Abstract
This paper brings a review of the literature on accountability in development NGOs with a view to highlighting where we stand. There has been a shift from top-down approaches focussing on upward accountability mechanisms towards a growing literature that theorises and empirically investigates downward accountability mechanisms. This literature theorises a link between ownership of the development process and aid effectiveness. However, little attention has been paid to potential differences in the accountability mechanisms used in locally- and non-locally-owned NGOs. Considering that the members of locally-owned NGOs come from the same culture as the beneficiaries they serve, understanding how local NGOs’ implementation of accountability differs from other organisations would shed light on how to secure the trust of the beneficiaries. Such knowledge would assist NGOs globally to overcome the challenges of downward accountability and to enhance aid delivery.
Résumé
Cet article présente une revue de la littérature sur la redevabilité dans les ONG de développement afin de mettre en lumière où nous en sommes. Bien que l’on se soit éloigné des approches descendantes pour se concentrer sur des mécanismes de redevabilité ascendante, il existe un corps de littérature croissant qui théorise et étudie empiriquement les mécanismes de redevabilité descendante. Ce corps littérature émet la théorie qu’un lien existe entre l’appropriation du processus de développement et l’efficacité de l’aide au développement. Cependant, peu d’attention est accordée aux différences potentielles dans les mécanismes de redevabilité utilisés dans les ONG locales et celles non locales. Considérant que les membres des ONG locales appartiennent à la même culture que les bénéficiaires qu’ils desservent, comprendre comment la mise en œuvre de la redevabilité des ONG locales diffère de celle des autres organisations permettrait de mieux comprendre comment obtenir la confiance des bénéficiaires. Une telle connaissance aiderait les ONG du monde entier à surmonter les défis de la redevabilité descendante et à améliorer la façon dont l’aide au développement est apportée.
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van Zyl, H., Claeyé, F. Up and Down, and Inside Out: Where do We Stand on NGO Accountability?. Eur J Dev Res 31, 604–619 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41287-018-0170-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41287-018-0170-3