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SHALINI & DEEPAK
ADRRN
23 & 24 December 2013
Report on Social Accountability
Report on Social Accountability
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December 23, 2013; New Delhi, India
A two-day Training Workshop on Social accountability for ADRRN members was carried out in
New Delhi by the Asian Disaster Reduction and Response Network (ADRRN), a regional network
across the Asia-Pacific region. The program has been made possible with the support from The
Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID). On behalf of ADRRN, Sustainable
Environment and Ecological Development Society (SEEDS), one of the founder members of
ADRRN hosted this program locally. Altogether 13 participants from various ADRRN Members
from 7 south Asian countries participated in this workshop. Expert from UNNATI, member
organization from India and Director UNNATI, Mr. Binoy Acharya, facilitated throughout the
two days sessions.
One of the strategic objective of the ADRRN network is to “Facilitate members to enhance
accountability” through various training programs and sharing of important training materials
among member organizations. Some of the members of the network are HAP certified,
maintaining transparency in their dealings at different levels and showcasing accountability in
their mandate in the region.
Major objectives of this training program are as follows;
• Raise awareness about tools used for social accountability.
• Sharing and learning about various best practices.
• Enhancing the ongoing efforts of ADRRN member to build accountability
Inaugural Session
Dr. Manu Gupta, Chair person ADRRN addressed the inaugural session and welcomed all the members
as the Chief Guest. Training started with the introductory session on the subject “Social Accountability”
defining the terminology as just not the fault finding but to improve public service delivery.
Inagural Session
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Social Accountability (SA)
Making the program delivery reaching the people for whom it has been designed has been a
key concern of the policy makers, implementing agencies and the civil society organizations
involved in monitoring and social accountability. Increasingly more rights and entitlement-
based legislations and policies are being formulated. However, most of the public programs
lose their effectiveness because of leakage and irregularities at the ground level. What is the
need to be accountable to people? One always talk of upward accountability but not of
downward accountable for this there is an utmost need to break the culture of silence.
Strengthening citizen leadership can invokes civic duties, rights and responsibilities in a
democratic governance framework. It has full legitimacy to exercise citizenship rights vis-a-vis
the government, who is the duty bearer and bears the main responsibilities. Many countries are
not making information act. Political parties refrain from sharing information. Information is
necessary to create Empowered Voice.
Hence Social Accountability = Empowered voice + Compact (Service Provider)
SA concept came for holding our governments accountable but it does not mean they are our
enemies. We have selected our governments. Information disclosure started in 1950’s. But real
push came in 21st
century, from 2000-2013, 70 countries have adopted information disclosure
Act. Compact can be very effective if supported by information disclosure Act. Compact is not
possible unless and until you are backed by some legal backing or Law.
Nepal has adopted this Act even before India. As you build access to information, development
starts though it is slow and rudimentary in the initial period but as it continues, development
increases manifold.RTI of India was developed 8 years back, still in rudimentary state. We
complain to Government officials on generic grounds. We need to be more precise in our action
or what we want rather than being vague.
There are various tools of SA
• Social Audit
• Public Hearing- (Jan sunbai)
• Citizen Report Card
• Community Monitoring of Public Services
Any one or mix of the above tools could be used as per the local needs.
Information in public domain then development is going to take a big turn.
By putting the information in public, Inclusion can be promoted. As a consequence we can
reach out to most needy effectively.
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Group work – Divide in 3 groups
Group discussion
Presentation by the Group
• List out all those information at our institutional level that we put in the public domain?
• What different forums we use for downward accountability?
While we provide information within the community it should be ensured that they are
provided in the format understandable by the community. Full picture needs to be provided
with regards to information.
Social Audit :
Main purpose of “Social Audit” is to create people-centric mechanisms to evaluate whether the
programme has delivered results as envisaged and or not. It is not carried out by agency but by people-
to ensure true democracy, by direct participation of communities.
The key objectives of Social Audit are:
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• To ensure proper implementation of the scheme under audit
• To ensure accountability in implementing the scheme
• To ensure participation of all the stakeholders
• To ensure community participation and help them realize their rights and entitlements
• To identify and resolve gaps and mismanagement
Pre- Social Audit Process- Gram Sabha & public forum needs to be informed in advance.
