Accountability and the politics civil society, the state and INGOs play

Panel chair: Sheree Bennett, IRC
 

1. Engaging the Citizens to Engage the State
   
   Presenter: Michael Otieno, Governance Advisor, National Taxpayers Association, Kenya
   
   This presentation provides an overview of the challenges and successes of the NTA, a Kenya-based civil society organisation, in increasing access to government officials and documents and in grappling with the inherent power dynamics that routinely impede transparency and accountability processes. The presentation focuses on NTA’s experience highlighting the benefits and constraints of working unilaterally and of working with international actors and the implications of each modality for the accountability relationships the NTA aims to foster.
    
2. Divina Sabino from the Division of Risk and Disaster Management in the Seychelles, spoke about their experience with the floods in 2013.
    
3. Accountability to Whom for What...for How Long?
   
   Presenter: Alyoscia D’Onofrio, Director of Governance and Rights Unit, International Rescue Committee
   
   This short response will frame and stimulate discussion and debate among the panellists and the audience. Based on the main points from the previous presentations, this framing will problematise the incentives and ‘role’ of INGOs as non-permanent actors in engaging the populations we serve, the ways in which INGOs have conceptualised and implemented engagement/accountability and feedback processes and their (sometimes subtle and unintended) implications for strengthening the long-term domestic accountability relationships we believe are critical for improving the lives of crisis-affected populations.
    
4. Q&A