PREM Notes

176 items available

Permanent URI for this collection

http://hdl.handle.net/10986/9424
This note series is intended to summarize good practices and key policy findings on poverty reduction and economic management (PREM) topics.
Subject: TRANSPARENCY × Region: South Asia ×

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    Use of Social Accountability Tools and Information Technologies in Monitoring and Evaluation
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2011-02) Sharma, Rajiv
    This note attempts to cover the basic concepts relating to the use of social accountability and information technology to monitor and evaluate public services and other governance processes that affect citizens. With the help of simple though practical examples that use these concepts, the note explains how to bring a qualitative change in monitoring and evaluation by making the whole process more citizen centered and outcome oriented. In turn, these practices can help improve the quality of service delivery. The note also covers a few country-specific initiatives from India to support the related arguments.
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    Community User Groups : Vehicles for Collective Action - or Personal Gain?
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2002-07) Aslop, Ruth ; Forusz, Samantha
    A study of three user groups in India suggests that such groups rarely perform as expected. The note is based on such study, which comprised the performance of 100 community user groups, involved in the collective management of natural resources in three Bank-supported projects in the country. Two aspects of performance were evaluated: groups achievement, and group functioning. Among the issues analyzed were member perceptions of group's achievement of formal, and member objectives, participation in different group activities, realization of benefits, group transparency, and, internal accountability. Despite the hierarchical, social context, distribution of benefits was not biased toward any social, or economic group. However, women played almost no role in group affairs - regardless of their caste or class. In all three cases, members knew very little about group governance, and, regardless of awareness, accountability mechanisms were rarely - if ever - applied. The note emphasizes that low transparency can destroy a group's ability to promote cooperation, and collective action, while project designers, and implementers need to better understand member objectives, be more pragmatic with expectations of local organizations, and functions, and, be more realistic about accomplishments given the resource management available vs. required.
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    Mobilizing Civil Society to Fight Corruption in Bangladesh
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 1999-10) Landell-Mills, Pierre
    A successful anti-corruption strategy must have a free press to voice public opinion and report cases of corruption, an effective and politically neutral mechanism to investigate and prosecute corruption, and a reliable judicial process to punish wrongdoing when it is proved. It is rare to find all these elements in a developing country. without considerable public pressure, governments are unlikely to foster the transparency and accountability needed to curb malfeasance by public officials. Consequently there is a major role for civil society organizations to campaign for such reforms. This is the mission of the national chapters of Transparency International. This Note discusses the crucial role played by the Bangladesh chapter of Transparency International in pressing for the implementation of corruption reform, publicizing well-researched facts about corruption, and lobbying for additional measures.