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Accountability Framework for CSOs in Commonwealth countries
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What is CSO accountability?
Accountability is a malleable concept. It can mean different things to different people and defies universal definition. This is made even more complicated by the fact that accountability does not really translate into most languages beyond ‘accounting’ in a financial sense. But isn’t accountability much more that accounting for how money has been spent? CSOs impact and engage with a number different stakeholders in their day-to-day activities, isn’t accountability also about being responsive to them?
In this part of the discussion, we’d like you to engage with the question: What does it mean for a CSO to be accountable and to whom should CSOs give an account and be held to account by?
Moderators: robert.lloyd, Deepti Sastry
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Why should CSOs be accountable?
Over the past decades CSOs have taken on more prominent roles both in the delivery of services, and in influencing policy. Does this new role demand new responsibilities? Does the growing influence of CSOs require greater accountability and if so, who is responsible for ensuring that CSOs are accountable - members, donors, governments, CSOs themselves?
In this part of the discussion, we’d like you to engage with the question: Why should CSOs be accountable and where should the responsibility for accountability lie?
Moderators: robert.lloyd, Deepti Sastry
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How do CSO practice accountability?
Given the diversity of organisations that exists within civil society there are inevitably multiple solutions to common challenges. This is no different when it comes to accountability. Depending on the size of the CSO, its area of work, its human and financial capacity etc. how accountability is practiced will vary. For example to ensure transparency in a large NGO might require the development of a formal policy on what information should be made available to whom and when. In a small community based organisation on the other hand, transparency might be achieved by simply posting key information about the organisation on community information boards and in local newspapers. Similarly, stakeholder participation might take the form of formalised stakeholder panels in one organisation and daily, informal meetings with beneficiaries in another.
In this part of the discussion we’d like to focus on the issue of: how your organisation practice accountability and where does it experience challenges. To get the discussion started here are some questions you might want to reflect on:
• How does your organisation ensure it is open and transparent?
• How does your organisation ensure stakeholders (communities, the public etc.) are able to input in the decisions that affect them?
• How does your organisation track progress against targets, measure achievements and identify areas for improvement?
• How does your organisation ensure there is a clear division of responsibilities between the board and staff
• How does your organisation prevent the possibility of potential or real conflicts of interests?
• Where does your organisation feel it needs the most support in strengthening accountability?
Please don’t feel confined to these questions; these are just to get you thinking about how your organisation might be practicing different aspects of accountability. Feel free to add to this list.
Moderators: robert.lloyd, Deepti Sastry
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