464 Accountability through Public Opinion
Look for local leaders in the community and recognize that social accountability efforts require long-term support. Start with understanding obstacles, see how these can be addressed; create supportive environment; find out ways to reach people effectively. Need to recognize the ebb and flow of conditions that motivate people, so sustainability needs to have multiple sources. In surveying the allimportant “local context,” a useful framework is the shifting roles and bounds of “inside” and “outside.” Typically, government is inside and citizens outside (as people talk about it) but not always. There might be several insides and outsides. Conflict of professionals can lead to passive dependent citizenry. Start with existing local systems and see how to use or improve them; do your research; understand the socio-political context; environments and situations are highly contextual; realize the context and work with it. OECD is exploring specific barriers for two groups: (1) willing and unable—many people would share intent but face education, discrimination, self-confidence barriers; (2) able but unwilling—large numbers of people can participate (face no external barriers) but choose not to. Why? How can they be enticed and encouraged? Start with the people; knowing them culturally and all! From existing social capital, facilitate small but visible changes; continuously engage indigenous knowledge with technical expertise to surpass localized obstacles. Participation in creating the activities and media for mobilization; creating awareness does not guarantee action; other interventions might be needed. Engage local leaders and pay attention to local context and the mechanisms of social accountability that each community has. The media (traditional and new ones) are essential to increase mobilization. Willingness to stay on course, irrespective of initial cynicism (e.g., CRCs); need to transcend the technicality of SA mechanisms and link them with political structures and processes; need to recognize traditional spaces of public debates (non-formal media). How to institutionalize and sustain participation; this would probably enable citizen engagement and mobilization; the most effective approach seems to be at a local level where the results are more concrete and service providers closer.