Principles of Social Accountability Presented at the International Workshop on Social Accountability Accra May 3-5, 2005

1. Principles of Social AccountabilityPresented at the International Workshop on Social Accountability Accra May 3-5, 2005 Dr. William Ahadzie, University of Ghana

2. Structure of Presentation • Notions of Accountability • What is Social Accountability • Why Social Accountability • Tools of Social Accountability • Benefits of Social Accountability Dr. William Ahadzie, University of Ghana

3. Traditional Accountability: Supply side • Political Checks and Balances • Administrative rules and procedures • Auditing requirements and • Using Formal law enforcement agencies like the courts and police Dr. William Ahadzie, University of Ghana

4. Recent Forms of Accountability: supply side • Setting up independent pro-accountability agencies like vigilance commissions (Serious Fraud Office in Ghana) • Ombudsman (CHRAJ in Ghana) • Privatising institutions and services (market-oriented accountability) Dr. William Ahadzie, University of Ghana

5. Social Accountability: Demand side • Social Accountability involves the direct participation of citizens and civil society in public decision-making processes. • It is about people getting together to demand accountability in an analytic and systematic manner through exchanges of information • It is a system that allows government and civil society to work towards achieving transparency, efficiency and effectiveness in public resource use Dr. William Ahadzie, University of Ghana

6. Why Social Accountability (Adapted from Samuel Paul) • Access to public Services is poor-Inefficiency • Indifference, collusion with vested interest –Non responsive • Rampant corruption, extortion by middlemen and agents- WeakAccountability • Loose systems and weak Integrity- Abuse of discretion • Volume of resources to sub-national levels are increasing beyond spending capacities- Lags in fund disbursement Dr. William Ahadzie, University of Ghana

7. Barriers to sustained collective response (Adapted from Samuel Paul) • Citizens lack EXIT options • Response is episodic • Threats of reprisal hang over those who raise their voices • Information is held back from citizens • Low/no trust in any formal mechanism by citizens Dr. William Ahadzie, University of Ghana

8. Taking Action (Adapted from Samuel Paul) We need to create conditions that will promote a change in conditions of • Coping to ‘VOICES’ by citizens • ‘Shouting’ to ‘counting’ by activists • Reaction to informed action • Episodic Responses to organised action Dr. William Ahadzie, University of Ghana

9. Social Accountability Tools • Improving public expenditure targeting social programs through improved knowledge of citizens needs- Information sharing • Enhancing the quality of services through the issue of citizens report cards/community report cards/scorecards/report cards • Improving the allocation of budget resources through the incorporation of citizen feedback on budget proposals- participatory budgeting • Enhancing public expenditure effectiveness through participatory tracking and monitoring systems Dr. William Ahadzie, University of Ghana

10. Benefits of SA • It supports transparency, effectiveness and integrity in public action • Leads of better management of expectations • Civil society gets a better understanding of budgetary constraints and the difficulties of making choices on resource allocation • Creates more transparent and representative government • It removes suspicion and provides an environment for collaboration and sustainable development Dr. William Ahadzie, University of Ghana