Scorecards as a tool to strengthen Accountability: an example from the health sector

Lead organisation:

HLF4 KNOWLEDGE AND INNOVATION SPACE

Background• International Health Partnership (IHP+) seeks to achieve

better health results through implementing Paris Declaration principles in the health sector.

• IHP+ focuses on supporting Development Partners and developing countries to work together to implement national health plans and use country systems.

• IHP+ places strong emphasis on accountability through an annual independent assessment of progress called IHP+Results.

• Mutual accountability is one of the Paris Declaration principles that is most off-track.

• Limited focus on aid effectiveness at the sector level (through OECD) led to a lack of agreed indicators and data to use as the basis for accountability dialogue.

• As a result there is limited sector-level data on aid effectiveness implementation – which limits civil society’s ability to hold partners to account.

• IHP+Results’ implements an agreed monitoring framework, with agreed measures based on the Paris Declaration indicators, which uses Scorecards to strengthen mutual accountability.

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Objectives and InnovationObjectives• Monitor the implementation of IHP+ commitments,

and report on progress. • Make information accessible to enable dialogue and

stronger mutual accountability.

Innovation• Scorecards rate progress against the commitments using a set

of agreed Standard Performance Measures (12 for DPs, 10 for governments) and a simple rating system

• Scorecards enable complex information (in total over 5,000 data points went into 25 scorecards) to be presented simply, making it accessible to all and to widen engagement.

• Interactive online versions provide access to data, including results shown by country and by partner.

• Encourages signatories to translate political-level commitments into actions (which are not always clearly articulated), and results.

• Facilitates accountability - signatories communicate their actions to their stakeholders, promoting transparency and participation.

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Results & Applicability• Agreed framework and Scorecard approach

enabled the first systematic review of health sector aid effectiveness.

• Feasibility of collecting and reporting sector-level data on aid effectiveness has been demonstrated.

• Growing momentum for mutual accountability as highlighted in the virtuous circle to the right (increased participation: 9 (2009) to 25 (2010).

• Generated debate both within development partner agencies and at country level (e.g. in Mozambique and Nigeria).

• Scorecards can be applied in other contexts, wherever commitments have been made, where there is an interest in reviewing performance for accountability and learning: e.g. education and climate change.

• Re-Action is currently developing a Scorecard approach to monitor efforts to increase access to medicines in the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

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HLF4 KNOWLEDGE AND INNOVATION SPACE