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5.3. WHAT TYPES OF MONITOR AND MONITORING SYSTEMS CAN BE USED? Beyond the necessary qualities of a good monitor (independence, knowledge, reputation, capacity, accountability and commitment), there is no such thing as an ideal or standard monitoring mechanism. There are several options to consider and each possible combination should be weighed for advantages and disadvantages, so you can adopt the monitoring system most appropriate to your particular situation. a) Monitoring performed by an institution/organisation or by an individual The monitor can be an organisation or an individual. The grounds for choice include capacity, knowledge, reputation and independence. Organisations may have more resources and capacity than individuals, although depending on their nature, they may find it more difficult to manage possible conflicts of interest or to stay clear of them if they depend on clients for income, or if their sources of funding create conflicts of interest. Reputation remains a very important attribute in both cases. Organisations can be government agencies, private sector entities or non-governmental organisations. Each brings different strengths and weaknesses to the monitor’s role, as described below. Whatever the case, the effectiveness of a monitor is highly dependent on his character, capabilities and the way he performs his work. b) Collective monitoring Monitoring can be performed by an individual or organisation, or a group thereof (collective). The grounds for choosing one or the other relate to capacity, independence and knowledge. In certain contracting processes it may be difficult to find a single person with the necessary compounded knowledge and capacity; a good way to overcome this is to assign the task to a group of individuals or organisations which, combined, have this capacity and knowledge. A collective monitor may also be the way to address questions about the independence of one of its members, particularly if final decisions are collective – although individuals retain the right and the capacity to speak up for themselves.
Water Integrity Network & Transparency International 2010
In some cases it may simply be most practical to have collective oversight, for example, when there is interest in a participatory oversight mechanism, a group of NGOs, control agencies and experts could be of great added value. Such a mechanism would also grant greater independence. However, collective monitoring systems may involve more operational and governance difficulties (the need for more resources and to take decisions collectively), which may make the task more complex than when single entities perform it. c) Monitoring by private, governmental or non-governmental organisations The choice between these three options is determined by independence, knowledge and capacity. NGOs are often best placed to perform IP monitoring roles, as in the experience of many TI chapters. One advantage of having NGOs perform as monitors is that their participation brings civil society involvement and therefore increases the accountability and legitimacy of the process. In many countries, NGOs are also most knowledgeable in implementing tools such as IPs. In some cases, however, NGO capacity and resources may be limited and may impose restrictions on their ability to perform the task. These restrictions can be overcome by reaching out for expert support for specific monitoring efforts. There are also great differences from country to country on how NGOs are perceived; in some, they are the best option for ensuring independence and neutrality. In others, circumstances may make it difficult to establish the real or apparent independence of NGOs. Governmental agencies can also perform as IP monitors, easily fulfilling capacity and knowledge requirements but rarely seen as an independent mechanism and easily perceived by bidders as not neutral. One way to address this weakness is to ensure the agency remains accountable to the public and establishes communication and information mechanisms that assure bidders and citizens that its independence is guarded. Another option is to establish collective mechanisms where civil society organisations can perform the task together with governmental agencies (differentiating clearly the roles and responsibilities of each party in order to ensure the required independence).