ACCOUNTABILITY

Accountability

[Name of the Initiations]Accountability

Q1.

Yes! The accusation is fair to some extent, as there is a great number of NGOs that have no formal accountability mechanism or check and balance system to monitor the activities of these organizations. In today's globalised world, private non-profit non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are increasingly playing an important role in modern societies, often replacing or complementing the role of the state. These organizations are present in almost each country of the world, with different aims, objectives, volume and structure. Moreover, there are NGOs that do not simply adhere to international standards of financial reporting concerning their funding resources and areas where they allegedly spend those funds (Akintola, 2011).

There are many recommended ways through which NGOs can strengthen their accountability mechanism so that their activities can be monitored, assessed, evaluated against the preset criteria by a non-partisan and independent body. The most effective amongst these recommended mechanisms is to form an accountability body with members from civil society, government, and especially the representatives of community in which the NGO operates. The major duties of the proposed body should include, above all, the monitoring of financial resources; from where the money is coming, what are the areas where it is spent, and most importantly whether the money spent is justifiable or not (Ahmed, Hopper & Wickramsinghe, 2010).

The accountability of civil society can be comparable with that of government institutions since both NGOs and the government institutions are financed by public funds. Therefore, the mechanism of accountability of civil society should be as strict and vigilant as that of government institutions. Furthermore, both entities are aimed at public welfare, their activities, should therefore, be continuously and consistently monitored and evaluated in order to prevent any mismanagement of public funds. The accountability of NGOs is quite relevant to development policy in a sense that the role played by these organizations is essential for overall national development. As discussed in the earlier paragraph, NGOs often complement and sometimes replace the role of state in working for development and public welfare, so it may sage be argued that these organizations and their accountability are quite relevant to development policy (Ahmed, Hopper & Wickramsinghe, 2011).

Q2.

As discussed in the previous section, there are many recommended ways through which NGOs can strengthen their accountability mechanism to address the widespread accusations that they lack accountability. The most effective amongst is to introduce a formal procedure for ensuring transparency in their affairs and operations. Moreover, the participation from civil society and the community is also essential for making their activities transparent and accountable (Akintola, 2011). In many countries, there are general guidelines, mostly issued and enforced by government institutions, aimed at ensuring transparent operations and activities of NGOs, so these practices should serve as a model for countries where no such formal mechanisms exist. Increasing public participation and adhering to the general “right to information” may also add to the transparency of such organizations. Moreover, this practice would certainly help in improving the overall image ...