Background
Background to UNDP Oslo Governance Centre (OGC) and Civil Society Division (CSD):
The UNDP Oslo Governance Centre [OGC] was established in 2002 as a centre of excellence designed to provide support to the practical and operational work of UNDP in assisting partner countries in developing more democratic and effective forms of governance for sustainable peace and development. The OGC is a unit of the Democratic Governance Group [DGG] in the Bureau for Development Policy [BDP].
OGC consists of two units: Governance Assessment (GA) unit and Analysis and Learning unit (DGAL). The objective of DGAL is to codify, analyze and disseminate the results of UNDP’s work in democratic governance, with a view to informing democratic governance policy and programme. One of the focus areas of DGAL is related to strengthening civil society and social accountability.
UNDP’s Civil Society Division, housed in the Partnerships Bureau (PB) is responsible for strengthening UNDP policies and methods to engage and collaborate more effectively and systematically with civil society and its organizations at all levels.
UNDP’s Social Accountability Work:
UNDP considers the concept of social accountability to be at the heart of its democratic governance work – as social accountability focuses on promoting citizens’ voice and engagement, and linking citizens’ engagement with efforts to build responsive institutions. Fostering inclusive participation and building responsive state institutions are the two priority areas identified by both the UNDP Strategic Plan [2008-2013] and the Global Strategy to Strengthen Civil Society and Civic Engagement [2009] as a means to strengthening democratic governance. In addition, the civil society strategy emphasizes support to a range of social accountability mechanisms through which citizens and CSOs can engage with state officials at various levels to bring about more transparent, accountable and responsive governance.
In an effort to further integrate social accountability principles into democratic governance programming, UNDP produced the ‘Guidance Note on Fostering Social Accountability’ in 2010. The note offers practical guidance to programme staff on how to incorporate the practices of social accountability into programming. It also highlights the experiences of several UNDP countries offices, notably Albania, the Philippines, Kenya, and the Pacific Regional Centre among others, in promoting social accountability.
Further, many UNDP country offices are keen on integrating social accountability initiatives in their programmes and there is a growing demand for practical examples and lesson learnt in promoting social accountability. In response to this demand, OGC is currently establishing a database of social accountability and citizens’ monitoring initiatives implemented by UNDP and other actors on the Governance Assessment Portal (GAP). This database will be built with an explicit aim to systematize and share experiences and lessons learnt in the area of social accountability.
Background to the comparative experiences publication, ‘Social Accountability for Improved Governance and Achievement of the MDGs:
Many of the successes in achieving MDGs have been made possible through strengthening governance, promoting inclusive national ownership, civil society and community involvement, in addition to international and regional cooperation and support. Social accountability mechanisms have provided a practical means to promote a critical aspect of localization of the MDGs i.e. local communities’ and CSOs’ involvement in setting targets and tracking the MDGs (particularly in education, health, and water and sanitation sectors). These mechanisms have also helped to improve institutional arrangements for service delivery and hold state institutions to account on service delivery.
However, little attention has been paid to assessing the impact and effectiveness of such initiatives. Indeed, much is not yet known about whether and how the use of social accountability mechanisms has strengthened responsive governance, improved service delivery and contributed to the achievement of the MDGs. Nor has there been a concerted effort to understand what needs to be done to strengthen people’s voice, stimulate civic engagement, and build responsive institutions that deliver on the MDGs – within the context of urbanization, social exclusion, rapid advancements in the information and communication technologies sector (ICT), environmental challenges and climate change, and rising crises and fragile-state situations.
Therefore, UNDP will produce a comparative experience publication that will explore emerging social, political, environment and technological trends and illustrate how different actors, including CSOs, are responding to these trends and promoting people’s engagement in development processes, including the achievement of MDGs.
It will examine how social accountability initiatives, when linked with governance processes, can help in developing people-centred approaches that could advance the achievement of the MDGs. The purpose of this publication is to present and analyse strategies and approaches that have been successful in bringing about responsive governance and policy change, including innovative approaches of civil society actors, UNDP and other development partners. In addition, the publication will also make recommendations towards enhancing social accountability programming within UNDP.
The publication will specifically highlight experiences from across regions and contexts that have successfully promoted two-way dialogue between citizens, civil society organizations and state institutions, addressed social exclusion and increased civic engagement, and enhanced state actors’ responsiveness and accountability.
Duties and Responsibilities
Objective of this Consultancy:
UNDP is seeking a consultant to develop a chapter linking social inclusion, social accountability, and MDG achievement.
Recent reports produced by the UN system, including for the MDG Review Summit in 2010, caution against looking at MDGs gains that are only measured in national, regional or global ‘averages’ – as they do not indicate whether such progress has been broad-based or equitable. Focus on aggregate progress and national averages ‘disguises a picture of uneven achievement that is characterized by deep disparities between social groups’. These disparities go beyond income inequities and affect social and political dimensions of people’s lives, including access to public services. In every country, people are being denied the right to participate and shape their social, economic and political development on the basis of their race, ethnicity, age, religion, gender, and location and thus, generating situations of exclusion, oppression, and violence.
This chapter will examine the link between social exclusion, social accountability and the MDGs. Specifically, it will answer the following questions through examination of specific examples:
- How can social accountability mechanisms help in strengthening marginalized people’s voices and state institutions accountability towards marginalized groups?
- Conversely, how can programmes that promote social inclusion make social accountability initiatives more equitable and prevent such initiatives from ’elite capture’? Illustrate with examples.
- Does a stronger focus on promoting human capital, strengthening political participation and addressing gender inequality provide opportunities for new kinds of social accountability initiatives or more participatory MDG programming? Illustrate with examples.
- What are some of the key lessons from civil society and other actors’ efforts to promote social accountability, address social inequities and promote social cohesion? Are there any lessons for future UNDP programming?
- What can UNDP do to strengthen its partnership and advocacy strategies with civil society actors that have achieved demonstrable success in this area? This question should be addressed in a separate section.
Duties and Responsibilities:
The key output of the consultant will be to write a chapter of approximately 6000 to 7000 words.
- The chapter will address the questions and issues indicated in section 4 above.
- It will also highlight other relevant issues that may have not been covered in section 4 but are nevertheless vital for promoting social accountability, strengthening governance and achieving the MDGs – within the context of addressing social exclusion, inequalities and promoting social cohesion.
- It will showcase innovative experiences, particularly from the south, that have helped to address social inequities, build human capital and promote social accountability.
Competencies
- Strong understanding of development programming and the current development agenda, including the MDGs.
- Specialist knowledge and track record of publication in the thematic area(s), particularly addressing social inequities, social sector programming and social accountability.
- Track record of research in democratic governance.
- Excellent analytical and research skills.
- Proven publication record in English.
- Ability to write and communicate in a clear and concise manner.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Advanced degree in social sciences, political science, law, international relations, development studies.
Experience:
- Minimum of 7 years international experience in the field of democratic governance.
- Strong publication record in the area of social inclusion, social accountability and the MDGs.
- Experience or knowledge of UNDP; its mandate and work in democratic governance, civil society, social accountability and MDGs.
Language:
- Fluency in written and spoken English.
Time frame.
The final chapter should be produced before 30th July, 2011. The author(s) should present a complete draft of the chapter for comments and input from the OGC and CSD. The final draft will incorporate all comments and suggestions.
Payment .
A lump sum payment will be made following satisfactory submission of the final draft to the OGC.
Supervision.
The consultant will be supervised by the Democratic Governance Advisor, Oslo.