Beyond the short versus long accountability route dichotomy

Ondertitel:using multi-track accountability pathways to study performance of rural water services in Uganda

Performance of social service delivery is often linked with effective accountability. Accountability studies increasingly acknowledge that studying one type of accountability relation at a time is too restrictive. Our study aims to correct for this and explores the effectiveness of combinations of different accountability mechanisms. We take the World Development Reports accountability triangle as a starting point and adapt it in three ways. First, we refine the long route to accountability into three tracks by differentiating between the three groups of demand side actors; political accountability (opposition), citizen-led, and civil-society-led social accountability. Second, for each track we take into account the demand and supply side and the availability of supplydemand interfaces. Finally, we adopt a holistic approach through the simultaneous incorporation of both the short and long (with the different tracks) routes. To test its usefulness, we use our refined accountability framework to study the accountability constellations and their link to performance in Ugandas rural water sector. Building on QCA, our findings identify the long three track route (supplyinterfaceall three demand actors) and the citizen-led social accountability route as viable routes to high water service performance in Ugandan districts. Additionally, a set of new hybrid accountability arrangements are identified whilecontrary to theoretical assumptionsthe short route (clients to service providers) does not prove effective.

Jaar van publicatie:2018

Trefwoorden:A1 Journal article

BOF-keylabel:ja

BOF-publication weight:2

CSS-citation score:1

Authors from:Higher Education

Toegankelijkheid:Open