Importance of Accountability in Good Governance

Accountability is a mechanism designed to ensure that the affairs or the entities are conducted with due regard to the interests of those who are interested in the affairs of the entity.

Accountability guarantees actions and decisions taken by public officials regarding government initiatives and respond to the needs of the community thereby contributing to better governance and poverty reduction. It also means their decisions and actions are subject to oversight so as to guarantee that their stated objectives are met.

The Good governance recognizes accountability in terms of improving the delivery of public services, measuring performance and providing incentives to achieve targets and sanctions in case of non­-performance.

Accountability is not to be viewed only in terms of democratic control and integrity of operations but also in terms of performance.

Through series of reform measures such as Financial Management Initiative, creation of Executive Agencies, Citizen’s Charter, and Public Service Agreement, complete transformation of bureaucratic structure and efficient public service, accountability is embedded.

Several countries such as New Zealand, Australia, Canada and USA have embraced the philosophy of accountability and brought significant improvement in public service delivery and efficiency. USA has enacted a Government Result and Performance Act 1993.

The basic characteristics of Accountability can be summarized as follows:

• Definition of goals of the institution and powers, functions and resources committed thereto
• Planning, directing, supervision and control of activities/operations
• Recording of transactions
• Audit by an independent authority
• Final disposal of the accountability responsibility

Accountability is important in evaluating the on-going effectiveness of public officials or bodies ensures that they are performing to their full potential, providing value for money, instilling confidence in the government and being responsive to the community.

Bureaucracy is a social institution, and its members, do not shrink from exercising this power in their own favour, unconcerned about, or to the detriment of, the people whom they profess to serve. No government, of whatever complexion, can evade the need for accountability.

In a democracy, accountability inevitably assumes a pre-eminent position as it derives its legitimacy from the people at large.

Accountability is at the heart of every government, what the nature of that accountability, and how it is articulated, however, depends upon the kind of polity a country has.

The greater the need for accountability, the greater is the difficulty of its enforcement. Bureaucracy tends to monopolize within itself awesome power, which is not necessarily used for the citizen’s welfare.

Accountability is important in good governance to keep the public servants tuned to the right perspective, including goals; society needs to have at its disposal definite ways of holding the servants accountable.