The project addressed the deficits of democratic practices in urban municipalities in Bangladesh and Cambodia, particularly issues on participation, transparency and accountability mechanisms, due to the lack of which these institutions often fail to deliver services effectively and equitably and lack responsiveness towards the most marginalised. It enhanced organised civic action and participation through mobilisation, capacity building, campaigns and participatory monitoring to ensure accountability. It also enhanced citizens’ access to information and basic services by developing partnership with elected municipalities to establish ‘models’ of social accountability mechanisms.
The primary objective of the project was to improve democratic practices in urban local governance institutions through social accountability for improving the provision of basic services to the most marginalised families in two Asian cities – Rajshahi in Bangladesh and Takhmao in Cambodia.
Bangladesh (Rajshahi) and Cambodia (Takhmao)
Mobilisation of communities through the formation of neighbourhood committees and engaging them in citizen monitoring exercises
Orientation and capacity building of citizen leaders, elected representatives and officials of municipalities, and representatives of civil society organisations
Designing and implementing social accountability mechanisms like Citizen Report Cards, Citizens Charters, Grievance Redressal Systems, Pro-active Information Disclosure, etc.
Organising joint campaigns with citizens, civil society and municipalities
Convening municipal, national and regional level policy dialogues
Publishing manuals, occasional papers, media briefs and policy briefs in English and local languages
Organised two Training of Trainers for the implementing partners and other local civil society groups in Bangladesh and Cambodia
Conducted two city-wide (Rajshahi and Takhmao) Citizens’ Report on urban basic services focusing on water supply and sanitation services
Organised 24 trainings and regular monthly meetings for citizen leaders particularly focusing on women and youth facilitators from the marginalised communities
Organised eight trainings for councillors and municipal officials and four interface meetings with citizens at the city level
Organised four city-wide campaigns on development and governance issue
Facilitated two exposure visits for Bangladeshi and Cambodian delegates to India
Designed models of Citizen Charter, Pro-active Information Disclosure and municipal Grievance Redressal Systems
Convened two national level policy dialogues in Bangladesh and Cambodia and one Asian regional policy dialogue on institutionalising social accountability and citizen participation mechanisms
Published three manuals on social accountability tools, two occasional papers, four media briefs and two policy briefs
2011 - 2013
United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF)