social accountability theories of change: what are the critical success factors? dr fletcher tembo,...
TRANSCRIPT
Social accountability theories of change: What are the critical success factors?
Dr Fletcher Tembo, Research Fellow, Mwananchi GTF Programme Director
Presentation at the Annual Meeting of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, October 12,
2012 under the theme “Achieving Better Health Outcomes Through Investments in Social
Accountability”
This presentation covers:
• Defining social accountability• Background and approach to Mwananchi GTF• Six main lessons• Six implications for policy and practice in investing for better health
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Defining Social Accountability (SA)
“An approach towards building accountability that relies on civic engagement, i.e. in which it is ordinary citizens and/or civil society organizations who participate directly or indirectly in exacting accountability” (Ackerman, 2005, p.1)
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About the GTF
• £130m Fund created to “do much more at the grassroots end of political governance” (DFID White Paper, 2006)
• Up to 5 years of one-off grants (£5m max each) to 38 organisations all over the world, including ODI
• ODI - Six African countries (Ethiopia, Uganda, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Malawi and Zambia)
• ODI programme branded as ‘Mwananchi’ which is a Kiswahili word for ‘ordinary citizen’ but countries have local names as well – e.g. Leh Wi Tok in Sierra Leone
GTF background continued
• Maximum of ten projects for each country to enable deeper action learning
• Three funding phases for the same organisations – with different learning emphases
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Main lessons from implementation
Six main lessons from a total of 60 projects implemented across the six African countries
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Theories of change
1. The question ‘how did we get here?’ informs many more of the answers to the question ‘how do we get from here to there?’
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Basic Needs Ghana example
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2002
BN is established
2004 2006 2008 2010 2011 20121983 1996
1st Mental Health Policy 2nd mental
health policy
Draft Mental Health Bill
1st Reading
MPs’ visit to UK2nd
Reading
Bill passed waiting for sig. by the President
Photo BookPublished
Funding + CB support from MwananchiGhana
Chief Psychiatrist writes on mental health in Ghana
Photo used to influence MPs
NDC government includes in manifesto
Funding from STAR Ghana to facilitate MP discussions
Various initiatives on mental illness with Min. of Health & communities
Bill as basis for delivery of services to 2.4m people
Main learning points from Basic Needs
• Several organisations/actors are undertaking activities that contribute to getting to the desired end – not just Basic Needs
• Building credibility with mid-level bureaucrats who often do the ‘behind-the -scene’ policy details
• Providing authentic evidence made Basic Needs an organisation of choice of parliamentary select committee
• Basic Needs can now effectively apply lessons to other projects.
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Model for developing theories of change that embrace contextual dynamics
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Interlocutors of CV &A change
2. ‘What can change rules of the game in this context?’ and, by implication, ‘who is a game changer on this issue?’
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Local politics matters
3. Embedding politics back into the socio-cultural roots of societies – but be aware that the process can be vulnerable to political party distortions
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Paramount Chief in East Gonja District – at a Palace meeting
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Youths attending Palace meeting
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Belandan Bo Platform- used to enhance role of Queen Mothers
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Dealing with over-generalised policies
4. Dealing with over-generalised policies
e.g. the case of health policies in Uganda
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Kalangala Round Table Initiative
VILLAGE LEVEL KAROT
PARISH LEVEL KAROT
DISTRICT LEVEL KAROT
Creating foundations for accountability
5. Raise the stakes for seeking accountability
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Establishing dialogue mechanisms
6. Creating mechanisms where dialogue can take place – media is key
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Six implications for policy and practice- making SA work
1. Social accountability should seek to address collective action problems, where politics plays a critical role
2. Thinking seriously about game changing and game changers (the entries and exits)
3. Don’t assume that formal local-level decentralised structures work for voice and accountability – they often exist just by name
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Implications for policy and practice continued
4. Be patient with change – change evolves and is context-dependent
5. Focus capacity development support on building evidence-based civic engagement – effective grassroots-to-national linkages; communities of practice, and addressing systemic issues
6. Promote building a critical mass of evidence around governance initiatives even if funding sources are different
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Thank you!
Full contact address:
Dr Fletcher Tembo Research Fellow Mwananchi Governance and Transparency Programme Director
Research and Policy in DevelopmentOverseas Development Institute203 Blackfriars RoadLondon SE1 8NJUnited Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)20 7922 0300 Direct: +44(0)2079220442Email: [email protected] Web: www.odi.org.uk www.mwananchi-africa.org Skype: fletcher.tembo
Follow Mwananchi on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/MwananchiProgFollow me on http://www.twitter.com/ftcitizenvoiceFollow RAPID on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/rapid_odi
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