This post is a summary of two reports published at Worldbank.org. Both about the same issue above. One published on April 19,2012 with the title of: " The GPSA: a new mechanism to support civil society organizations." And another on December 17,2012 with the title above.
The World Bank directors has approved the creation of a global partnership for social accountability (GPSA). This is a new mechanism to scale up and support social accountability by beneficiary groups and civil society organizations (CSO) in developing countries." The bank understands now more than ever that citizen voice and the engagement of project beneficiaries are crucial for lasting development results," said World Bank president Robert Zoellick.
The bank plans to invest $20 million in seed money to create the partnership and will work with others to raise additional funds. As well as investing in projects to boost social accountability, the partnership will focus on exchanging knowledge of best practice. In a speech a year ago, Mr.Zoellick spoke of the need for a new social contract to improve domestic accountability and constructive engagement between citizens and their governments. Current World Bank social accountability work include: Checkmyschool.org, an interative map of basic public education information in the Philippines to support citizens oversight of the education sector. The use of community scorecards to help reduce child mortality in Uganda. And public participation in local budgeting in Congo, so citizens can have a say where their money is going. The GPSA can help to scale this up.
The objective of the GPSA is to improve development results by supporting capacity building for enhanced beneficiary feedback and participation. To achieve this objective, the GPSA will provide strategic and sustained support to groups and civil society organizations (CSO) in developing counries that are working to promote greater transparency and accountability. Support will be provide on two fronts: funding and knowledge. Through a global grant competition grants will be made available to CSOs for capacity building, research and knowledge dissemination, and programmatic activities related to social accountability in their country. The GPSA will also support a global platform for knowledge exchange and research, especially in measuring and documenting "what works" in social accountability and the impact of social accountability interventions.
