Ethics - Social Accountability

 Ethics - Social Accountability:

Rajasthan government has started the process for bringing the legislation on social accountability.

Social Accountability in public service delivery is defined as an approach towards ensuring accountability that relies on civic engagement. It is a product of 2 things working together: a system of institutions that makes accountability structurally possible and an informed & mobilized citizenry that can draw upon platforms of engagement to make accountability demands from the system. It can ensure increased development effectiveness, improved governance and empowerment. 

The need for the state to be accountable to its citizens stems out of the ‘social contract’ that the citizens share with the state. In a democracy, this contract is operationalised when citizens elect a government and invest the elected representatives with the power to govern them. 

External accountability (accountability directly to the citizens) like periodic elections, citizen consultations & participation in design, implementation & monitoring of state’s services. 

Internal accountability - separation of powers, rational delegation of tasks & responsibilities, internal performance monitoring, and official oversight through bodies like Auditor General, Anti-Corruption Bureaus and Vigilance Commissions. 

Objectives: Ensure transparency - free flow of information, Monitor programs & policies - through community score cards, citizens report card, expenditure tracking & social audits, Seek accountability of public functionaries and authorities for timely delivery of goods & services as per citizens’ entitlements and job charts of the functionaries, Setup a well-structured feedback & grievance redress mechanism, starting from the Village Panchayats, Enable public hearings in delivery system with widest possible scope.

Challenges: Resistance to reform, risk of collusion and co-option (Bureaucracy withholding data or providing inadequate information, Collusion between NGOs & govt agencies), inadequate infrastructure, Involvement of multiple stakeholders. 

Way Forward: 

Making Social Accountability mandatory in policy design  - The Right of Citizens for Time Bound Delivery of Goods and Services and Redressal of their Grievances Bill, 2011 should be taken up for the consideration immediately.

Developing and monitoring norms and guidelines on Social Accountability initiatives

Strengthening section 4 of the RTI - that mandates proactive disclosure of information, through rankings and making funds contingent on compliance. CAG can take up auditing of compliance on Section 4 as a part of its regular financial audit of the departments. 

Training people and community based organisations (CBOs) about the process of social audits.

Every public authority must appoint a Grievance Redressal Officers (GRO) along with creation of National Social Accountability Commission, as an apex grievance redressal body. 

Every public authority engaged in delivery of public services must publish and adhere to citizens’ charter.

"Citizens Charter" is a document declaring: entitlements of citizens to a specific service, standards of service & time limits, conditions to be met by users, remedy available to the latter in case of non-compliance, functions, obligations, duties & commitments of a public authority for providing goods & services effectively & efficiently, specific designation of public servants for delivery & grievance redressal.