Improving Impact: Do Accountability Mechanisms Deliver Results?

This joint report aims to investigate the contribution that accountability mechanisms make to project quality and impact across humanitarian and development sectors. The proposed theory is that accountability mechanisms improve project quality, their relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability. This report seeks to uncover how accountability mechanisms between aid organisations and affected communities contribute to the quality and impact of the assistance provided.

The findings show direct, positive links between accountability measures and:

Relevance: strengthening the targeting and quality of assistance

Effectiveness: promoting trust, empowerment and acceptance, and addressing mismanagement

Efficiency: optimizing the use of resources and promoting value for money

Sustainability: enhancing community ownership of projects

Although the findings from the two case studies (in Kenya and Myanmar) prove the beneficial effect of accountability measures on projects, this report provides recommendations on how to improve these measures even farther. The report advocates for accountability measures to be viewed as essential contributions to the development process, for organizations to be better at ensuring strong accountability mechanisms as well as routines for periodic evaluations of these mechanisms.