• Informing and Meeting Officials of City and State Government
• Collection of Basic Data
• Selection of settlements for audit on the basis of the above data
• Selection of a Local Partner
• Meeting and Sensitizing Communities about the process
• Informing Municipal Corporation about the dates of Public Consultation
• Summarizing project documents for a Display for the people
• Quarterly Schedule is drawn up
• Minimum 15 days in advance,
Recording of data by independent person, the agency cannot do its own audit.
Social Audit Process:
• Public Consultation process in the Gram sabha
• Findings read out
• Gaps are explained
Code of Conduct for the Facilitator:
• SA can be conducted by independent people only
• Stay in poor localities
• Accept only vegetarian food and pay for it
• No press meets or press release by social Auditors
• Good conduct towards women
• No alcohol or vices
• No acceptance of hospitality
Social Audit + Service giving agency = Compact
• Mobilization through verification
• Systematization of information MIS – PIS
• Publishing Information
• Verification by people sets the agenda
• Facilitation for empowered people’s participation
• People’s feedback is the basis for corrective action
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• Voices of Vulnerable people
Policy changes can take place through Social Audit. In each case it is mandatory to find out the
FOCUS of the Programme and unravel and monitor the relevant information. So, 3 steps,
identification of required Information, asking that information and verification of information is
very important in the entire process of Social Audit. Relevant people or beneficiaries should be
identified amongst whom the process needs to be carried out with the aid of external
facilitator. Social Audit can bring about immediate policy corrections, change in work style or
policy design.
Public Hearing: Raising awareness is a central role of public hearing. For this strong mass based is necessary.
Public hearing can have long term antagonistic effects. This tool also includes collection and
verification of information but in public hearing service providers are not there. Public hearing
is an igniting tool where people provide testimonies. The victims should speak out themselves.
Giving testimony in public is a big challenge. It is systematically mobilizing people to tell truth,
the main work is of the mobilizers and facilitators. In Jan Sunbai, you are entering the village
with assumptions that the government officials are corrupt, compact is not available, as service
providers are not there, Public Hearing is used extensively to raise awareness but does not
automatically lead to change. No compact is there hence no one is listening to you.
Public Hearing is aggressive and for antagonistic purposes. On the Dias, independent jury
consists or retired judge, and civil society leaders. They give the communication verdict mostly
published by Media. It is an indirect process.
Citizen Report Card: Citizens’ survey methods are where feedback from individual citizens is aggregated to provide
report cards and survey reports on a range of issues. These could pertain to service delivery
assessments, opinion polls, awareness exercises etc.
Survey should include:
• Availability & accessibility (in terms of timeliness and delivery of service to all)
• Quality & Reliability (timeliness)
• What Other problems
• Corruption / Irregularities
• Level of Satisfaction
• Why are you dissatisfied – Reason?
• Any feedback for improvement
Questions are asked from a group of people or focused group discussions could be carried out.
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People are trained to conduct Citizen report card. Focus should be on most vulnerable.
Interface with Community – compact is there. It is encouraging you to do better and also trying
to make community to be part of plan of action. In terms of conducting the survey: Assessment
of situation, Questionnaire is based on people’s feedback, issues of supply, sewerage, drainage,
and find out people who are actively engaged in this process. It should have not open but
closed questions designed after discussion with people. Information needs to be collected in
such a way that comparison can be made between wards / neighbourhoods.
Citizen Report Card: is a time consuming process hence, the common citizens lose interest. It is
a research oriented process that takes 5-6 months to complete. It is expensive and difficult to
institutionalize. On the other hand its positive aspects include that it provides data to service
providers. It is highly urban process that always focuses on specific issue.
Community Monitoring of Basic Services:
It can be used in large Governmental Programmes like Health/ Pension etc.
Various components of CBM:
• Mobilizing people
• Mapping of services
• Indicators from people’s point of view
• People must analyze
• Capacity building
• Community will monitor
• Interface with service provider
• Institutionalize
Mobilization of community: Discuss the quality of service. People must be taught to diagnose
the quality of services
Service Mapping: Done at cluster / hamlet or neighbourhood level. Avoid at city level, try to do
it at Sub Ward or Ward level at the most.
Indicators: Framing indicators for the service one has never experienced or received is very
difficult. Hence exposure visits could be organized for this.
Capacity Building: - women in every village are trained who would lead.
Monitoring by Community: - Community should take responsibility to meet every month.
Symbols can be used as indicators amongst the illiterates.
