1. Voice and Accountability: Tools and
Examples from/for Education
Faisal Bari
Institute of Development and Economic Alternatives
(IDEAS)
Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS)
Advocacy and Innovation Funds for Education in Pakistan

2. DEFINITIONS
• “Transparency is a characteristic of
governments, companies, organizations and individuals of
being open in the clear disclosure of information
rules, plans, processes and actions” (Transparency
International 2009).
• “Accountability refers to the process of holding actors
responsible for their actions. It is the concept that
individuals, agencies and organizations (public, private and
civil society) are held responsible for executing their powers
according to a certain standard” (Tisne 2010).
• Ideally, transparency produces accountability.
Advocacy and Innovation Funds for Education in Pakistan

3. SOCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY
• Bottom-up, citizens led initiatives.
• “Social accountability can be defined as an
approach towards building accountability that
relies on civic engagement, i.e. in which it is
ordinary citizens and/or civil society
organizations who participate directly or
indirectly in exacting accountability” (Malena
et al 2004)
• Demand driven, can be supported by the
state.
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4. BROADER IMPACTS OF
TRANSPARENCY AND
ACCOUNTABILITY INITIATIVES
• Social accountability improves the quality
of governance.
• Social accountability contributes to
increased development effectiveness.
• Social accountability can lead to
empowerment.
• Transparency as a goal in and of
itself, e.g. RTI.
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5. RIGHT TO INFORMATION
• Almost a prerequisite for any social accountability….
• Current situation  The present RTI legislation is inadequate and
does not provide a proper, time bound mechanism for providing
information. Inadequate apellate procedures to correct the errors on
appeal. Therefore, RTI mechanisms not being used by
journalists, lawyers and civil society activists.
• But law has recently been passed by KP. And Punjab is also working
on the issue
• How do we make for effective implementation of the law
• Applications under the law
• Setting of precedents
• Strategic litigation
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6. Tools: Public Hearings
• Public hearing…people plus providers…
• Information sharing
• Transparency and accountability
• Improvements in quality
• Motivates citizens
• Participation in decision making
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7. Tools: Community Scorecards
• Observe service provision…from effectiveness
perspective
• Keep records of deviations…with the aim to
effect improvements
• Develop consensus around improvements
• Work plans based the consensus…and cycle
continues
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8. Citizen Charters
• Specifying Citizen rights. Getting citizens
aware of their rights
• Specifying/clarifying citizens expectations and
ability of state to providing services
• Developing capacity of service providers to
deliver
• Major challenges in this approach…but when
it succeeds…it succeeds well
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9. BUDGET TRANSPARENCY
• Open budget systems can enhance the credibility of policy
choices, increase the effectiveness of policy interventions, limit
corrupt and wasteful spending.
• Current situation  in Pakistan budgets lack transparency and
equity and there is no public debate regarding this issue.
• Theory of change  Through the active involvement of CS in
monitoring and analysing public budgets and generating a public
debate around budget allocations, more open, participatory and
accountable public financing that is responsive to the needs to
citizens can be achieved.
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10. MEDIA & TRANSPARENCY
• Supporting the use of new
technologies/media to promote
transparency and accountability.
• Facilitating citizens to use technology in
order to disseminate information to push
for policy and systemic changes.
• Initiatives such as I Paid a
Bribe, Ushahidi, Global Voices.
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11. Citizen Report Card
• People’s perceptions about quality of a
particular service
• Identify issue, raise awareness, prepare draft
questionnaire to collect data, conduct
survey, analyze quality and citizen
satisfaction, report findings, and then present
report in public meeting
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12. Social Audit
• Social Audits to improve accountability of
departments that implement social
development schemes
• How has government spent the money, how
can it be made more effective
• (Almost the same steps as citizen report cards)
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13. Other tools
• Participatory planning
• Duty roster (chart in office outlining
duties, times)
• Complaint/suggestion box…with follow up
• Policy analysis
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