Innovations in Accountability

Abstract

Governments are experimenting with new forms of accountability that depart from tradition and are less bureaucratic in form, content, and symbolism. This article reports on the learning potential of recent public accountability innovations in Australia, the Netherlands, Britain, and the United States. All these innovations depart from the set formats of established forms of accountability, using new media and digital technology, not to increase the level of bureaucratic reporting, but to open up the accountability process to interactions with internal and external stakeholders. This enables critical dialogue on organizational conduct and performance that may foster organizational learning processes.