Paris

Strengthening Public Accountability: Andhra Pradesh

Public discourse in India has been dominated by a heated debate on how to address the endemic corruption in India’s public institutions. The agitation for the Lok Pal bill and the ensuing discussions has brought the role of anti-corruption institutions and accountability mechanisms to the heart of this debate. As potential solutions begin to emerge, … Continue reading "Strengthening Public Accountability: Andhra Pradesh"

Paris

Unpacking Transparency and Accountability Measures

In 2008, Kaluram Salvi, Sarpanch of Vijaypura Gram Panchayat, Rajsamand district Rajasthan, implemented a unique experiment aimed at strengthening transparency in the implementation of the  Mahatama Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). He created a ‘Janta Information System (JIS) by painting crucial information related to implementation of MGNREGA on the walls of the Gram Panchayat … Continue reading "Unpacking Transparency and Accountability Measures"

Paris

Disclosure Legislation to Improve Water and Sanitation

Requiring Indian Utilities to Report: Harnessing disclosure legislation to improve water and sanitation services By contrasting the reporting requirements of the Indian water and sanitation utilities with other international experiences, this paper calls attention to the information vacuum that pervades urban WatSan uitility sector in India. The lack of benchmarking of key performance and service … Continue reading "Disclosure Legislation to Improve Water and Sanitation"

Paris

Fostering Participation and Accountability

Through a literature review of key academic work on decentralization, this policy brief examines the effectiveness of rural decentralization in promoting inclusive, participatory and accountable governance.

Paris

Institutionalising Social Accountability

Social accountability mechanisms can contribute to improved governance, increased development effectiveness through better service delivery, and citizen empowerment. However, critical to the success of social accountability initiatives is civil society and state capacities, and the synergy between the two.  Ultimately, the effectiveness and sustainability of social accountability mechanisms is improved when they are ‘institutionalized’. This … Continue reading "Institutionalising Social Accountability"