Piloting social accountability tools 

The Protection of Basic Services (PBS) project is piloting ways to promote social accountability in Ethiopia. Component four of the project, dubbed the Ethiopian Social Accountability Project, supports 12 civil society organizations and 27 partnering organizations with both funding and capacity building for social accountability pilot projects in around 100 woredas across the country.

These pilot projects focus on the delivery of basic services, giving voice to needs and concerns of the poor regarding their access to water & sanitation, health, education, and agricultural extension. Through civil society organizations, the Ethiopian Social Accountability Project is developing the dialogue between ordinary citizens, government bodies and public service providers.

What is social accountability?

Social accountability is a principle of good governance. It aims to bring government bodies, public service providers, civil society organizations and interested citizens together around a common vision of effective service delivery, and improved transparency and accountability. Social accountability involves a broad range of actions and activities to build this engagement, such as participatory budgeting, monitoring of public service delivery, citizens’ report cards, to name a few.