Citizen Voice and Accountability: experiences from case studies in Sub-Saharan Africa

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1 Citizen Voice and Accountability: experiences from case studies in Sub-Saharan Africa Dr. Fletcher Tembo, Programme Director, Overseas Development Institute, London

2 Order of presentation About Mwananchi Theory of Change How the programme is organised Learning framework Some country case studies Contribution to knowledge What we are already learning

3 About Mwananchi GTF GTF- created to do much more at the grassroots end of political governance (DFID White Paper, 2006) on Making governance work for Poor people. DFID provided up to 5 years of one off grants to 38 organisations all over the world, including Overseas Development Institute 7 African countries (Ethiopia, Southern Sudan, Uganda, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Malawi and Zambia) Branded as Mwananchi which is a kiswahili word for ordinary citizen but countries have local names as well e.g. Let we Tok in Sierra Leone, Liu Lathu in Malawi

4 Defining good governance Governance: Governance refers to the formation and stewardship of the formal and informal rules that regulate the public realm, the arena in which state as well as economic and societal actors interact to make decisions. Hyden, G.; Mease, K.; Foresti, M. and Fritz, V. (2007) Good governance Good governance is not just about government. It is also about political parties, parliament, the judiciary, the media and civil society. It is about how citizens, leaders and public institutions relate to each other in order to make change happen (DFID White Paper, 2006, p.20)

5 Mwananchi Theory of Change Change aimed for: Citizen voices resulting into better state accountability and responsiveness How to get there: Working with interlocutors of the citizen-state relations, including civil society, media, elected representatives (MPs and councillors) and traditional leaders Strengthening role synergies among these interlocutors Use of evidence to influence effectively government policies and engage citizens

6 Definitions: Citizen Voice The capacity of all people including the poor and marginalised to express their views and interests and demand action of those in power (Foresti and Sharma, 2007, p2)

7 Definitions: Accountability A pro-active process by which public officials inform about and justify their plans of action, their behaviour and results and are sanctioned accordingly (Ackerman, 2005)

8 About Civil Society Effective governance State capability Accountability Responsiveness Civil Society role Sectoral expertise/ grassroots realities, delivering services Standard setting, investigation, demand for answers, sanctions Social inclusion, representation

9 About Parliament Effective Governance State capability Parliamentary roles Legislation Accountability Oversight Responsiveness Representation

10 About the Media Effective governance State capability Media roles Awareness raising Accountability Responsiveness Demanding answers from the state, sanctions via public Social inclusion

12 Hierarchy of objectives (1) Goal (programme helps to achieve): Citizens effectively express their views and interests and hold governments to account for their actions - at different levels in the governmental system Purpose (Programme immediate impact): Increased ability of civil society, media and elected representatives to enable citizens to effectively express their views and hold governments to account for their actions

13 Hierarchy of objectives (2) Generic Outputs/ Results areas 1. Increased opportunities for constructive dialogue between CSOs, media and elected representatives ; and with state actors 2. CSOs, media, elected representatives demonstrate increased awareness of and skills in using various tools and techniques in evidence-based policy influencing and citizen engagement practices 3. Innovations in CSO, media and elected representative collaboration and use of evidence based approaches are piloted and evaluated 4. Models of good practice are promoted within communities of practice to ensure sustained and widespread availability to CSOs, media and elected representatives

Management Unit Management and implementation Technical v Team

14 Project Project Project Quality Control Programme Direction Quality Assurance v Team Advisory v Board Programme v Management Unit Management and implementation Technical v Team Country Programme Direction 7 NSCs 7 NCOs v Countrye Programmee Implementation

15 Use of World Governance Assessment to define political context A tool to map local actors perceptions of governance. Governance as a measure of the legitimacy of specific rules guiding the political process Understanding of how political context shapes governance Primary data from local stakeholders (both state and non-state) and conducted by local researchers Nationally owned and relevant for national policy processes

16 Use of WGA Helped formulate hypotheses on underlying causes of bad governance in each country Triangulated with evidence from local consultations and existing secondary data for robustness Generated evidence for selecting priority issues and projects in each country Informed sharper/ smartier objectives and indicators Helps to identify room for manoeuvre for enhancing citizen s ability to hold public institutions to account

17 About an issue-based approach Selection of a few concrete governance issues (3-5) and concentration on these for influencing changes in rules of the game (institutions) Build relationships among key governance interlocutors (those that actively shape the terms of citizen state social contract). Coalitions of actors are formed to demand/influence change Selection of issues through an evidence trail that combines scientific methodology with everyday practice. Issues selected directly relate broad context with clear mwananchi entry points

18 Use of evidence Six steps to promote more evidencebased development policy & practice

19 6 steps

20 Policy Issue Representation Accountability

21 Overall Goal Goal Indicators Project Outcome/ Purpose Outcome Indicators Boundary Partner A Outcome Challenge Boundary Partner B Outcome Challenge Boundary Partner A & B Outcome Challenge Progress markers Strategic &Tactical Agency Outputs Activities Strategic &Tactical Agency Outputs Activities Strategic &Tactical Agency Outputs Activities Mission of the Change Agent & Project Management (Budget, HR, Organisational Practices

22 Case studies of grassroots work in various countries Ghana Uganda Malawi Ethiopia Sierra Leone Zambia

23 Six distinctive features 1. Mwananchi focus: clear ordinary citizen entry points 2. Importance of context analysis, especially political context 3. Issue-Based Approach up to 3 governance issues per country 4. Working with interlocutors (civil society, media, elected representatives and traditional leaders) 5. Use of evidence to enhance citizen voice and accountability 6. Action-learning

24 Learning Framework Understanding principles Programme management/ ODI Understanding patterns NCO 1 NCO 2 Understanding relations Pilot Project 1 Pilot Project 2 Pilot Project 1

25 Contribution to knowledge Understanding social accountability: its effectiveness, impact and theory of change Politics of use of evidence informed approaches in policy influencing and engaging citizens CSOs, media, elected reps as interlocutors of demand-side governance as agents of domestic accountability Support mechanisms for non-state actors to achieve governance objectives

26 Open discussion/ debate Contact: Skype: fletcher.tembo

GOVERNANCE AND CIVIL SOCIETY

Partners for change GOVERNANCE AND CIVIL SOCIETY Sub-Saharan Africa PARTNERS FOR CHANGE GOVERNANCE AND CIVIL SOCIETY Partners for change The British Council is committed to building engagement and trust