Citizens’ Voice and Accountability Evaluation – Indonesia Country Case Study

Since the 1990s there has been a growing emphasis on the quality of governance as a central factor influencing poverty reduction and macroeconomic stability and therefore the achievement of the MDGs. Citizens' Voice and Accountability (CV&A) are important dimensions of good gov- ernance. It is widely acknowledged that both citizens and state institutions have a role to play in delivering governance that works for the poor and enhances democracy. Citizens' capacity to express and exercise their views has the potential to influence government priorities and proc- esses, for example when stronger demands are made for transparency and accountability. However, in order to convey their views, citizens need effective “voice”. For their part, govern- ments or states that can be held accountable for their actions are more likely to respond to the needs and demands thus articulated by their population. There is, however, a lack of evidence and real understanding of the dynamic and complex nature of factors influencing voice and ac- countability and thus a need to more systematically examine and evaluate current interventions.
The objectives of the CV&A evaluation were therefore to improve understanding among donors and help improve aid policy and practice on CV&A by assessing the effects of a range of CV&A interventions on governance, aid effectiveness and sustainability in a variety of developing country in order to learn lessons on which approaches have worked best, where and why.