Enabling Environment for Social Accountability in ... - SASANet

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development initiatives become more responsive to socioeconomic problems such as poverty reduction, while strengthening democratic institutions and political legitimacy. 49 International precedents and norms establish the right of citizens to participate in their own governance. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights refers specifically to the right of each citizen to “take part in the government of his country,” without delineating the form of participation beyond the electoral process. The United Nations Declaration on the Right to Development broadly recognizes the “inalienable human right” of each citizen “to participate in, contribute to and enjoy economic, social, cultural and political development, in which all human rights and fundamental freedoms can be fully realized” (UN General Assembly Res. 41/128, December 4, 1986). Once again, the precise mechanisms are to be worked out according to the customs and conditions of each individual country. Mongolia’s legal code contains provisions for CSO and citizen participation in governance and development. However, CSOs generally consider these formal mechanisms for negotiation to be inadequate, relying on other informal opportunities to negotiate with public officials. Moreover, CSOs frequently collaborate with public officials and international donors or act on their own to initiate forums that encourage negotiation and promote social accountability. 3.4.1 Provisions and Opportunities for Negotiation More than 65 percent of the respondents to the CSO Survey participated in a public hearing or meeting with public officials on a regular basis (at least one a month), while 34 percent participated in more selective state commissions and advisory committees. More than a third of CSO leaders also stated that they regularly engage in advocacy for changes in public policy or legislation (see annex 6, Question H). Moreover, the vast majority of respondents believe that these activities influence the performance of public officials at least some of the time, with a significant percentage (35-60 percent) believing that they do so often, if not always (see figure 3.4.1). Figure 3.4.1 Likelihood that Negotiation Activities Will Result in Changes in Policy, Legislation, or Conduct of Officials (percent) 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Always Often Sometimes Seldom Never Don't Know Advocacy 21% 39% 25% 4% 1% 9% Hearings 17% 23% 37% 13% 1% 8% Committees 8% 27% 36% 9% 3% 18% Source: CSO Survey (Annex 6, Question I). 49 Mechanisms for negotiation also entail opportunities for civil society actors to Voice their opinions and concerns, and potentially to gain Information from public officials while providing it as well. The overlap is evident in references to Negotiation in the two previous sections. 39
Nevertheless, while more than 40 percent of the respondents indicated that opportunities to influence public policy and legislation by negotiating with public officials were at least somewhat sufficient, nearly a third stated that they are insufficient. Another 14 percent went so far as to declare that there were no opportunities for negotiation, undoubtedly reflecting their own inability to negotiate with public officials (see figure 3.4.2). Figure 3.4.2 Ability of CSOs to Negotiate with Public Officials Don't Know, 2% Missing, 10% Sufficient, 7% No Opportunity, 14% Somewhat, 35% Insufficient, 31% Source: CSO Survey (Annex 6, Question N). One might assume intuitively that negotiation between citizens and public officials at the local level would be greater, due to the greater accessibility of local officials and their more direct accountability to local constituents. Indeed, this is the underlying assumption of decentralization initiatives among international development agencies and donors. In fact, respondents to the CSO Survey found local officials to be only slightly more receptive to their social accountability-related activities than were national officials, with 48 percent of respondents indicating that local officials are at least somewhat receptive to social accountability initiatives by CSOs, as opposed to 45 percent for national officials (annex 6, Question K). There is, however, a great deal of potential for local-level social accountability initiatives, including the use of Community Scorecards (CSCs) in the World Bank-sponsored Sustainable Livelihoods Project (SLP) (Finding 3.4.1). Donors, governments, CSOs, and service delivery agencies all over the world are increasingly using community scorecards and citizen report cards for stakeholders to evaluate the quality of services and negotiate desired changes. In Mongolia, however, the CSCs will become an effective mechanism for negotiation only if there is greater GoM ownership and closer CSO involvement (see box 3.4.1).
Page 2 and 3: Report No. 32584-MN The Enabling En
Page 4 and 5: Table of Contents Acronyms ........
