A new phase in postwar reconstruction
In nations emerging from war, the immediate postwar period rarely lives up to the hopes and expectations of the country’s citizens or the international community. An upsurge in corruption and a lack of accountability, which frequently become entrenched during this time, can erode trust in democracy and its institutions, thereby eating away at the legitimacy of the postwar state.
In this paper the authors argue that an anticorruption approach that builds on local resources and competencies in distinctive ways and emphasizes local accountability such as citizen-based monitoring will see greater success in stemming corruption. It will also increase participation and trust in the reconstruction process.
The authors also highlight the following:
- Social-accountability mechanisms, whereby communities are directly involved as accountability agents, have proved successful in countering corruption
- Community-driven monitoring efforts have been successful where local government has had the opportunity and capability to respond to community representatives. Such an approach acknowledges that there is no clear line between the “supply” and “demand” sides of government
- To play an active role within community-development councils, local leaders need access to information on donor-funded projects
- Access to information is a condition for accountability in reconstruction-assistance work; it enables a range of stakeholders, including state agencies, members of parliament, community leaders, and NGOs, to provide input and oversight of the reconstruction process.
