citizens’ demand for better governance
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Citizens’ Demand for Better Governance. Lessons from Asia and the Bank’s Cambodia program John Clark, Oslo Governance Forum. Governance is at root about Accountability. i.e. about obligation of Power-holders for: Their performance Doing what they are supposed to do - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Citizens’ Demand for Citizens’ Demand for Better GovernanceBetter Governance
Lessons from Asia and theLessons from Asia and theBank’s Cambodia programBank’s Cambodia program
John Clark, John Clark, Oslo Governance ForumOslo Governance Forum
Governance is at root Governance is at root about Accountabilityabout Accountability
i.e. about obligation of Power-holders for:
– Their performance – Doing what they are supposed to do– Use of resources entrusted to them– For honesty, integrity, not abusing power
Two dimensions – upwards & downwards
Accountability – Accountability – supply-sidesupply-side
• To state servants acting for us– To managers and ministers– To audit officers, financial controllers– To Parliament (for implementing policies) – To judiciary– To Anti-corruption & oversight bodies
Accountability – Accountability – demand-sidedemand-side
• Most systems allow more direct accty.– Citizen complaints, ombudsmen– Collective lobbying of MPs etc – Protests; direct action– NGOs, consumers unions, PTAs
etc– Independent media– Think tanks and advice bureaus
How to enhance Accountability?How to enhance Accountability?
• Better Rules and Regulations – administrative procedures, audits …• Stronger Market Principles – privatization or contracting out … • Independent Agencies – ombudsman, vigilance commissions …• “Social Accountability” – make it
effective
There has been varying success with these. What
has been learnt is that success often depends on
direct participation of the people
What is What is Social AccountabilitySocial Accountability??
• Set of tools/activities that allow a rigorous analysis to be formed by aggregating grassroots perspectives → hard evidence
• Plural of “anecdote” is “data”• Citizens engaged - individually, or in CSOs• Driven from below, bottom-up messages• It complements formal accountability,
especially where that is ineffective
e.g.e.g. Textbook Watch, Philippines Textbook Watch, Philippines
• Parents concerned that schoolbooks weren’t delivered, were late, or were poor quality
• TAN did survey: 40% books shipped from center could not be accounted for at district level (not all corruption)
• Carefully tracked production and delivery of 15M books/year (+Boy Scouts) – found where errors occurred
• Now virtually no books go astray; time from production to school desk was cut from 24 to 12 months; most children now get their books by the start of the school year
• Cost per book has been cut by 55%• Educ. Secretary became a champion (then joined NGO)
Why Social Accountability is ImportantWhy Social Accountability is Important
Social Account’y
Better Services
Empower-ment
Good Govern’ce
Social Accountability ToolkitSocial Accountability Toolkit
• Report cards on services; opinion polls• Community score-cards• Budget analysis• Expenditure tracking• Corruption monitoring and surveys• Right to information campaigns• Demystifying govt. informationSome used by specialists; others with citizens; others by NGOs
FOLLOWING THE MONEYFOLLOWING THE MONEY:: Participatory Public Participatory Public Expenditure Management CycleExpenditure Management Cycle
Civic Engagement
Budget Formulation
Porto Alegre, Brazil
Performance Monitoring
Citizen Scorecards India and Philippines
Budget Review & Analysis
Gujarat, India
Expenditure Tracking
Uganda
Short and long routes of accountabilityShort and long routes of accountability
Conditions needed for S.AcConditions needed for S.Ac
• Enabling legal environment for civil society and its watchdog roles
• Tradition of freedom of information; citizens access to that information
• Independent media; free from persecution• Openness of public sector; willingness to
hear what constructive critics have to say
But needs from civil society tooBut needs from civil society too• Capacity to analyze policy issues, budgets • Credible parallel sources of information • Other capacity issues – management, research skills,
resources, communications skills • Objectivity; being constructive • Ability to generate confidence (media, MPs) • Support of citizens, media, donors etc • Connection with public institutions
Capacity …. Credible …. Connected …. Conscientious …. Constructive ….
