Democratic Governance
Strengthening Parliaments and Democratic Institutions
Justice and Human Rights
Accountability and Transparency Frameworks
Capacity Development of Local Governments and Civil Society
Initiatives on Social Accountability
UNDP Pacific Centre’s five strategies in strengthening initiatives on Social Accountability in the Pacific are as follows:
(a) Focus on strategic national-level Social Accountability initiatives: UNDP Pacific Centre will support one or two strategic national level social accountability activities that (a) creates a momentum for further social accountability work, such as raising a high profile on corruption that leads to potential institutional and policy reforms; (b) provides a backbone for larger social accountability activities, such as participatory budgeting.
(b) Building the technical and advocacy skills of the NGOs and CSOs such as understanding of government budgeting process, identification of advocacy opportunities, developing advocacy strategy and plan. Advisors will be provided to provide the support for a certain period of time
(c) Strengthening Social Accountability initiatives at the local level: UNDP will work with organizations that have presence at the local level to expand their development work with social accountability components. For example the Village Council’s School Committee in Samoa could be strengthened to provide higher level of accountability on the school budget and, in turn, hold the school management to account on the management and delivery of education services at the village level.
(d) Working with local government entities to build capacity to respond to Social Accountability demands is equally important as duty bearers should have the capacity to provide meaningful response. This includes strengthening the mechanisms for reporting by the executive to the elected legislature; publically making available information about local government performance to citizens in an understandable format and preparation, approval, and publication of budgets.
