Social Accountability Initiatives
Trainees on Social Accountability Tools engage communities during field practice |
The assessment of development effectiveness increasingly calls for coordinated engagements of citizens and communities to promote social and public accountability of policies and programs designed to benefit them. The Institute for Policy Alternatives has established a Social Accountability Initiative which focuses on refining concepts, adapting and developing tools, building capacities and a community of practice, and coordinating the implementation of social accountability activities among civil society, Parliaments and public institutions. Our experience in Social Accountability include:
Capacity Building & Training in Social Accountability:
In partnership with the Civic Engagement Group of the World Bank and DfiD, IPA has supported training efforts targeted at civil society and public institutions in the use of social and public accountability tools for citizen engagement in monitoring poverty and public expenditure. Since 2002, the IPA has trained more than 50 practitioners in the use of Citizen Report Cards and Community Score Cards for social and public accountability engagements at the municipal, regional and national levels.
 Community members assessing a pro-poor training program using Community Score Card |
 Community Interface Session - Sharing Perspectives on Impact of Municipal Programs |
Support for Implementation of Social Accountability Efforts:
In partnership with DfiD and a myriad of local and international agencies, IPA is coordinating a Social Accountability Fund, which supports civil society, public institutions and Parliaments to design and implement initiatives focusing on poverty monitoring by citizens.
Putting Communities First...
... and Promoting Social Accountability through Parliament:
 MPs Graduating after a course & field practice are awarded certificates by a Mayor |
In 2003, IPA and the Parliamentary Centre, Canada, started a pioneering programs for strengthening capacity of Members of Parliament, Parliamentary Staff and leaders of civil society in the use of social and public accountability tools to enhance community monitoring of poverty. Parliamentary Committees and staff from the Parliaments of Malawi, Tanzania, Ghana, Benin, Senegal, Niger have been trained and this training is available to all Parliaments in Africa.