Public accountability means that a person or official holding a public office in the field of public administration is accountable to his / her clients and the general public. This includes the notion that the officials involved in the system of governance cannot act arbitrarily or have an authoritarian tendency.
Public accountability is the individual or collective duty to inform the stakeholders or service recipients or the general public in a factual and credible manner about the decisions and actions taken by the persons holding public office while performing their duties and responsibilities. Public sector and public accountability is a basic requirement in a democratic system of governance.
Public accountability is needed to run the government with the trust of the people, to make the system of governance democratic and people-friendly, to prevent the system from being autocratic and corrupt, to increase citizen participation and contribution to the system of governance and to improve relations between citizens and administration.
Significance of Public Accountability
- Accountability is the foundation of democracy, the people have the absolute right to ask or investigate or test or question the civil service or government system.
- Where accountability increases, transparency increases and when transparency increases, corruption decreases.
- Responsibility for legitimizing government activities. Actions without accountability do not get legitimacy.
- It increases the credibility of the government as well as the credibility of the government.
- Accountability enhances the quality of services, tools and goods provided to the people.
- Corruption can be controlled by maintaining economic discipline.
- Honesty towards the state and those who are dishonest will be punished.
- Equality, service-oriented and result-oriented working system is developed.
- Ensures regularity of public service.
- Contributes to maintaining the rule of law.
- Good governance is guaranteed in the nation due to accountability.
Barriers / Problems to Accountability
- Corruption: Abuse of one's position, undue influence and protection, taking advantage of one's own work, corruption in policy, taking money by threatening, taking bribe, laundering black money etc.
- Decline in the moral values and beliefs of the society or system: Under this, there are no honest and efficient officials in the system and to do any work for the sake of material happiness.
- Lack of accountability due to poverty, deprivation, low salary allowance, lack of job security.
- Due to illiteracy, low educated rate, lack of consciousness, it has become difficult to fulfill the responsibilities.
- Government monopoly in the mobilization of resources.
- The people-elected government is indifferent to the people.
- Confidentiality in the bureaucracy is also a factor. There is also a conflict over the data and information to be given to the people.
- Ancient Technology and Procedures: - Technology, technical staff, resources, performance criteria or procedures are outdated or not time-relevant.
- Lack of fairness, efficiency and accountability in the bureaucracy.
- Employees are politically divided and lack professionalism.
- Problems of coordination and duplication: Due to lack of inter-agency coordination, the same work is done up to 4-5 times; it has played a big role in doing unaccountable work, which makes the work slow.
- Lack of adequate and quality information required to make prudent decisions.
- The role of the Parliamentary Committees including the Auditor General is not professional (responsible).
How to increase accountability?
- The administration mechanism should be made people-oriented, transparent and credible.
- While working, work should be done according to the criteria that can be observed, measured and tested.
- Open information and the right to information also help to promote accountability.
- Public officials should be given clear and defined responsibilities including functions, duties and rights.
- Decentralization: If the power is centralized, public official will not be abide by their responsibilities, they can do unwanted work, they think themselves as powerful.
- Public procurement processes should be efficient and effective in which measures like e-bidding can be adopted.
- Must be an independent and powerful ombudsman.
- Political commitment and willpower is very important.
- The morale and motivation of the employees and public officials should be made high.
- Necessary resources should be managed and used properly.
- There should be simplification in working style and working method.
- There should be good relations between politics and administration.
- There should be fairness and transparency in the policy decision and planning process.
- Complaints should be heard; public hearings and disputes should be settled.
- There should be public participation and adequate participation of service recipients.
- There should be service recipient or citizen participation in the work evaluation system.
- The proceedings of the Parliament and the Parliamentary Committees should be broadcast live and investigative.
- The moral character and actions of the leaders should be exemplary.
- To empower the people as much as possible so that the government has no choice but to pay attention to the affairs of the people and be accountable.
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