SAc completes the Civil Society SAc completes the Civil Society SpectrumSpectrum
Charit
iesPub
lic S
ervic
e Con
tracto
rs
Develo
pmen
t NGOs
Advoc
acy G
roup
s
Inve
stiga
tive
journ
alists
Demon
strat
ors
Missing MiddleConstructive civic
engagement
Cooperative Hostile
Bridge-building skillsBridge-building skills
• Easier to criticize & try to stop something than to promote an alternative way of working; hard work, can be thankless
• Govt. can see it as meddling• Other CSOs can see it as selling out• But that is inherent in building a bridge …• Engineers know bridge building is all
about managing stresses and tensions
Parallel with Consumers MovementParallel with Consumers Movement
• Independent, reliable product information
• Rating user views • Comparison of
products• Value for money audits• Producer integrity• Impartial grievance
channels• Class action suits
• Community-level research on services
• Public Opinion Polls• Citizen / community
report cards• Tracking expenditures• Dialogue with Govt.• Citizen ombudsman,
campaigns• Taking cases to MPs
Response of the public sectorResponse of the public sector• Some see SAc as meddling, when there are
“checks and balances inherent in the state• But for most clients there isn’t the separation of
state powers, nor the real will to be clean• They often don’t want real checks & balances• Remember: the Private Sector is strongest in
countries with strongest Consumer Movements• GAC strategies need the citizen demand-side• Is problem institutional failure, or intent failure?
e.g. 1) e.g. 1) Budget analysis; Budget analysis; Gujarat, IndiaGujarat, India
• More funds directed to priority sectors• Reduced errors in State accts (was ~ 600/yr) • Professionalized scrutiny by State legislature• Media publicity; public awareness• Better flow of information among ministries• DISHA model replicated in 12 other Indian states• National budget now analyzed similarly
e.g. 2) e.g. 2) Participatory budgeting, Participatory budgeting, Porto AlegrePorto Alegre
• Partic. budgeting helps balance the books • Tax revenues ↑ 50% (people more motivated to pay taxes)
• Number of children in public schools doubled• 1989-96 HHs accessing water rose 80 → 98%• Over 80 Brazilian cities now follow the Porto
Alegre model
e.g. 3) e.g. 3) Public expenditure tracking; Public expenditure tracking; UgandaUganda
• After survey govt. required district grants to be published monthly in newspapers and on radio
• Primary schools and district authorities required to post notices on all inflows of funds
• Schools and parents now have access to info needed to understand and monitor budgets
• Share of funds reaching schools ↑ 20%–80% • Primary enrollment 3.6M → 6.9 M from 1996–01
e.g. 4) e.g. 4) Citizens report cards; Citizens report cards; BangaloreBangalore
• Public agencies now respond to citizen concerns • “Worst” agency overhauled systems for service
delivery and introduced public forums to consult• Electric Board initiated dialogue with residence
associations to redress grievances• Public awareness on service quality rose greatly • Report cards enhanced CSO activism and
citizen monitoring in Bangalore • Tool has been replicated in Indian and many
countries (from Philippines to USA)
e.g. 5) e.g. 5) Lobbying on Corruption; Lobbying on Corruption; IndonesiaIndonesia
• FITRA analyzed local spending in range of provinces
• Debated in local and national parliaments• Identified better ways to monitor corruption• Citizens action enhanced formal accountability• FITRA head - now Dep. Speaker in Upper House
CambodiaCambodia
• Well known problems of Corruption and governance failure; INT case, scandals
• WB prepared a “Governance CAS”• Govt is not monolithic; some we can work with• Reformers seek to promote change• RGC’s Rectangular Strategy puts reform of
governance at the center• Many CSOs prepared to help win reforms• But no tradition of or forums for constructive
engagement
CambodiaCambodia - environment for SAc - environment for SAc
• Vibrant democracy; many parties, but weak Parl.• Policy environment relatively enabling for CSOs,
independent media, professional assocs• But govt./PM unpredictable, hate criticism, brutal• Laws ambiguous or absent; odd laws used oddly• No FOI law, and no practice of sharing info • Civil Society capacity low, polarized in capital,
unreliable with data/research, not strongly connected with grassroots, new to skills of SAc
• Wild cards: High growth, discovery of oil, China
Citizens' priority interests w ith regard to public information
33.9
41.448.149.2
54.7
71.775.3
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Publicsecurity
Health Livelihoodknow ledge(e.g. agri-culture)
Community/village life
Governmentactivities
Localdevelopment
activities
NGOactivities
%
INFORMATION
People mostly interested in local issues that affect them
INFORMATIONINFORMATION
Sources of information
8.318.4
32.132.840.8
78.279.8
0
20
40
60
80
100
Radio TV Village chief Communechief
Relatives,friends,
neighbors
Newspaper NGO
%
… but mostly get their info from national radio and TV
VOICEVOICECitizens have little confidence their voice can effect change – but seen NGOs as powerful influencers
Who is able to protect people from paying informal fees to authorities
21
7.3
13
17.6
21.923.2
27.8
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Nobody Centralgovernment
Authoritiesof higher
levels
NGOintervention
Pow erfulpersons
Collectiveresistance
Don't know
%
Rely heavily on local level leaders/authorities, & NGOsRely heavily on local level leaders/authorities, & NGOs
ASSOCIATION
If you are dissatisf ied w ith public service in your commune to w hom do you turn for resolution?
