Rajendra Adhikari, Director of Studies, NASC Public sector Accountability: Being Accountable and Holding Accountable Rajendra Adhikari, Director of Studies, NASC

Learning Objectives By the end of the topic participants will be able to: Define accountability, Explain the characteristics of the supply and demand sides of accountability, Explain the tools of holding and being accountable

What is Accountability? Accountability refers to the process of holding actors responsible for their actions which focuses on ‘answerability’ Two different forms of accountability- Soft: usually formal processes in which actions are held up to specific standards Hard: more rigorous minimum standard, including sanctions and/or remedies for wrongdoing (Fox 2007).

Accountability Accountability: enabling stakeholders to check that we do what we say we do.

What Makes Public Institutions Accountable? Be Accountable Rules & regulations of the state Standardization of services Self realization to the ‘social contract’ Capacity building of public institutions Transparent work culture Capacity building of oversight agencies Regular feedback Hold Accountable Making citizens aware to service standard Access to information Empowering citizens Civic engagement and citizen oversight Regular feedback Citizen’s voice and accountability mechanism

Video Case Willing Headmaster can make difference (Dor Bikram Shrees) What factors made him think and act differently to others? What he did to make others accountable?

(Video: Dor Bikram Shrees)

Accountability: Demand & Supply, and Horizontal & Vertical

Demand and Supply of Public Accountability Intermediary CBOs Media Private sector I/NGOs Political parties Civil society Supply side State (Central and Local) Demand Side Citizen

Demand and Supply of Public Services Intermediary CBOs Media Private sector I/NGOs Political parties Civil society Supply side State (Central and Local) Demand Side Citizen

Horizontal and Vertical Accountability Executive Civil service/public sector Legislature Citizens Oversight Institutions Vertical Diagonal

Social Contract There is always agreement (may not be written) between the state and society (people) for mutual protection and welfare Eg. People agree to pay tax in return of public services from the state

Social Contract and Accountability Framework Institutions- Structure and system Collective- Society, Excluded, Community of Practice Individual- Service Provider Accountability Mechanism Improved public service delivery

Bridging the Gaps How do we bridge the gap between demand and supply? Constructive engagement between actors Use of accountability mechanisms and tools Build civil service capacity Revisit and restructure institutional arrangement Empower and promote awareness among people for creating demands

Social accountability (1) Ordinary citizens participate directly or indirectly in holding service providers to account Civic engagement in the process of making state accountable Direct accountability relationships between citizens and the state Broad range of actions and mechanisms beyond voting that citizens can use to hold the state to account, NASC-2017 12/3/2018

Social accountability (2) Public officials are called on to inform stakeholders and to justify to them their behavior, actions and results. Multi stakeholders (government, civil society, media and other societal actors) engagement to make each other accountable. NASC-2017 12/3/2018

Accountability Tools (Few) Civic Education Right to Information Citizen Charter Public Hearing Participatory Planning Social/Public Audit Public expenditure tracking system, etc.

Use of Social Accountability Tools (Visual Learning) NASC-2017 12/3/2018

Social accountability Social accountability tools enable to: Promote citizen's engagement Build trust towards public service providers Increase transparency & access to information Grievance redress Standardization of public service delivery Enhancing accountability and citizen oversight NASC-2017 12/3/2018

Pillars of Social Accountability

Civic Education

Right to Information

Public Hearing

Citizen Charter

Discussion Application State of social accountability practice

Conclusion Obligation of state and public servants towards society and people (Principle-agent framework) Absence of accountability breaks the social contract Need to focus more on WPE Accountability is meaningful when combined with responsiveness and integrity NASC-2017 12/3/2018

Thank You