The Political Economy of Social Accountability in Nepal
The World Bank has introduced a new Program for Accountability in Nepal (PRAN) to enhance the capacities of civil society and government actors to utilize social accountability approaches and tools. This political economy study seeks to inform the...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2014
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2011/01/18844552/political-economy-social-accountability-nepal http://hdl.handle.net/10986/17661 |
| Summary: | The World Bank has introduced a new
Program for Accountability in Nepal (PRAN) to enhance the
capacities of civil society and government actors to utilize
social accountability approaches and tools. This political
economy study seeks to inform the PRAN by identifying the
strengths and opportunities as well as risks and obstacles
for social accountability initiatives in Nepal. It includes
recommendations for managing and addressing these issues.
The study is based on primary and secondary research
conducted from September 2010 to February 2011. The research
methodology utilized for this study was three-fold. First, a
literature review was undertaken including in-country laws,
policies and regulations, as well as a range of studies and
articles on issues of relevance to social accountability in
Nepal. A bibliography of these materials is attached as
annex one. Second, semi-structured interviews were conducted
with key civil society leaders, non-governmental
organization (NGO) staff, journalists, academics, government
officials, and citizens. A list of people interviewed and
guiding questions are attached as annex two. Third, the
research team made field visits to the eastern and western
regions of the country to observe social accountability
initiatives and interview local stakeholders. In total 75
people were interviewed, including 12 civil society leaders.
Focus group discussions with citizens were also conducted in
Ilam, Dhankuta, Itahari, and Palpa. The first section of the
paper provides a brief historical overview of political
development in Nepal, and highlights how these historical
legacies influence current day citizen-state relations and
accountability relationships. Section two analyzes the
legislative and institutional framework for social
accountability in Nepal. The third section of the paper
analyzes a range of contextual factors influencing social
accountability in Nepal. Section four identifies citizen
information, citizen voice, and collective action as three
key elements of social accountability in Nepal, and
discusses current strengths and weaknesses with regard to
each of them. Section five of the paper looks at each one of
the PRAN's three focal areas - public financial
management, municipal governance, and community-based
monitoring and evaluation of public services. Finally,
section six outlines conclusions and recommendations for
promoting social accountability in Nepal. |
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