Overview: 21st Century Accountability
“The world is awash with accountability. And yet some of our greatest achievements in accountability are now characterised by bureaucratic excess and decay, if not outright greed and corruption. Just as yesterday's innovations were once a sign of great hope, we must reinvent accountability for the 21st century.”
Anwar Ibrahim, former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia and current Honorary President of AccountAbility
20th century innovations in accountability are under severe stress. As the boundaries blur between state bureaucracy, transnational corporation, intergovernmental agency and not-for-profit, traditional accountabilities are no longer fit for purpose.
Our work seeks to reinvent the key institutional dimensions of accountability:
- Organisational accountability -What tools and approaches will enable organisations to be innovative, effective and accountable?
- Competitiveness - How can markets be reshaped to reward social and environmental innovation?
Collaborative governance - What kinds of goverance and accountability mechanisms can secure the accountability and effectiveness of today's extraordinary multi-sector partnerships?
Citizen participation - How can individuals have a say in the decisions which affect them, in our globalised world?
