What is Social Accountability & What Does It Mean for EI? December 5, 2006 Carmen Malena “Social Accountability Inc.”
Social Accountability Accountability can be defined as the obligation of power-holders to account for or take responsibility for their actions. Social accountability is about: (i) affirming “downwards” accountability obligations and, (ii) empowering ordinary citizens (especially women & marginalized groups) to hold “powerful” societal actors to account.
Key benefits of social accountability include… Improved governance -address current problems of corruption, lack of legitimacy and distrust Enhanced development results & impact -greater relevance, equity, impact and sustainability Citizen empowerment -strengthen citizen voice and influence, address power imbalances
Examples of social accountability practices National Local Policies/ plans Participatory policy- making (e.g. on EI) Participatory local planning RevenuesRevue reporting (Publish What You Pay) Public posting/reporting of community revenues BudgetsIndependent budget analysis Participatory budgeting ExpendituresParticipatory expenditure tracking Citizen monitoring of local expenditures ServicesCitizen evaluation of public services (e.g.report cards) Participatory M&E of local services (community scorecards) Public oversight Ombudsman-civil society partnerships Citizen oversight committees, public hearings
Key Elements of Social Accountability Information transparency demystification/public dissemination Voice protection of freedoms and rights spaces for dialogue Negotiation clearly defined terms of engagement enforcement and sanctions
Key distinguishing features of social accountability approaches… emphasis on “demand-side” acknowledge and affirm rights focus on citizens seek to address power imbalances ideally, sustained process (v. one-off event) not just “participation” but answerability and enforcement.
Some Key Challenges Building “political will” Citizen/civil society capacity-building Who pays? Enabling environment Enforcement