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Social Audits - Experience of Andhra Pradesh, India. What is a Social Audit?. Participatory process through which community members monitor the implementation of government programs and projects in their community Social audit complements financial audit.
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What is a Social Audit? • Participatory process through which community members monitor the implementation of government programs and projects in their community • Social audit complements financial audit. • Auditing quality, performance, and choices strengthens financial audit
Social Audit by the people • citizens’ vigilance + governance • transparency + accountability • democratic practice + democratic institutions
Social and Financial Audit • FA = Was the money spent correctly? • SA = Did the spending make a difference? • Social Audit: • Assesses performance and unpacks decisions • Complements financial audit SA + FA = True Picture
The Imperatives of the Process • Full access to all information prior to social audit, with enough time for assimilation and verification • Obligation on officials to be present and answer queries • The outcomes must have legally sanctioned implications. • Creating an enabling atmosphere
Case Study of Social Audits of the MGNREGS in Andhra Pradesh - India • 6 rounds of Social Audits – 21,000 GPs • Misappropriation identified : Rs. 141.11Cr (INR) • Total Amount Recovered : Rs. 24 Cr • Staff implicated in cases: 49,194 • Staff removed based on the SA findings :5220 • Staff suspended : 1230 • FIR’s filed : 163 • Punishment Imposed : 13,579
How did the State achieve this? • Began Social Audits through a small unit -SPIU-RD • The SPIU-RD wound up in 2009 – SSAAT established in May 2009 • 0.5% of the MGNREGS budget set aside for SA • In a span of 6 years -Human Resource base built up • State Resource Persons => 100 • District Resource Persons => 1000 • Village Social Auditors => 70,000 Scaled up to all 22 Districts of the entire State
Mobilizing Political will • Political will was mobilized by top level bureaucracy • The Chief Minister (Premier of the State) directly monitored the progress • Logic given: • Distancing of Govt from corrupt practices is good politics • Can win elections • Chance to interact with large number of people • Publicity for welfare programme • Borne out in the 2009 state elections
Administrative will Complete backing by the top level officials • SSAAT as independent unit outside the main stream • Combination of written instructions and a constant sensitization, • Efforts to bring in the various stake holders • Constant bridge building between administration and civil society activists
Systematization Rules for conduct of Social Audit (2009) • passed through the State Legislative Assembly • govern the response of the administration to social audit • Making all the records accessible • Presence of officials was made mandatory for all public hearings post the social audit • Use of relevant laws for immediate corrective action
Way forward • Synergy with the Auditor General’s Office in the State • Consolidate where already under social audit • MGNREGS (Employment Programme) • Social Security Pensions • Water Preservation Programmes • Rural Housing for the poor • Food Security Programme • Bring all development projects and programmes under Social Audit • Constantly train & spread technique to other departments to do social audit on their own