Mutual Mutual Accountability: Accountability:

Meaning and Meaning and ChallengesChallenges

Tony KillickTony Killick

THREE STRANDS IN PUSH FOR THREE STRANDS IN PUSH FOR MUTUAL ACCOUNTABILITYMUTUAL ACCOUNTABILITY

1.1. Concerns about aid effectivenessConcerns about aid effectiveness Stress on co-ordination Stress on co-ordination Harmonisation-alignmentHarmonisation-alignment

Work of the OECD/DAC Work of the OECD/DAC Rome & Paris Rome & Paris

2. (Related) 2. (Related) Decline of faith in older Decline of faith in older modalitiesmodalities (projects, ‘expert’-driven TA) (projects, ‘expert’-driven TA)

Reinforced by PRSP movement/MDGsReinforced by PRSP movement/MDGs

3. Loss of confidence in conditionality3. Loss of confidence in conditionality--based relationships; desire to based relationships; desire to develop alternatives develop alternatives

Stress on ‘owership’ & dialogue Stress on ‘owership’ & dialogue the rhetoric of partnershipthe rhetoric of partnership

Mutual accountability as application of Mutual accountability as application of logic of partnershiplogic of partnership

CHALLENGES: mixed CHALLENGES: mixed incentivesincentives

(a) For recipients(a) For recipients

* Benefits of better aid/lower * Benefits of better aid/lower transactions costs (but how to enforce?)transactions costs (but how to enforce?)

* Opportunity for * Opportunity for ownership/leadershipownership/leadership

But:But:

* Danger of ganging up, extended * Danger of ganging up, extended controlcontrol

* Distortion of accountability* Distortion of accountability

Mixed incentivesMixed incentives

(b)(b) For donorsFor donors

More effectiveness and influence, improved More effectiveness and influence, improved dialogue/access, better informationdialogue/access, better information

BUT: BUT:

* Gets in way of some objectives* Gets in way of some objectives

* Complicates their accountability* Complicates their accountability

* Reduces policy autonomy, pushed in * Reduces policy autonomy, pushed in potentially unwelcome directions (inc. potentially unwelcome directions (inc. decentralisation)decentralisation)

AND:AND:* Raises issues of inter-agency * Raises issues of inter-agency relations (e.g. who leads?). Peer relations (e.g. who leads?). Peer pressures may be unwelcome.pressures may be unwelcome.* May be inconsistent with HQ * May be inconsistent with HQ

policies, policies, political sensitivitiespolitical sensitivities

BASIC QUESTION: Is language of BASIC QUESTION: Is language of partnership more than rhetorical?partnership more than rhetorical?