Accountability Mechanisms Research Articles

Evaluation of the Administrative, Coordination, and Financing Capacity of the Sub-National Malaria Elimination Programs in Nigeria: A Case Study of Cross River State.

Background: This study appraised the implementers’ perspective of the program’s existing administrative and management; coordination and collaboration; and financing and accountability capacities to deliver its malaria prevention and control mandate. Method: The instrument used was a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire adapted from an already existing National Malaria Programme’s Capacity Assessment tool. Being a widely used open-source program tool, a pretest was done to ascertain its suitability and applicability to the study context and for field assistants to gain familiarity with it. The total population sampling method was used due to the small size of the target population. The target population/sample size was therefore 137, comprising the State Malaria Technical Working Group members, key officers of Cross River State Malaria Elimination Program (CRSMEP), and the Local Government Areas (LGA) Malaria implementing teams. It was a descriptive cross-sectional study. Each element per section of the questionnaire was weighted using the Likert scale and calculated using simple percentages. Results: Research results showed that the malaria program at the State and LGA level have adequate administrative and management capacity with confirmation by 64% and 82.1% of respondents respectively. 80% of respondents confirmed average coordination and collaboration capacity at the State level while 50% of respondents at the LGA level confirmed that the program has adequate coordination and collaboration capacity. For financing and accountability capacity, 36% of respondents affirmed that there is average capacity at the State level while 37.5% confirmed that there is no capacity at LGA level. Conclusion: The study revealed the program’s capacity gaps at State and LGA in the 3 aforementioned key areas. Therefore, interventions to address the capacity gaps are training/re-training of program staff and health workers on program management, administration, and finance, establishing performance management and accountability mechanisms, conducting evidence-based advocacy visits to policymakers for prioritizing allocating and releasing funds for malaria control activities, especially for intervention areas that are not supported by donor/partner organizations.

Corruption and trust in the European Parliament: Quasi‐experimental evidence from the Qatargate scandal

AbstractCitizens' ability to hold corrupt politicians accountable is a key feature of democratic political systems. Particularly in the European Union (EU), such accountability mechanisms are often argued to malfunction due to the EU's complicated and opaque institutional structure, which could compromise voters' basic abilities to detect political malpractice in Brussels. Putting EU voters' attentiveness to the test, we provide quasi‐experimental evidence of the causal effect of a recent corruption scandal in the European Parliament. Leveraging an ‘Unexpected Event during Survey Design’ identification strategy in France and Germany, we document a sizeable negative effect of the so‐called Qatargate scandal on public trust in the European Parliament. This provides causal evidence on the presence of attentiveness to EU politics within these electorates. Given the EU's complex institutional structure, we derive two alternative implications from this finding.

Social Accountability in Health System Governance: A Scoping Review.

Social accountability is an important element in health system governance, which is necessary for health system reform and reaching Universal Health Coverage. Understanding the social accountability mechanism and tools will help policymakers to design policies according to the context. We aimed to explore the extent of the application of social accountability in health system governance, its results, challenges, and tools. We conducted a scoping review study, using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) extension for scoping review. An inclusive search in bibliographic databases and search engines was done to identify peer review articles and grey literatures, published in English in the range of 2010 to 2021. Search terms were (social accountability), (public accountability), AND (health system). Thirty-one records met inclusion criteria from 286 potentially relevant sources, which included 25 peer-review articles and 6 grey literatures. Maternal and child health was the main health subject for social accountability interventions. We identified some social accountability tools to apply at the health facility and community levels. Social accountability has some benefits for the health system and for the community and some challenges to the implementation of social accountability were listed. Social accountability improves health system performance. It contains different tools and strategies applied at different levels of the health system. Successful social accountability initiatives that are strategic, multi-interventional, and context-specific can produce good results in health services and social domains.

‘Teachers Value PD if Leaders Value PD’: Role of School Leaders in Professional Development of Teachers in Rural Pakistan

ABSTRACT In educational literature, especially coming from the developed context, the role of school leadership in Professional Development (PD) of teachers has been portrayed in a quite ideal way. However, literature reports little evidence of any contribution of school leaders to PD of teachers in developing contexts specifically in many regions and countries of Asia. Taking Pakistan as a case, this paper reports the findings of a research that explored the role of school leadership in PD of teachers. Using qualitative approach and grounded theory framework, the research examined the views of 46 key participants including teachers, school leaders, PD providers and officials from the education department through focused group interviews. The findings support previous studies in the limited role of school leadership in PD of teachers. However, it identifies some unique influential factors such as less recognition of PD in the system, limited capacity of school leadership and lack of any monitoring and accountability mechanism. The research argues for a shift in the system to enhance the contribution of school leadership in PD of teachers. Such shift should happen in the form of PD-related expectations from school leaders, developing school leaders with a focus on their role in PD and extending ongoing coaching and mentoring support to them.

