The Fundamentals of Social Accountability Monitoring is a short certificate course accredited with Rhodes University. This 11-day introductory course is presented three times a year in Grahamstown, South Africa, and provides an overview of the CSA’s rights-based approach to social accountability monitoring. Participants, who successfully complete this course, will be able to:
- understand and apply the principles of a rights-based approach to social accountability monitoring;
- evaluate the effectiveness of resource allocations to key service providers/agencies;
- evaluate the responsiveness and coherence of strategic plans;
- track expenditure against budget allocations to service providers/agencies;
- monitor the performance of service providers/agencies against their strategic plans and service delivery commitments;
- evaluate the accountability of service providers/agencies and the executive to oversight bodies;
- evaluate the effectiveness of integrity/disciplinary processes implemented by service providers/agencies;
- identify social accountability advocacy opportunities within the public resource management framework and apply basic advocacy skills; and
- apply a set of social accountability monitoring tools to participants’ current work practices and organisation-specific advocacy strategies.
In addition, participants are exposed to several advocacy strategies, including examples of where such advocacy has been effective in the region. They will also be introduced to case studies of effective social accountability monitoring currently being undertaken in the region.
Above left: participants work on a budget analysis assignment. Above right: participants share on their organisation's current work
In order to receive a Rhodes University certificate for this course, participants need to successfully complete an assignment on returning to their country. The assignment will take approximately one working week to complete.
For the next training session on this course, please see the CSA’s calendar.
Feedback from previous course participants
The following comments were included by participants in their overall evaluation of the course:
“It was the best training programme.”
“The overall training was good. The facilitators knew their area well and each session related and
built on the previous session which was very impressive”
“The team was well prepared, knew their area of expertise well and the content was well
researched”
“The training is very useful, informative and very very intense. It really went far beyond my
expectations”
“It was a great experience to spend two weeks with you. The training course I attended with you
was one of the best if not the best I have ever attended”
“The training is very useful to my organisation and country. The skills gained during the training
will be utilised in empowering communities to participate in governance as actors not spectators”