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Introduction: COPASAH embarked upon its initiative of starting its series of Social Accountability Dialogues in March this year. This initiative has been carried out to facilitate mutual learning among practitioners and accountability thinkers across the globe as well to enrich the field of social accountability with insights and experiences from the field of accountability practice. The second webinar in the series was held on April 24, 2017; 12 pm GMT on the theme ‘Mapping Social Accountability in Health in ESA’. In this dialogue independent researcher Luul Balestra, shared the findings from a study ‘Mapping Social Accountability in Health in East Southern Africa’ done by her in collaboration with COPASAH during the period of June-October, 2016.
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Discussion and Presentation: In the webinar, supplemented through a presentation, Luul highlighted the trends, successes and challenges for social accountability in ESA and the context, presence of COPASAH in the region and also shared the recommendations as shared by key informants for strengthening COPASAH in the region as deliberated by different social accountability practitioners in the ‘Mapping Social Accountability in Health in ESA’ study. Luul reflected that Social accountability in health is generally seen as growing in the region, with organizations using it as an approach becoming more and more explicit. This approach is also gaining credibility among duty bearers also, due to the trend of linking service users’ feedback to performer’s management. Despite these, the concept is still very new and more sensitization is needed of both institutions and communities. Highlighting upon COPASAH in the region, Luul reflected that most informants thought that COPASAH fills a gap by providing spaces for mutual learning on social accountability in health. According to many, it has a good reputation for being genuinely devoted to advancing the field, rather than individual interests. However, some members thought that COPASAH lacks a clear purpose or an agreement over its purpose. Mutual learning was seen as an important objective, but clarity is needed on the content and purpose of the learning. COPASAH, it was said, should also clarify what values are shared by members. At the same time, many members would like to expand the work of COPASAH to include advocacy.
She also outlined some of the recommendations for COPASAH in East and Southern Africa, as shared by some of the key informants. Based on the findings it is recommended that COPASAH hold an inclusive consultation with active members. Full ownership of COPASAH by East and Southern Africa members should also be encouraged through sound mechanisms, for instance, engagement at the strategic level and through open and regular feedback and maximum transparency. COPASAH should also consider increasing and diversifying activities in the region when possible and so forth. Luul outlined that the findings of the study suggest that practitioners need spaces through which they can amplify their views of their needs and desires. Networks are pivotal in this and they are used by practitioners as wells as a corporations should be maximized through this purpose. This study also includes direct calls to researchers, for instance for more in-depth status on the role of context to promote more nuanced and processed oriented initiatives. Duty bearers are crucial in educating institutions and service providers on social accountability in health. As well as in supporting increased coordination of practitioners nationally. For donors, practitioners advise that support would be better with longer funding cycles or funds dedicated to research and follow-up. She added that the study suggests that networks aimed at providing practitioners with learning opportunities, specifically for social accountability in health, are lacking in the region.
Comments, Questions and Participation: The Dialogue witnessed participation of nearly 14 persons from different geographical locations including Italy, ESA regions including Uganda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia and South Africa. To make the dialogue a participatory one, questions, comments and insights were also sought from the participants. The participants had a number of inputs and queries for the presenter and some of these are: The challenge of civil society organization repression is a strong word to generalize, if it could be clarified clarify that with some examples; what does the presenter mean by social determinants being less prominent than work on health distance components; will COPASAH be able to support the community engagement in Eastern Southern Africa and so forth.
She also outlined some of the recommendations for COPASAH in East and Southern Africa, as shared by some of the key informants. Based on the findings it is recommended that COPASAH hold an inclusive consultation with active members. Full ownership of COPASAH by East and Southern Africa members should also be encouraged through sound mechanisms, for instance, engagement at the strategic level and through open and regular feedback and maximum transparency. COPASAH should also consider increasing and diversifying activities in the region when possible and so forth. Luul outlined that the findings of the study suggest that practitioners need spaces through which they can amplify their views of their needs and desires. Networks are pivotal in this and they are used by practitioners as wells as a corporations should be maximized through this purpose. This study also includes direct calls to researchers, for instance for more in-depth status on the role of context to promote more nuanced and processed oriented initiatives. Duty bearers are crucial in educating institutions and service providers on social accountability in health. As well as in supporting increased coordination of practitioners nationally. For donors, practitioners advise that support would be better with longer funding cycles or funds dedicated to research and follow-up. She added that the study suggests that networks aimed at providing practitioners with learning opportunities, specifically for social accountability in health, are lacking in the region.
Comments, Questions and Participation: The Dialogue witnessed participation of nearly 14 persons from different geographical locations including Italy, ESA regions including Uganda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia and South Africa. To make the dialogue a participatory one, questions, comments and insights were also sought from the participants. The participants had a number of inputs and queries for the presenter and some of these are: The challenge of civil society organization repression is a strong word to generalize, if it could be clarified clarify that with some examples; what does the presenter mean by social determinants being less prominent than work on health distance components; will COPASAH be able to support the community engagement in Eastern Southern Africa and so forth.