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Institutionalization- This tool is completely in the hands of the community so even if you
withdraw, they can handle, being exposed to service provider. After being conversant to service
providers on daily basis, the tool can establish accountability. Community Report card is
produced.
Steps are similar:
• People must understand the programme
• Information to people
• Verification – common thinking done differently
• Transfer data into understandable format for the communities
• Making a report which needs to be presented for discussion
• In all cases the service provider is present except in the case of Public hearing
• Action is taken immediately or there is change in policy/ programmes
• Attitude of citizens & service provider is also changed
Most Important: - Data needs to be collected.
Group Exercise: List out the key questions you are going to ask in case of Public Health Programme with
reference to Prenatal /Post Natal health care, Primary health care, Immunization and
institutionalization of Deliveries.
In case of:
1. Awareness about the services:
• If you have to conduct delivery, besides Dai who is the service provider in your area?
• Name of the officials
2. Timing of services:
• At what time the services/ clinics opened? (Working hours) of the PHC
• Does it remain open in this hour?
• Official timing of ANM in the village?
3. Quality of Service
• Does the doctor remain present daily? Last week for how many days was the doctor
present?
• Whether there is a trained professional available to assist delivery?
• Last time when you went to the centre- did you pay for it?
• Do the PHC/ NGO have an ambulance service?
• Last time when you called the ambulance, how much time did it take to reach?
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Pre Social Accountability Report
Questions Average presence of doctor
in a week
Payment for medicines
which is available free
Average waiting
period at the PHC
/sub center
C1 0 (3 Respondents)(Rs 100/-) (3
Respondents)(above
1 hr)
C2 2 (5 Respondents) (Rs 50/-) (5Respondents)(less
than 30 min)
C3 3 (8 Respondents) (Rs 25/-) (7
Respondents)(above
40 min)
C4 2 (1Respondents )(Rs 125/-) (9
Respondents)(more
than 2 hours)
C5 1 (10 Respondents) (Rs 200/-) (1 Respondents)(less
than 10 min)
Share this Pre social Accountability report – display in the community in the presence of the
service provider. The format should be easily understandable by the communities.
Group Exercise: List out the key questions you are going to ask for a Water distribution program (Tender of
overhead tank with pipes to individual houses)
Some of the Questions could be:
• Number of houses provided with 1 water tap= 98/100
• Number of houses who received more than 1 tap=15/100
• How many people left out?
• Why are they left out?
• Is the water supply – functional?
• For how long the water comes?
• What is the source of water from ie where the water is coming into the tank?
• Approved amount, - expenditure,
• Size approved – size constructed
• Size of pipe
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Conclusion.
The workshop concluded with a note from the chair person ADRRN, thanking all the members
for their participation. He emphasized the need of practicing this by the members of the
network to maintain the atmosphere of accountability with all the stakeholders and
communities we work with.
Future Steps: • Members should practice Social Accountability through their projects in their countries.
• Tie up Social Accountability component with the ‘Resilient Cities Campaign’ through a
Local citizen forum
• Conduct more training sessions & workshops with members of their organization
involving other organizations.
• Share reports and feedback on the practices carried out by them incorporating Social
Accountability with the ADRRN Secretariat.
• Revert to ADRRN Secretariat for any further support on the Subject.
Closing session
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Know our resource person:
Binoy Acharya is the Founder Director of UNNATI – Organisation for Development Education. As
a social development practitioner and researcher he has been working in the areas of social
inclusion, democratic local governance and social accountability. Over the past thirty years, he
has been associated with movements, networks and government forums relating to dalit rights,
gender issues and decentralized governance. Currently, he is working in association with the
government in the state of Gujarat to operationalize the social audit system in one of the public
programs on entitlement on wage employment. He has facilitated 32 evaluation and project
appraisal studies, facilitated 20 strategic planning and program planning exercises and provided
support on capacity building to 25 organisations at local, national and international level. He
has been editing an in-house development bulletin named ‘Vichar’ since 1995, published in
Hindi and Gujarati, which has more than 2000 circulation. He also plays a consultative role to a
wide range of institutions locally and internationally, like Dalit Adhikar Abhiyaan in Rahasthan,
Kutch Nab Nirman Abhiyaan and Gender Resource Centre in Gujarat, National Platform for
Decentralized Governance, Members, Working Group, Governance and Democracy program of
the Commonwealth Foundation, and Voluntary Action Network India to mention a few. His
other areas of interest include program and strategic planning, organizational development and
stakeholder participation and interfacing.