Publics and counter-publics of net-zero

The proliferation of pledges to reach net-zero emissions has revealed a wide range of understandings of what such a pledge entails. The lack of international standards to define decarbonisation pathways and the many kinds of speculative offsets available for net-zero calculations have generated a multiplication of public commitments not tethered to any specific mechanism of accountability. Many have criticised this state of affairs as a governance vacuum allowing extravagant forms of ‘greenwashing,’ with corporations and countries asserting ostensibly ambitious goals without adopting verifiable instruments for their delivery. This paper addresses the situation from a slightly different perspective, exploring instead how net-zero pledges create new climate publics and counter-publics. Drawing on three case studies (UK national net-zero policy, the Race to Zero campaign, and the Science Based Targets Initiative), and informed by a pragmatist understanding of ‘public’ and ‘public formation,’ we examine how the adoption of a formal but ambiguous target leads to a collective consideration of consequences, thus expanding the range of actors engaged in disputes over alternative climate futures.

IT Governance and Audit Risk in Jordanian Companies: The Moderating Role of Audit Quality

Purpose: In order to better understand how IT governance COBIT5 (planning and organization (PO), acquisition and implementation (AI), support and delivery (SD), monitoring and evaluation (ME), guidance and control (GC), and audit risks interact in Jordanian businesses, this study will examine the moderating role of audit quality. Design/methodology/approach: This study uses a mixed method combining quantitative and qualitative method. Primary data: IT governance and audit risk with questionnaires distributed to 528 workers from each of the 176 Jordanian companies. The three employees served as a representative sample from the finance, internal audit, and IT departments. Secondary data: Using SPSS software, the data was analyzed to determine the audit quality using the financial statements of Jordanian businesses listed on the Amman Stock Exchange for the year 2020. Results and conclusion: The results of this study have shown that the COBIT5 framework is an important accountability mechanism for motivating expected behavior in the workplace when it comes to technology use. Audit risk is directly affected by the IT governance structure. Practical implications: This study is important for companies in Jordan, by presenting an integrated framework in this study that combines IT governance, audit risks and audit quality. This study was expected to facilitate the companies' efforts by ensuring a sufficient degree of confidence in the applied accounting system and improving the information security within the system to maintain the organizations and audit quality at the same time. Originality/value: This study adds to the body of knowledge on IT governance, audit risk, and audit quality that has concentrated on developing nations, particularly Jordan.

Informality and the governance dilemma: How institutional inter‐linkages can bridge accountability gaps

AbstractStates have increasingly relied on informal international organizations (IOs) to govern cross‐border problems. Frequently, however, their accountability has been questioned because they have been created to evade political control and strengthen the hands of executives and bureaucrats vis‐à‐vis legislative actors. This has led some to propose solutions that might address their accountability gaps. In this article, I discuss the role that institutional inter‐linkages may play. Many informal IOs lack capabilities and accountability mechanisms that raise questions about their desirability as standalone institutions. Yet, in practice, by creating links with states and formal IOs, their capabilities and accountability have been augmented. With respect to their accountability, specifically, I argue such linkages can promote reflexivity, policy filtering, and the institutionalization of new procedural norms. While these dynamics cannot fully reduce accountability gaps, recognition of them provides a more balanced picture of the issues at stake and an added rationale for expanding such linkages in the future.

School Accountability and Student Social-Emotional Learning: Evidence From the OECD's Survey on Social and Emotional Skills

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of accountability mechanisms on the social and emotional learning (SEL) competencies of students in schools in Suzhou, China. Design/Approach/Methods The study utilized survey data from schools in Suzhou, China, to explore how various inspection schemes and accountability measures differentially influence students’ SEL competencies. The study employed multilevel statistical analysis to examine the relationship between accountability measures and SEL outcomes. Findings The study's results suggest that while some accountability measures are associated with improvements in certain SEL skills, most have no effect on or negatively impact SEL competencies. Originality/Value This study is one of the few existing studies on the impact of accountability mechanisms on SEL competencies in schools. The findings provide valuable insights for policymakers, organizational scholars, and practitioners. Notably, the findings challenge the assumption that accountability mechanisms necessarily improve educational outcomes and suggest the need for more nuanced approaches to educational accountability policies.

Blue carbon accounting to monitor coastal blue carbon ecosystems

In the global context, countries must reduce carbon dioxide emissions to "net zero" by 2050 to limit global warming to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels. China's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve the carbon neutrality target by 2060. To monitor the achievements of the NDCs, establishing an annual-based accounting mechanism is necessary to record the carbon stocks in China, especially for Blue Carbon. The paper aims to present China's first national-scale systematic Blue Carbon accounting for mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrasses, covering the accounting subjects of physical and monetary assets, as well as relevant indicators for investors. It focuses on the design of the accounting method and system, the selection of data categories applied to this system, and the application of China's Blue Carbon accounting based on this accounting system. Taking Blue Carbon accounting as a starting point, this paper analyses the restoration prospects of these ecosystems and their application potential for NDCs in China compared with the terrestrial ecosystems. The results indicate that mangroves are the most cost-effective type of ecosystem, even compared to terrestrial forests. Thus, the paper provides policymakers with a new perspective on the decision-making of carbon sequestration relevant decisions, aiming to promote the monitoring, restoration, and expansion of China's coastal blue carbon ecosystem through the establishment of a sound Blue Carbon accounting system, and to help achieve the carbon neutrality goal in China's NDCs through regular and systematic monitoring of its national Blue Carbon inventories.

Climate (in)Justice in Action? A Commentary on COP28 and Emerging Accounting Mechanisms

ABSTRACT With the concept of ‘just transition’ entering the mainstream of intergovernmental climate negotiations, social and environmental accounting scholars have a new and critical role in the global pursuit of climate justice. At its core, accounting mechanisms are being called upon to navigate a paradox inherent to the just transition: pursuing scalability through standardisation and simultaneously prioritising a tailored approach to national and sub-national contexts. While we venture potential conceptual approaches to grapple with this paradox, our priority for this article is to outline what we hope is a starting point for an agenda on accounting for climate justice. It, therefore, looks to provoke debate on an array of research questions and interventions, from the role of COPs (Conferences of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) in giving birth to new accounting mechanisms, to the need to engage with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to highlight the relevance of accounting research in operationalising climate justice. Irrespective of how our community responds, notions of climate justice are already being made manifest in the international accounting mechanisms that aim to guide a just transition. We therefore call for action from the social and environmental accounting community.

Accountability Mechanisms In Result Based Financing And Their Implementation In Lira District, Northern Uganda

Introduction: Results based financing has been proposed as an innovative reform to enhance systems performance in Uganda. Lira District is one of the districts implementing the national results-based financing (RBF) scheme under the Uganda Reproductive Maternal and Child Health services Improvement Project (URMCHIP). The diversity of relationships among various actors in RBF implementation underscores the need for mechanisms to ensure accountability among them. This was a case study which aimed at exploring the RBF accountability mechanisms, their implementation, and related factors in Lira District. Methodology: The study was a descriptive case study employing qualitative methods. The data collection methods included a) focus group discussions with the health workers from RBF facilities, b) key informant interviews with key actors in the RBF program at the MOH as well as in the district including district managers, health facility in charges, verifiers, members of the health facility management committees, c) document review of RBF documents, annual progress and audit reports. were analyzed thematically guided by a framework that explored the relationships and related accountability arrangements in RBF. Results: Several accountability relationships do exist among actors in RBF program and each relationship has associated accountability mechanisms for example, accountability mechanisms between MOH and the district include MOUs and business plans, while between the district and facilities mechanisms include reporting, data verifications, financial audits while display of results on notice boards, complaint boxes are mechanisms between the facility and the community. Regular support supervision and facility innovations such as meetings complimented RBF-specific designs. Challenges hindering smooth implementation of accountability mechanisms included infrequent financial support to enable regular support supervision/verification visits by Expanded District Health Management Team (EDHMT) and corruption tendencies. Conclusion: Implementation of accountability mechanisms in RBF in Lira is suboptimal due to the various RBF design and implementation challenges. There is need to support the EDHMT and facility managers’ in terms of capacity building and facilitation to do their work. Additionally, efforts need to be undertaken to address delayed disbursement of funds and corruption impeding the implementation of accountability mechanisms in the district.

ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISMS OF MULTILATERAL DEVELOPMENT BANKS AND THE LAW OF INTERNATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY

AbstractMultilateral development banks (MDBs) are international organizations subject to the law of international responsibility. Yet, the relationship between their accountability mechanisms and the International Law Commission (ILC) Articles on the Responsibility of International Organizations (ARIO) remains unclear. Understanding this relationship is essential in fully realizing the right to remedy in the development finance context. A comparative analysis of these legal frameworks clarifies that notwithstanding their different rationale, scope and functions, the two are not normatively conflicting and both serve to control public power. While the accountability mechanisms correct the ARIO's State-centric orientation by granting legal standing to project-affected people, they have their own deficiency concerning the actions they can prescribe to MDBs upon a finding of noncompliance. Highlighting that the MDBs’ mandate to ‘do no harm’ and pursue sustainable development is left unfulfilled by the accountability mechanisms’ deficient remedial function, this article identifies specific ARIO provisions to complement rather than undermine the MDBs’ accountability system. The ARIO's residual character, combined with the proposition that remedies arise not only from wrongful conduct but also from harm suffered by one party due to another's risky activities, justify this complementarity.

Factors Influencing Health Care Providers Payment Reforms in Central and Eastern European Countries.

Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries have recently implemented reforms to health care provider payment systems, which include changing payment methods and related systems such as contracting, management information systems, and accountability mechanisms. This study examines factors influencing provider payment reforms implemented since 2010 in Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, and Romania. A four-stage mixed methods approach was used: developing a theoretical framework and data collection form using existing literature, mapping payment reforms, consulting with national health policy experts, and conducting a comparative analysis. Qualitative analysis included inductive thematic analysis and deductive approaches based on an existing health policy model, distinguishing context, content, process, and actors. We analyzed 27 payment reforms that focus mainly on hospitals and primary health care. We identified 14 major factor themes influencing those reforms. These factors primarily related to the policy process (pilot study, coordination of implementation systems, availability of funds, IT systems, training for providers, reform management) and content (availability of performance indicators, use of clinical guidelines, favorability of the payment system for providers, tariff valuation). Two factors concerned the reform context (political willingness or support, regulatory framework, and bureaucracy) and two were in the actors' dimension (engagement of stakeholders, capacity of stakeholders). This study highlights that the content and manner of implementation (process) of a reform are crucial. Stakeholder involvement and their capacities could influence every dimension of the reform cycle. The nine countries analyzed share similarities in barriers and facilitators, suggesting the potential for cross-country learning.

Adapting peer review for the future: Digital disruptions and trust in peer review

Key points Academia is undergoing transformation with rapid technological advancements, global collaboration, and the rise of AI. Maintaining research integrity is paramount in the face of new challenges and opportunities. The peer review process, vital for research integrity, is strained due to the high volume of academic papers. Cactus Communication's (CACTUS) global survey during Peer Review Week 2022 gathered insights from 685 participants on research integrity and peer review. Survey participants emphasized the importance of peer review in detecting various issues, including plagiarism and questionable research practices. Actions taken in response to integrity concerns varied, with some participants seeking guidance from colleagues or informing journal editors. Digital innovations, especially AI‐driven tools, promise to revolutionize peer review processes, from manuscript screening to reviewer selection and evaluation. AI tools like Chat GPT can aid authors in improving writing quality and assist reviewers in generating detailed feedback. Concerns about data privacy and the need for a balance between human expertise and AI assistance are raised in the context of peer review. AI plagiarism detection tool scan complement human efforts, providing an additional layer of scrutiny. Increased digital innovation allows for flexible review formats, international collaboration, and heightened transparency in the review process. The integration of AI into peer review holds the potential to enhance efficiency and objectivity but raises concerns about bias and transparency. Guidelines, bias mitigation measures, accountability mechanisms, and ongoing training are essential for the responsible use of AI in peer review. Encouraging peer review systems to embrace innovation and ethical AI is crucial for adapting to changing dynamics while upholding core principles of research integrity.

The Prosecutor v Dominic Ongwen case before the International Criminal Court: A Twail-er’s perspective

This paper explores whether the International Criminal Court (ICC or ‘the court’) has lived up to the expectation of being an effective and universal mechanism of international criminal justice and accountability, by using the judgment of the Prosecutor v Dominic Ongwen as a case study. Ongwen was convicted by the court’s Trial Chamber (TC) IX in February 2021, on 61 charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated in Northern Uganda between July 2002 and December 2005, and sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment. The Appeals Chamber (AC) confirmed both the conviction and sentence in a judgment rendered on 15 December 2022. It will be argued from a Third World approaches to international law (TWAIL) perspective, that the court missed an opportunity to improve its institutional legitimacy, considering the legitimacy deficit stemming from claims by African states that the ICC is biased against Africa. The paper will also argue that the court missed an opportunity to improve its own decision-making by expanding its source material to include sources from the Global South.

