This chapter from Capacity Development in Practice examines the conflict in the field of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) between the need for ‘accountability’ and the desire to ensure ‘learning’.
"The tug-of-war between learning and accountability is nonsensical. They need each other. Understanding effectiveness requires both." (Guijt 2010)
Contents
- Exploding the Myth of Incompatibility between Accountability and Learning
- Understanding the tug-of-war
- Practical limitations
- Capacity constraints
- Economic and political trends
- Context constraints (and incentives)
- Organizational culture
- Philosophical simplicity
- Ideas that trap and ideas that liberate
- Trap 1: Defining learning and accountability to see convergence
- Idea 1: Clarifying learning purposes – including accountability
- Trap 2: Predicting and controlling an idealized world
- Idea 2: Adapting expectations of accountability and learning to contextual characteristics
- Converging capacities
- Arm-in-arm: Principles, practices and basic good ideas to resolve the tension
Sources
Guijt, I. (2010). Accountability and Learning. In Capacity Development in Practice. (pp. 277-291). London, UK: EarthScan. Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20180712201900/http://snv-website-2015.live.dpdk.com/public/cms/sites/default/files/explore/download/capacity_development_in_practice.pdf (archived link)
'Exploding the myth of incompatibility between accountability and learning' is referenced in:
Blog
Framework/Guide
- Rainbow Framework :
- Evaluation career guide :