Accountability and transparency in the Sri Lankan non-governmental organization community

The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

4270.0: Tuesday, November 12, 2002 - Board 1

Abstract #45187

Andrew David Barash, JD, MA¹, Virginia Elizabeth Nagy, MPH², and Nancy L Hancock, MPH². (1) Tulane Law School, 5600 S. Robertson, New Orleans, LA 70015, (2) Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 6054 Laurel St. Apt. A, New Orleans, LA 70119, 504-269-3389, andybarash@hotmail.com

NGOs are essential to the provision of humanitarian and development assistance. The NGO community faces a variety of obstacles to achieve success. Because organizations, donors and beneficiaries should be collaborating, all sides must be open about their work. Accordingly, mutual rights and obligations exist among parties. Accountability and transparency build trust, maintain credibility and sustainability and promote efficiency. In conflict and post-conflict situations, organizations have a heightened responsibility for ensuring responsible actions. Effective program implementation requires accountability and transparency among both NGOs and other affected parties.

In conflict and post-conflict situations, accountability and transparency are particularly complex issues. War and its effects change daily, and organizations have to be prepared to shift programs with these changes. Working in a war-zone is dangerous for everyone; it slows productivity and limits access to resources. However, communication within the NGO community can decrease the difficulty of working in this complex situation.

The continued war in Sri Lanka has hampered efforts by NGOS working in-country to attain full accountability and transparency. Open-ended interviews were conducted within the NGO community in Sri Lanka to determine the degree to which NGOs in Sri Lanka utilize accountability and transparency in their own operations. Researchers found constraints including the political climate and the conflict undermine full disclosure of program activities. Were organizations more connected, humanitarian aid would be implemented more efficiently. An exploration of the impact of war on accountability and transparency within an NGO community and potential responses is the focus of this presentation.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to

1. Define accountability as it relates to the NGO community.
2. Define transparency as it relates to the NGO community.
3. Recognize the constraints on accountability and transparency created by war in a conflict or post-conflict situation.
4. Assess accountability and transparency among NGOs in a conflict or post-conflict environment.
5. Discuss the importance of individual NGOs developing true working relationships with other NGOs in a conflict or post-conflict situation.
6. Identify methods to increase working relationships in a conflict or post-conflict NGO community.

Keywords: Accountability,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA