1. Accountability and Governance Challenges and Questions

2. Key challenges Cultural interpretations of the conceptsIntegrating the concepts into everyday practices Balancing the application core principles and standards against the diversity of CSOs A region with very different ‘space’ for CSOs to exist and operate

3. Voluntary certification is a credible mechanism for ensuring accountability and good governance, but … It is a time consuming and high resource processes It would take decades to accredit all the CSOs in Cambodia at current rate of progress

4. Dimensions of accountability ProgrammaticLegitimacy FinancialMultiple needs Other stakeholders Donors BeneficiariesGovernment

5. Upward accountability to donors for results dominates the discussion – is there any way to take the initiative to broaden the agenda? Is it possible to agree the dimensions of accountability across a large and highly diverse group of organisations? Should all stakeholders get the same type and level of accountability? If not, how to define the differences? Can the same rules apply everywhere given the different operating spaces in different countries across the region?

6. Governance In Cambodia and many other countries boards are a donor introduced mechanism for governance The concepts are not well understood The practice is uneven and at times problematic The challenge is how to give boards legitimacy in places where the concepts don’t naturally fit with the culture or traditional customs

7. Are there, or should there be, any viable alternatives to governing boards? Are common standards and practices for boards possible in a region of diverse political space for CSOs to operate?