Accountability is like light - a Dutch-Ethiopian case study about learning by accountability in development cooperation
Summary
How can accountability activities contribute to the learning of organizations in development cooperation? Most NGOs experience accountability as a form of control and this hinders the development of the organization. Added to this is the pressure on NGOs to show results and effectiveness and to be accountable and transparent about results. With a learning perspective on accountability, organizations are able to convert this increased pressure for accountability into something that also benefits their own organization. This study shows how this process can take place with the help of a model and describes the general effect of accountability on NGOs. This is done with the help of a qualitative case study conducted in the Netherlands and Ethiopia. Finally, seven factors influencing the process of learning by accountability are described.