Enabling Environment for Social Accountability in ... - SASANet

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Although the Environmental Impact Assessment Law exists, environmental NGOs stress that there is lack of both capacity and consistency in enforcing that law. Citizens therefore have few opportunities to give their views on natural resources projects prior to government approval. The Ongi River Movement case study (Annex 3) provides an illustration of mining operations that were begun without prior EIAs. 3.4.2 Findings and Recommendations Relating to Negotiation As with the enabling elements of Voice and Information, formal mechanisms for Negotiation with public officials have dramatically increased since the transition to democracy in the early 1990s. Nevertheless, citizens and CSOs alike seek informal opportunities to negotiate with officials. However, informal setting such as this one results in highly ad hoc basis for negotiation that favors CSOs with extensive social capital (networks) and greater proximity to officials (UB-based). Although some of the obstacles to negotiation may be mitigated through GoM, CSO, and donor actions, as outlined in the following recommendations, the most critical challenge to Negotiation (as well as Voice and Information) is the lack of understanding about the CSO role in promoting civic engagement/social accountability among officials and the general public. Finding 3.4.1. While the Community Scorecard, as part of the World Bank-supported Sustainable Livelihoods Project, allows beneficiaries to assess the quality and effectiveness of SLP subprojects, it could be enhanced to provide more opportunities for Voice, Information, and Negotiation. Recommendation: Incorporate best practices from the portfolio of Bank-supported operations using CSCs into the Sustainable Livelihoods Project so that citizens can monitor the quality of services and negotiate the necessary changes to improve the program. This effort may be supported, for example, through “South-South” learning and in-country capacity-building activities. The SLP should create partnerships with CSOs and develop their capacity to use community score cards effectively. Finding 3.4.2. Mongolia’s intergovernmental arrangements, particularly the PSMFL, limit local government accountability to local constituents and constrain citizen participation in local governance. Recommendations: 1) In consultation with CSOs, public officials should address the lack of downward accountability. They should consider legal and regulatory reform and the creation of forums or other mechanisms, as well as the need for leadership from senior public officials to change the current political culture of upward accountability. 2) The Ministry of Finance and Economics, in particular, should collaborate with CSOs to enhance citizen engagement in the budget process. There should be greater budget disclosure to local citizens, more forums for civic involvement in setting local development and budget priorities, tracking expenditures, and in evaluating performance. There must also be mechanisms for transparency and direct accountability; governors, khurals, and citizens should also be responsible for the local components of line ministry budgets (for example, schools and hospitals). 3) Since local governors wield substantial power but lack downward accountability, the GoM, CSOs, and donors should evaluate the adverse economic and governance consequences of this structure of authority, and develop programs to increase awareness of the important role that citizens and CSOs play in improving local governance, and how local governments can facilitate such a role. Such a program, which could benefit from international best practices, may inform future proposals for improvement of political and fiscal decentralization in Mongolia. Finding 3.4.3. There are no formal mechanisms through which CSOs can become involved in the legislative process or policy formulation. 45
Recommendations: 1) CSOs and public officials should consider formal mechanisms to encourage civil society and citizen input into the legislative process and policy formulation. This should be done in consultation with international donors, who may provide initial financial and technical support, including comparative studies of best practice. Civil society input could include expert testimony, preparation of draft legislation, participation in working groups, and in public hearings on pending legislation and public policies, which they could also help to disseminate. 2) Public officials should also work collaboratively with CSOs to encourage dialogue and networking through regular meetings (for example, town meetings and CSO councils to the prime minister, president, or local governments) to discuss common ground and specific areas for potential collaboration. Such forums may be organized by public officials, by CSOs, or jointly by both stakeholders. Finding 3.4.4. CSO-organized forums have promoted networking and Negotiation with public officials and politicians, and provided opportunities to Voice societal concerns, and disseminate Information generated by CSOs, the GoM, and other stakeholders. Recommendation: With initial support from the donor community, CSOs should establish individually and jointly organized forums among themselves and with other stakeholders. The CSO forums should meet regularly and include the participation of public officials. In the interim, they should communicate regularly through various mechanisms such as a common list serve or Web site.
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 50 and 51: development initiatives become more
Page 52 and 53: Box 3.4.1 The Community Scorecard:
Page 54 and 55: Negotiation also ensures that legis
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
show all

Enabling Environment for Social Accountability in ... - SASANet

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?