Key challenges in mutual accountability - citizens and csos imperative in accountability

1. Key challenges in mutual accountability - citizens and csos imperative in accountability Antonio Tujan Jr.

2. Addressing important aspects at the heart of mutual accountability • Significant role of the DCF in addressing issue in a balanced, inclusive manner • Paper able to cover key elements and gaps in general on the issue of MA focusing on global and regional MA mechanisms and national mutual accountability as the major areas of importance where we must address inadequacies of current practice of MA • Rightly point out severe gaps in concept and practice in MA in relation to other actors besides executive and external provider

3. Analytical concerns to strengthen accountability • Move beyond aid to development cooperation as an overarching framework of inclusive partnerships of multiple development actors • Frame aid effectiveness under or within development effectiveness with focus on development results and address development resources secondarily • Accountability as a broad and crucial principle and concern of development effectiveness as a whole and aid effectiveness in particular

4. Global and Regional MA Mechanisms • Importance of international mechanisms for MA • Focus of discussion is on M & E as foundation for accountability • Generally ad hoc, several cso monitoring • Strengthen inclusive monitoring mechanisms • Absence of regular multilateral mechanisms or windows to receive programme country concerns and improve division of labor • Aid allocation and express needs • Submit complaints or settle disagreements from executive on contractual issues • Submit complaints from stakeholders such as CSOs on development results • Best developed as global network of regional bodies which can address concerns more inclusively at every level as appropriate

5. National Accountability mechanisms • Correctly noted imbalance in holding the country rather than provider accountable in country frameworks • Important to look into accountability processes within government especially role of parliaments in approval and oversight and role of local governments not only in implementation but also in M&E and oversight • Domestic accountability for development results needs to be investigated further • Legal and institutional mechanisms for parliamentary approval • Mechanisms for holding authorities to account • Weak cso engagement • Weak role of media • Participatory and responsive accountability mechanisms • by executive • Role of parliament • Role of local government • By external partners/providers

6. Capacity development and participation of key actors and institutions • Organized role of civil society in catalyzing aid and development effectiveness implementation – global Reality of Aid program (with Betteraid support) to develop regional and country CSO platforms and dialogue spaces and participation in mutual accountability mechanisms (AAA country implementation program) • Enhanced parliamentary oversight functions including public consultative processes • Develop role of local media for transparency of development finance and programs, public awareness of development effectiveness issues, improved oversight mechanisms • Role of bilateral exchanges to ground Northern stakeholder actions as well as support Southern stakeholder capacity and actions • Coordination of capacity development efforts and recommendations

7. Accountability and Development Effectiveness • Accountability is crucial principle and element of development effectiveness • Other pertinent principles - empowerment and participatory governance; gender justice in process and results accountability • Transparency as an element and implementation of participatory governance methods; need for full transparency including contracts and policy conditionality and impact evaluation • Proactive approach to accountability – role of citizens and local organizations in program design and approval processes and the role of various governmental bodes, civil society and other actors (ex. Social acceptability clause in EIA)

8. CSO development effectiveness and accountability • CSOs as development actors in their own right • Substantial aid volumes, role in empowerment, democracy and as watchdogs • CSOs accountability measured by their development effectiveness to constituencies, society at large, government and donors • CSOs are expression of right to association, are private voluntary actors in the public interest – require their own appropriate principles and mechanisms of development effectiveness and accountability

9. Open Forum for CSO Development Effectiveness • AAA paragraph 20b recognizes CSO led multistakeholder process to develop CSO development effectiveness principles and mechanisms • Open Forum as a CSO led global process to develop set of principles and framework of development effectiveness accountability mechanisms for implementation at country level • And - Identify minimum standards for enabling environment for effective operation of CSOs as development actors – AAA para 20c

10. CSO Dev Effectiveness process2008 - 2011 Working Party Eff Open Forum Work Stream on CSO Dev Eff and Enabling Environment 3 global assemblies 5 global thematic consultations Structured multistakeholder consultations at various levels 50 country consultations

11. Challenges and risks in CSO development effectiveness and acountability process • Developing inclusive cso processes and effective engagement with executive and parliamentary processes at country level • Developing representative international multistakeholder processes for validation of country and global results • Developing effective global processes including HLF IV and DCF/UN processes for validating and endorsing • CSO development effectiveness principles and framework for implementation of accoutability mechanisms • Guidelines for minimum standards for enabling environment for CSOs at country level

12. Challenges for the DCF in MA • Endorse recommendations in the paper • Objective to develop equitable multilateral framework for mutual accountability where program countries stakeholders concerns fully taken into account • WP EFF must work with towards strengthening DCF role in establishing and managing international mechanisms for MA for various stakeholders and actors