Responsiveness to the concerns of the poor and accountability to the commitment to poverty reduction

Since adopting the Millennium Development Goals, almost all bilateral and multilateral donor agencies have adopted poverty reduction as their overriding objective. Yet progress on the ground appears slow; with some countries even regressing. This paper, from the Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI), explores ways of holding governments accountable for their commitment to reducing poverty. It proposes an analytical framework based on the concepts of voice, responsiveness, and accountability.

Several recommendations are made. Accountability among public international actors can be enhanced by changes in vote distribution and enhanced accessibility for non-governmental organisations, particularly among multilateral institutions. The authors note that the effectiveness of PRSPs as mechanisms of accountability depends on the extent to which the PRSP process is ‘owned’ by the national governments. They point to the positive developments including: the extension of a judicial -style accountability model from national level to international level to ensure that organisations act within their powers and keep to operational rules; and new notions of corporate social responsibility that are emerging worldwide. The paper also presents a table summarising voices, responsiveness and accountability of the various categories of actors [adapted from author].