55.1
50.7
26.4
13.2
13.2
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Village chief
Commune chief
Nobody
NGO
Neighbors
%
Citizens attend Citizens attend commune councilcommune council meetings meetings but participation is passive and unorganized.but participation is passive and unorganized.
Participation & Constructive Dialogue
Participation in commune council meeting
88%
12%
As individual
As representative of agroup / organization
Activities during commune council meeting
9.3
81.4
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Just listening Makingcomments
Raisingproblems
Askingquestions
Demandingaction
%
Who do you think can solve land issues?Who do you think can solve land issues?Net Confidence
Hun Sen 50The King 47NGOs 43CPP 37Government 18Sam Rainsy 15SRP 13National Assembly 8National Committee for Resolving Land Issues 8Senate 6Prince Ranariddh 0Foreign countries -3FUNCINPEC -6Judiciary -17
ConclusionsConclusions
• Very weak connection between citizens and decision-makers
• Short-route of accountability - in bad repair• Scant info about issues people care about• Hierarchical society, little social capital• Weak CSO presence at local levels• Little space or confidence for negotiation • Much to learn from Soc. Acct. elsewhere
DFGG Project – $20M IDA grant + + Concepts:
MONITOR • Participatory
monitoring• Budget analysis and
tracking• Formal oversight
PROMOTE • Disclosure,
Demystification and Dissemination of information
• Collective action
MEDIATE • Feedback• Consultation• Dispute resolution
DFGG
RESPOND• Service delivery
innovations• Performance
rewards and incentives
• Participatory action plans
1.1. Window OneWindow One: State Institutions ($12 million)
DFGG Project Components
2. Window Two2. Window Two: Non-state Actors ($4.5 million).
2a Parallel CS Program: 2a Parallel CS Program: CS Capacity Build. ($2 million)
3.Window Three:3.Window Three: Coord. & learning ($2 million)
1.1. Min. of National Assembly & Senate Relations Min. of National Assembly & Senate Relations Promotion: dissemination of laws & entitlements
2.2. Min of Information – Radio National KampuchiaMin of Information – Radio National KampuchiaPromotion: outreach of govt. progs / policiesMediation: “Talk Back Radio”
3.3. Min. of Labor – Arbitration CouncilMin. of Labor – Arbitration CouncilMediation: of worker/boss conflicts (garments)Response: clear decisions based on law
4.4. Ministry of Interior – Ministry of Interior – “One Window Service”“One Window Service”Response: provision of quality service delivery Mediation: grievance redress mechanism
Window One: Support to State Institutions
Window Two: Support to Non-State Institutions
1. Small grants (up to $15K) which For small CSOs to try Social Accountability
tools that have worked elsewhere2. Devel. Marketplace competition (up to $150K)
Larger grants for more established actors Support for Networks & Coalitions
3. Partnership Grants CSO progs developed with state institutions
Window 2a: Program to Enhance Capacity in Social Accountability - PECSA
– Training, exchange visits, study tours– Mentoring by experienced NGO in Asia– Seed funds to test new SAc approaches– Networking and resource center– Monitoring, evaluation and learning
Support to State Institutions
Support to Non-State Institutions
Coordination, Coordination, Learning, and Ripple Learning, and Ripple
effecteffect
Pillar-1 Pillar-2
Pillar-3
Building partner-
ships
Promoting ‘learning by
doing’Creating a
‘ripple effect’ for
others
Window 3: Coordination & learningCoordination & learning
Lessons on Social Accountability - 1Lessons on Social Accountability - 1
• We’re new at it; don’t kid ourselves we know how to do it (“maindreaming”); work + others
• Boundaries betw. Supply and Demand sides are fuzzy; both need each other
• GAC isn’t a technical problem needing technical solutions; calls for political will & citizen demand
• Build capacities (academe, CS, media) generally – as nat. institutions, not just around WB projects; DFGG itself should be demand-driven
• Great leaps forward need pretext or catalyst (scandal, polit change, discovery of oil …)
Lessons on Social Accountability - 2Lessons on Social Accountability - 2
• Don’t just develop 2-3 yr WB SAc projects• Entails working in new areas for WB: political
analysis; rights law; capacities of CS, media, think tanks etc. Long term; New tools
• Our projects – esp. participatory ones – can be foundaries where the new tools are forged
• In time they can foster the new institutions needed for checks & balances, but need time
• So we must work together in WB X-discipline (COSU, PREM, SocD etc) to innovate, iterate & learn – hence idea of the Bangkok hub.