He holds an M. Phil degree in Social Sciences from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. He is
currently based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat and work primarily in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
His presence as a facilitator trainer has immensely guided us.
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Meeting on Social Accountability 23-24 December 2013, New Delhi, India Day 1: 23 December 2013
Time Session
9:00 AM – 9:30 AM Registration
9:30 AM – 10:00 AM Welcome and introductions
10:00 AM – 10:15 AM Objectives of the workshop, introduction to session plan
10:15 AM – 10:45 AM An introductory lecture on social accountability
10:45 AM – 11:00 AM Tea break
11:00 AM – 11:45 AM Group discussion on “ how are we accountable to people/stake holders
we work with
11: 45 AM –12:00 Noon Presentation by the groups
12:00 Noon– 12:15 PM Consolidation of the group presentation
12:15 PM – 1:00 PM Process, methods and tools on various instruments of social
accountability –
(a ) Citizen Report Card - A short film
Discussion on –
i. What component/element is being focused.
ii. What are the processes and method used
iii. What are the outcomes.
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Lunch
2:00 PM – 2:45 PM Process, methods and tools on various instruments of social
accountability-
(b) Community Monitoring of basic Services – A short film
Discussion on –
i. what component/element is being focused
ii. What are the process and method used,
iii. What are the outcomes?
2:45 PM – 3:00 PM Tea break
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Day 2: 24 December 2013
Time Session
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM Identification of key elements that need to be put into social
accountability and how those information can be supplied / provided to
people – brief input and open discussion
10:00 AM – 10:15 AM Tea Break
10:15 AM – 12:15 PM Developing step by step process for social accountability in the context of
DRR projects
(preliminary plenary discussion and break in groups and presentation)
12:15 PM – 1:15 PM Institutional framework and operational mechanism for effective social
accountability practices
1:15 PM - 2:15 PM Lunch Break
2:15 PM - 3:30 PM Open discussion
3:30 PM - 3:45 PM Tea Break
3:00 PM – 3:45 PM Process, methods and tools on various instruments of social
accountability.
(c) Public Hearing - A short film
Discussion on –
i. what component/element is being focused
ii. What are the process and method used,
iii What are the outcomes.
3:45 PM – 4:30 PM Process, methods and tools on various instruments of social
accountability
(d) Social Audit - a short film
Discussion on –
i. what component/element is being focused
ii. What are the process and method used,
iii What are the outcomes.
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Resource person : Mr. Binoy Acharya , Director, UNNATI , Organization for Development
Education.
Social Accountability Workshop 23-24 December 2013, New Delhi , India
Name of the participants Organization Country Contact Email
Mr. Nesar Ahmad Coordination of Afghan Relief (CoAR)
Afghanistan +98776675995 CoAR_kbl@yahoo.com
Mr.Mohammad Basheer Baheer
Skills Training And Rehabilitation Society (STARS)
Afghanistan +782399792 Star-kbl@yahoo.com
Mr.Taj Mohammad Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (CHA)
Afghanistan +93766800004 basiry@cha-net.org
Ms.HASHI CHAKMA Dhaka Community Hospital (DCH) - Associate Member
Bangladesh +8801716183116 Hehakmu8@gmail.com
Mr.K.K Tripathy Poorvanchal Gramin Vikas Sansthan (PGVS)
India +919792179433 Kamal_pgvs@yahoo.com
Shalini Jain Sustainable Environement and Ecological Development Society (SEEDS)
India +919868338766 Shalini@seedsindia.org
Deepak Tripathy Sustainable Environement and Ecological Development Society (SEEDS)
India +918802933419 deepak@sedsindia.org
Mr.Binoy Acharay UNNATI - Organisation for Development Education
India +919427109480 binoyacharya@gmail.com
Dr. Nidhi Singh Doctors For You India +918080026090 nids.bds@gmail.com
Ms.AMINATH SALEEM Care Society Maldives +96077793115 aamisaleem@gmail.com
Ms.Bhubaneswari Parajuli National Society for Earthquake Technology (NSET)
Nepal +9779851067886 bparajuli@gmail.com
Ms.SAMIA ARIF Pattan Development Organization
Pakistan +923335694598 sammyaarif@gmail.com
Mr.M.H.M.Hanan Muslim Foundation for Culture and Development (Inc)
Sri Lanka +94777377228 hananhrfs@yahoo.com