Stocktaking of public services delivery tools and approaches

• Main Author: Oplas, Ma. Ella C.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2011
• Subjects: Public administration—Philippines—Evaluation; Government accountability—Philippines; Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/faculty_research/9426
• Institution: De La Salle University

This stocktaking report was written by the Consultant for Stocktaking in order to consolidate the initiatives, tools, approaches and data gathering methods developed and utilized by civil society organizations (CSOs). Most of the initiatives were focused on the public service delivery of health, housing, and education in local areas. Initiatives that aim to improve transparency, accountability, and governance are also included in this stocktaking as these help improve, if not ensure, the delivery of public services. The consultant was able to document and analyze 29 tools from 24 initiatives. These were studied in terms of the approaches that were used, their inputs in the program or policy cycle of government, and their requirements in terms of time and human resources. Of the 24 initiatives, five were analyzed in depth through case studies. The section on Mechanisms and Applications provided an analysis of the initiatives and tools. The discussion is interspersed with examples and tables to illustrate the main points. The case studies, serving as annexes, provided details. The sections on stocktaking methodology and contextualization contribute to efforts at enhancing the understanding of social accountability and of monitoring and evaluation. For this report, the above-mentioned sections will enable readers to immediately understand the terms and concepts used in the paper. The section on conceptual framework provides a discussion of social accountability. Through its description and analysis of civil society initiatives and tools, this stocktaking adds to efforts at deepening and broadening the understanding of social accountability. Social accountability places the responsibility of exacting accountabilities in the hands of government and civil society. It is the premise by which will civil society - non-government organizations, academe-based organizations, and coalitions - endeavor to develop and implement monitoring and evaluation initiatives. It is also the premise by which government agencies - local government units and national government agencies - allow, and in many cases, welcome the monitoring and evaluation efforts of civil society.