SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT | www.worldbank.org/socialdevelopment
Listening to the Voices of CitizensCitizen Feedback through ICT Tools
Smart Rwanda DaysKigali, Rwanda, June 17, 2013
Saki Kumagai
The most common form of citizen voice = Voting
What is Citizen Feedback/ Voice?
But citizen feedback/ voice goes beyond voting!
State
Service Providers/AgenciesFormal
Social Intermediaries
Citizens/Clients
Willingness & Capacity to Respond and Account (political, socio-cultural, legal, and economic factors)
Willingness & Capacity to Demand (political, socio-cultural, legal, and economic factors)
Compact
Client Power
Informal Social
Intermediaries
Politicians/Policymakers
Independent Accountability
Agencies
Voice
The Long Story
Citizen feedback is for…
Constructive partnership between government/ service providers and citizens for more effective service delivery and development as well as for good governance
The Short Story
And Through Constructive Partnership…
Citizen Feedback/
Voice
Views/ Suggestions
Monitoring
Satisfaction
Grievances/ Complaints
Citizen Feedback/ Voice Can Be…
ICTs
ICT-enabled Citizen Feedback/ Voices
Potentials
Distance and Space Time Communication Cost Individual Citizen Voices The Last Mile
But…
ICT-enabled communication lines
Citizen Feedback/ Voices
More effective service delivery and Development
Good Governance
Trust Building
The Bottom LineWhy collect citizen feedback and what to do with it
Information to Citizens and
Service Users
Citizen Feedback/ Voices
Response
Redress
First, citizens need to know of your communication channels and what to expect Willingness to listen will be tested – Close the Accountability Loop = KEY to sustainable and trust-based government-citizen relationship