasa, South Africa Department of Local Governance, Political Governance Unit, Idasa
MERCI, THANK YU, DANKIE, ASANTE, MURAKZE, NATTELA