NGO Accountability in Africa

Abstract

Because the accountability movement has largely been driven by donors and governments, the focus has often been on the responsibilities and obligations of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) toward donors and governments. This emphasis appears misplaced given that governments and donors already exert substantial influence over the NGO sector via funding and legislation. In contrast, NGO accountability toward community beneficiaries requires more attention and more advocacy because beneficiaries are often dependent on NGOs that have been contracted by third parties to serve them, but voiceless and powerless in this relationship. As a result, community beneficiaries frequently struggle to hold NGOs accountable. There have been calls for new ways of thinking about accountability and a focus on improving the quality and appropriateness of accountability mechanisms. In African countries especially, there is an additional motivation to rethink existing mechanisms because of concerns about the suitability of many of them to the context and circumstances of the continent. While there is a strong theoretical case for promoting accountability—especially within the African context—there is little evidence to suggest that the dominant models of accountability have been successful in promoting ethical behaviour, transparency, and effectiveness among African NGOs.