Innovations in Accountability and Transparency Through Citizen Engagement

Bellagio Study and Conference CenterJune 16 – 20 2008

‘A snapshot

of what we have heard so far’

John Gaventa

Julia Moffett

A Framework for our Conversation

Strengthening Democratic Governance

Accountability Strategies/Innovations

Meeting Development Goals/Delivering Basic

Services

Public Engagement + Government Reform

Accountability and Transparency

Multiple Strategies for Accountability and Transparency

Budget work – information and transparency

Other work on revenues and financial streams

Participatory governance

Community based monitoring and advocacy

Access to information

Media and other communications

ICTs

Standards, Indexes, Report Cards

Aid transparency and accountability

Strengthening Parliamentary and other forms of governmental oversight

Access to justice/ legal strategies

Building oversight coalitions

Independent Research/Information

Cross-cutting themes

Accountability is more than accountancy

– it is at heart of relationship between citizens and their states

Accountability is not neutral

– combined with transparency and voice, it can shape and challenge the distribution of power and resources

Growing demands for accountability may create resistance

– shrinking civil society autonomy and space?

Different approaches may work in differing contexts, sequences and combinations

– but we need much more joined up understanding of how, where and when

The Actors

Multilaterals

– World Bank, UNDP Governance Centre

Bilaterals

– DFID, CIDA

Private Foundations

– Aga Khan Development Network, Ford Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Google.org, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Open Society Institute

Civil Society Organisations/NGOs

– BBC World Service Trust, East Africa Citizen Agency Initiative, Gender and Development Network, International Budget Project, Logolink, MobileActive.org, Revenue Watch Institute, Society for Participatory Research (PRIA), The Access Initiative (TAI), TIRI

Snapshot of Resource Commitments

FUNDERS $474m CIDA/1yr $118m DRC/DFID/5yrs $5b UNDP/3yrs $23m Hewlett/1yr $30m/Gates/2yrs $12-20m Ford/1yr $10m Google/1 yr

PRACTIONERS $34m BBC WST/1yr $12m TIRI/5-10yrs $3m PRIA/1 yr

Issues Around Funding and Resources

Significant Resources at Hand

Additional Resources Planned/In Related Budgets

New Types of Funders/Donors

Bilateral Priorities

How Much We Don’t Know

How are you supporting these strategies?

Funding

Capacity Building, Education and Training

Technical Assistance

Research

Policy/Policy Advocacy

Knowledge Building and Learning, Networks

Strategies for Accountability and Transparency- What are you supporting?

Production of Independent Research/Information (8)

Budget Work – information and transparency (7)

Community based monitoring and advocacy (7)

Strengthening Parliamentary and other forms of governmental oversight (7)

Access to justice/ legal strategies (7)

Participatory governance (6)

Access to information (6)

Media and other communications (5)

Standards, Indexes, Report Cards (4)

Other work on revenues and financial streams (4)

ICTs (3)

Building oversight coalitions (3)

Aid transparency and accountability (3)

Grantees/Partners

Interconnectedness

Common Funding

How many of you are looking for partners

Extensive Networks

Geography

Global, Regional, National, Sub-national

Asia, Africa, Middle East, Former Soviet Union, Europe, Latin America, US

Post conflict – Afghanistan

Heavy East Africa/Expanding into West Africa

New Approaches Emerging

What you said- Issue Baskets

Making the Case and Building the Evidence

Our Own Accountability and Legitimacy

Building Synergy and Collaboration

Scale, Replication and Sustainability

Absorption – Internal and External

Creating Bottom Up Demand for Accountability

Developing New Accountability Strategies

Increasing and Sharing Our Knowledge

What you said- Other Takeaways

Roles of bilaterals and foundations

Amount of data we have

Secondary vehicles

Audiences

Technology possibilities

A Key Moment for Accountability

A Key Moment for Many Strategies

IBP --- Logolink --- Ford ---Hewlett

--- Gates --- PRIA --- UNDP ---

World Bank

Is the Framework one that you are comfortable with as a foundation for this meeting?

 

Does anything else strike you as important not covered in this snapshot?

A Reminder of the Purposes of the Workshop

To share knowledge and practical learning

To identify key issues and factors for success, and prospective vehicles or entry points to move them forward

To develop a broader vision/strategy for building the field collaboratively

Workshop Outline

Monday– Setting the Context and Naming the Moment

Tuesday– Identifying the Innovations, Opportunities and Challenges.– Prioritising issues for our work

Wednesday– Key Factors for Success and Vehicles for moving forward

Thursday– Envisioning the Agenda for the Future and Planning Next

Steps

Friday– Informal follow up discussions

Ways of Working

Build from the knowledge in the room through short inputs, open conversation, plenary and group work

Look beyond our own work to the field as a whole

Search for ways to collaborate and move

forward

‘Chatham House’ rules – comments not for attribution

Listen, respect, engage, challenge