Page 6 and 7: Boxes: Box 2.1.1 Proposed Changes t
Page 8 and 9: Preface This study on “The Enabli
Page 10 and 11: of civic engagement, namely, the ab
Page 12 and 13: Part I. Introduction 1.1 DEFINITION
Page 14 and 15: further and recognizes other types
Page 16 and 17: as resources. 13 The quantitative c
Page 18 and 19: parliamentary elections demonstrate
Page 20 and 21: As figure 2.1.2 clearly illustrates
Page 22 and 23: The Constitution also guarantees th
Page 24 and 25: ise of mass pro-democracy movements
Page 26 and 27: preferences of funders. This has le
Page 28 and 29: Recommendations: 1) The Ministry of
Page 30 and 31: PART III - Assessment of the Enabli
Page 32 and 33: and operations, or demand elections
Page 34 and 35: conferences and workshops, to more
Page 36 and 37: Capacity Building Program,” indep
Page 38 and 39: Efforts to transform the state broa
Page 40 and 41: 2) Given the culture and norms that
Page 42 and 43: Figure 3.3.1 Frequency of CSO Reque
Page 44 and 45: Box 3.3.1 Women for Social Progress
Page 46 and 47: These bureaucratic delays highlight
Page 48 and 49: Other ways for CSOs to generate alt
Page 52 and 53: Box 3.4.1 The Community Scorecard:
Page 54 and 55: Negotiation also ensures that legis
Page 56 and 57: Although the Environmental Impact A
Page 58 and 59: Part IV—Conclusion This study on
Page 60 and 61: 4.2 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND RECOMME
Page 72 and 73: Currently, the NCAV works in six se
Page 74 and 75: Mongolian Federation of Senior Citi
Page 76 and 77: are reluctant to assume full respon
Page 78 and 79: FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: NATIO
Page 80 and 81: WSP-UV’s coordinator remains in c
Page 82 and 83: program officer, the methodology us
Page 84 and 85: critical role in promoting social a
Page 86 and 87: Annex 3: Social Accountability and
Page 88 and 89: khural chairs who served on the ORM
Page 90 and 91: is inadequate. Part of the problem
Page 92 and 93: plans, but there was no follow-up a
Page 94 and 95: Recommendation: Effective CSO colla
Page 96 and 97: wide mandate to manage and monitor
Page 98 and 99: Ulaanbaatar, asking them to identif
Page 100 and 101:
Moreover, after a World Bank Superv
Page 102 and 103:
Annex 5. Mongolian Media: Overview
Page 104 and 105:
they would be unlikely to do so. CR
Page 106 and 107:
discussion below), the director of
Page 108 and 109:
Social and cultural considerations
Page 110 and 111:
Findings and Recommendations: Mongo
Page 112 and 113:
Annex 6. Survey of Civil Society Or
Page 114 and 115:
How frequently has your organizatio
Page 116 and 117:
Computer 95% up to 40 computers, 21
Page 118 and 119:
No response 1% BB1. If you have req
Page 120 and 121:
KK. Over the last year, how frequen
Page 122 and 123:
C. What are the most important soci
Page 124 and 125:
L. How much influence do citizens h
Page 126 and 127:
U. Are most civil society organizat
Page 128 and 129:
Annex 8. Stakeholders’ Map CSO NA
Page 130 and 131:
CSO NAME Gandan Monastery Gandantse
Page 132 and 133:
CSO NAME Liberal Women’s Brain Po
Page 134 and 135:
CSO NAME Mongolian Information Netw
Page 136 and 137:
CSO NAME Ongi River Movement (ORM)
Page 138 and 139:
CSO NAME Press Institute Red Cross
Page 140 and 141:
CSO NAME Women For Social Progress,
Page 142 and 143:
AFFILIATION State Great Khural (Par
Page 144 and 145:
AFFILIATION Mineral Resource and Pe
Page 146 and 147:
AFFILIATION National Legal Center (
Page 148 and 149:
AFFILIATION Mongolian Radio and TV
Page 150 and 151:
AFFILIATION UNDP UNICEF CONTACT ANN
Page 152 and 153:
AFFILIATION Mercy Corps CONTACT ANN
Page 154 and 155:
Bibliography Ackerman, John M. 2004
Page 156 and 157:
Finch, Christopher. 2002. “Mongol
Page 158 and 159:
---. 2004. Rural Government Procure
Page 160 and 161:
National University of Mongolia. 20
Page 162 and 163:
UNDP. 2001. A Strategy for Poverty
Page 164:
Zorig Foundation. 2004. “Monitori
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