Project profile

Implementation of Social Accountability Framework – ISAF

The social accountability framework aims to reduce poverty through democratic, inclusive and equitable local governance and more accessible and equitable public service delivery. CARE works with local Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) to improve their ability to use this framework to improve local governance in the areas in which they work.

In Cambodia, CARE has been working on governance and social accountability in poor and marginalised communities for over 10 years, including implementing CARE’s signature community scorecard to improve people’s ability to provide feedback on their local health services. The ISAF project represents an expansion of this expertise to encompass additional services with a wider geographical reach. It aims to enhance the performance, responsiveness and accountability of local government and service providers (specifically communes, health centres and primary schools) in selected districts through improved access to local information, open budgets and citizen-led monitoring, with a specific focus on the engagement and impacts for women, youth, and ethnic minorities.

This work contributes to the EU’s agreement with the Sub-National Democratic Development (SNDD) reform body by enhancing demand side social accountability and supporting civil society to promote citizen-led monitoring of government performance at the sub-national level.

Objective

To reduce poverty through democratic, inclusive and equitable local governance and more accessible and equitable public service delivery.

Key activities

Project activities include:

•  Build capacity of local NGOs and CBOs on facilitation skills, women, youth & ethnic     minority empowerment under the ISAF process.

•  Produce, and build capacity on use of Information for Citizens packs (I4C),

•  Enhance budget literacy.

•  Build monitoring capacity of citizens on use of community score cards,

•  Create Joint Accountability Action Plans (JAAP) including planning for collective action.

•  Monitor the implementation of Joint Accountability Action Plans.

•  Conduct outreach to local officials and service providers.

•  Conduct awareness raising on citizen monitoring

•  Select, train and mentor Community Accountability Facilitators.

•  Formulate learning strategy & action plan and conduct studies.

•  Organise learning fora and establish feedback and policy revision processes.

•  Undertake monitoring and evaluation and discuss in bi-annual policy review.