Supplemental Material for A Dual Mechanisms of Control Account of Age Differences in Working Memory

Supplemental Material for A Dual Mechanisms of Control Account of Age Differences in Working Memory

Parliamentary scrutiny of the SRB:  Discretion in applying the resolution objectives and mechanisms for accountability to Parliament

Parliamentary scrutiny of the SRB:  Discretion in applying the resolution objectives and mechanisms for accountability to Parliament

Discrediting the Use of a Leadership Office for Personal Favors or Gains: key Reasons Why It Should Be Discredited

Ethical leadership serves as the cornerstone of organizational integrity and societal trust, yet the misuse of leadership positions for personal gains threatens these fundamental principles. This research paper delves into the profound implications of leaders leveraging their office for personal favors or gains, unraveling the erosion of trust, integrity, and accountability within organizational frameworks and broader societal contexts. Through meticulous analysis of historical and contemporary case studies, this paper highlights the far-reaching consequences of ethical misconduct in leadership, from corporate scandals to political upheavals. By examining these real-world examples, the paper underscores the critical importance of ethical leadership in fostering organizational resilience and sustainable societal progress. Moreover, this research goes beyond critique to propose actionable strategies aimed at cultivating a culture of ethical conduct and transparency within leadership roles. Drawing on insights from ethical leadership theories (Brown, 2005; Treviño & Nelson, 2020) and best practices in organizational governance, the paper offers recommendations to mitigate ethical lapses, enhance accountability mechanisms, and promote ethical decision-making. Ultimately, this study advocates for a paradigm shift towards leadership practices that prioritize the common good over personal interests, thereby reinforcing organizational integrity and rebuilding public trust.

China’s experience of infrastructure megaprojects in Eurasia and Africa: Successes and contradictions

The research relevance is determined by the unprecedented scale of Chinese infrastructure initiatives, their potential impact on regional development and the geopolitical balance of power, as well as the controversial nature of their socio-economic and environmental consequences in the context of current global transformations. The study aims to provide a critical analysis of the successes and contradictions of Chinaʼs infrastructure initiatives. Synthesis, comparative analysis, critical analysis, modelling, structural-functional and systematisation methods were used in the study. The results of the study demonstrate the significant potential of Chinese infrastructure megaprojects to stimulate economic growth, and infrastructure development and deepen regional integration in Eurasia and Africa. However, despite the declared benefits, these initiatives are characterised by several contradictions and challenges. Large-scale Chinese investments carry risks of debt dependence for recipient countries, as they are often provided on non-transparent and unfavourable terms. In addition, the implementation of megaprojects is accompanied by high corruption risks, a lack of proper accountability mechanisms, and limited involvement of local resources and companies. This minimises potential economic benefits for the countries involved and hinders technology transfer and local capacity development. Chinese infrastructure projects are also often associated with negative social and environmental impacts, such as forced resettlement of communities, ecosystem degradation, and pollution. To overcome these contradictions, recommendations have been developed to introduce mechanisms for transparency, accountability, active involvement of local companies and ensuring a fair distribution of economic benefits among all stakeholders. The practical significance of the study lies in the development of recommendations for optimising Chinese infrastructure megaprojects, given the interests of the participating countries, which can be used to improve cooperation strategies with China and ensure the sustainability, mutual benefit and inclusiveness of these initiatives

Person-centered maternity care during childbirth and associated factors at public hospitals in central Ethiopia.

Person-centered maternity care during childbirth is crucial for improving maternal and newborn health outcomes. Therefore, this study was aimed at assessing the determinants of person-centered maternity care in Central Ethiopia. An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted in public hospitals in Central Ethiopia from 30 January to 1 March 2023. A systematic random sampling technique was employed to enroll the study participants. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. After data collection, it was checked for completeness and consistency, then coded and entered into Epi Data version 4.4.2 and exported to SPSS version 26 for analysis. Both bivariate and multivariable logistic regressions were used to identify associated factors. In this study, a total of 565 participants were involved, resulting in a response rate of 98.77%. The respondents mean score for person-centered maternity care was 60.2, with a 95% CI of (59.1, 62.3). No formal education (β = -2.00, 95% CI: -4.36, -0.69), fewer than four antenatal contacts (β = -4.3, 95% CI: -5.46, -2.37), being delivered at night (β = 2.20, 95% CI: 1.56, 6.45), and complications during delivery (β = -6.00, 95% CI: -9.2, -0.79) were factors significantly associated with lower person-centered maternity care. This study revealed that person-centered maternity care is low compared with other studies. Consequently, it is imperative to prioritize initiatives aimed at enhancing awareness among healthcare providers regarding the benchmarks and classifications of person-centered maternity care. Moreover, efforts should be directed toward fostering improved communication between care providers and clients, along with the implementation of robust monitoring and accountability mechanisms for healthcare workers to prevent instances of mistreatment during labor and childbirth.