09 November 2010 19:44:33 by
Harsh Jaitli
Voluntary development organizations are passing through a critical phase worldwide. in some cases stringent laws are being passed to regulate them, even by the most democratic regimes. This is impacting on the space available for social action. Harsh Jaitli, Chief Executive Officer, Voluntary Action Network India (VANI), presents a case study from India illustrating how legislation has attempted to address the difficulty in monitoring the numerous types of organizations ‘managed’ by a particular Act.
11 October 2010 18:53:12 by
Balasubramanyam Chandramohan
Current mechanisms for assessing and enforcing accountability for different types of organisations usually focus on only one dimension of accountability. We need to start adopting a creative and well-rounded approach to make institutional accountability a strong and positive force for achieving broader impact on society. Chandra, a member of Governing Board and Projects Secretary of Council for Education in the Commonwealth, asks how accountability commitments may vary between organisations and also whether there are any commonalities on good practice.
11 October 2010 18:12:46 by
Anabel Cruz
We have had a very interesting and illuminating exchange on CSO self-regulation. The different perspectives presented from different parts of the world, and from diverse experiences, tell us about the importance of CSO self-regulation as a mechanism for accountability to our different stakeholders, and to demonstrate the sector’s commitment to accountability to a wider audience. This post contains my summary and closing comments for the discussion.
13 September 2010 14:56:54 by
Anabel Cruz
Civil society self regulation is becoming an important debate that CSOs are engaging with. There are many forms of self regulation that the sector in different parts of the world is developing. Anabel Cruz, Director of the Communication and Development Institute, Uruguay and currently the Chair of CIVICUS, asks how we need to structure self regulation and what we need to do to generate awareness and support from stakeholders.
16 August 2010 14:38:46 by
Rodney Grant
Public perception of the civil society sector has an impact on its operations, sustainability and also the sector’s ability to advocate effectively. What can we do to position ourselves better and communicate in a much more effective manner? Rodney Grant from the Barbados Association of NGOs asks whether these perceptions really do impact CSO operations and if so what can we do to affect it?