SAS Learning Materials

FIRST SOCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY SCHOOL IN CAMBODIA

The Social Accountability School will offer the theory and practice in social accountability in general terms on the first week (which can be taken as a stand alone one week course).  Attendance and participation in the basic orientation Course on Social Accountability is a requirement to attend and participate in the succeeding skills build modules. The second and third week will concentrate on social accountability practices within the land and natural resource management sector.

Basic Orientation Course in Social Accountability – the course will offer the theory and practice of social accountability as experienced in the world especially India and the Philippines as well as some examples in Cambodia. The course outline is  as follows:

COURSE / MODULE
Day 1: March 24, 2008
Understanding Governance and the Ethics of Governance

Day 2: March 25, 2008
Building Dialogue with Government and Consensus Building/Negotiation

Day 3: March 26, 2008
Role of civil society organizations (CSO) in governance and citizenship

Day 4: March 27, 2008
Civic Engagement and Coalition Building

Day 5: March 28, 2008
Communication and Use of Media

Day 6: March 29, 2008
Procurement and Fund Tracking of National Ministries

Day 7-9: March 31 to April 2, 2008
Civic Engagement and Coalition Building This course will strengthen participants’ perspective on the importance of civic engagement in ensuring social accountability .It will explore the significance of coalition building as a form of civic engagement. The meaning, principles and process of coalition building will be collectively explored and contextualized, with the aid of international exemplars and participatory exercises. Critical assessment of benefits as well as challenges of coalition building will be an integral part of this course.

Building Dialogue with Government and Consensus Building/Negotiation The course develops skills on dialogue and consensus-building as applied to natural resources management cases. It facilitates understanding of the natural resources governance in the Cambodian context. It identifies opportunities for dialogue and consensus-building and imparts communication skills and tools, including listening skills, language and emotions. It utilizes role-playing exercises using hypothetical cases on natural resources governance.

Procurement and Fund tracking of National Ministries The course showcases civil society initiatives that had been used to track the expenditures of different national agencies in the Philippines. It will feature experiences in tool development, collaboration with government, networking and mobilization of citizens. Lessons learned from these initiatives shall also be shared in an interactive discussion that explores the applicability of the experiences in the Cambodian setting.

Day 10-12: April 3-5, 2008
Building dialogue and Consensus Building

Participatory Planning and Local Governance The course aims to strengthen participants’ understanding on Local Self Governance and role of civil society in ensuring the same. With the assistance of illustrations and interactive exercises, the course will strengthen participants’ perspectives on participatory planning processes and methodologies, within the context of local self-governance. Drawing lessons from the Indian experience, it will also assist participants to apply the learning to their unique context.

Day 13-14: April 7-9, 2008
Communication and Use of Media The Course will facilitate understanding on different modes of communication and how they can contribute in ensuring social accountability. The focus will be on understanding the relevance and role of Media in holding the state and market accountable. The course will assist the participants to address critical issues like; how civil society in Cambodia can engage with Media; what are the different ways of engagement; what are the underlined challenges of doing so; and other operational challenges.  

Day 13-14: April 7-9, 2008
Participatory Planning and Good governance

Click here to view details and to link to SAS1 learning materials, click here.

OBJECTIVES

1. Developing better appreciation of the public value of social accountability by tracing its links to good governance and the concept of demand for good governance;
2. Introducing global ideas, policies, practices, and tools on social accountability especially those applicable to decentralization and de-concentration agenda in Cambodia;
3. Stimulating a shared process of creative approaches to engaging government through the application of social accountability tools and approaches; and
4. Encouraging strong and active organizational commitment for the participant's learning in the Social Accountability School and their social accountability projects.

PROGRAMME DESIGN
Day 1: 17 November, Monday
Module I: Conceptual Understanding of Social Accountability and Decentralization

Objective: Developing conceptual understanding on social accountability, good governance, decentralization and deconcentration

1. Introduction, Setting the Stage, Expectation Analysis, Ground Rules
2. Rationale, Objectives, Design, Activities, Expected Outputs
3. Setting up study circles, Distributing learning materials, and Reading
4. The Fastest Learning Group Award (Learning Assessment)

- Understanding the Concepts of Good Governance, Decentralization & Deconcentration and Social Accountability

1. Processing and wrap up

Day 2, 18 November, Tuesday

1. Ethics and Public Value in Good Governance

- Rule of Law
- Participation, Right to Information/Transparency
- Accountability
- Role of Government and Citizens

1. Importance/Rationale for D & D
2. Frameworks for Decentralization: Global Overview
3. Legal Frameworks of Decentralization & Deconcentration in Cambodia
4. Understanding Social Accountability (including exemplars)

- Civic Engagement
- Citizenship - Rights and Responsibilities
- Mobilized/Organized Civic Actions

1. Processing and wrap up

Day 3: 19 November, Wednesday

1. Individual and Group Sharing: Social Accountability in the Context of Decentralization & Deconcentration
2. Diagnostic Frameworks for Local Governance/ Decentralization & Deconcentration
3. Presentation, Discussion and Consolidation
4. Civil Society Engagement in Local Governance: Case Exemplars
5. Case 1: LAAR
6. Galing Pook: Performance Evaluation and Award
7. PRIA: Working on the Demand and Supply Sides of Local Governance in India
8. Guidelines for Project Ideas Generation
9. Identify three (3) top most and concrete social accountability problems or issues you want to address in relation to Decentralization & Deconcentration and local service delivery.
10. Describe the changed situation you want to see in connection to these problems of social accountability? Who are the key actors involved in these changes?
11. What action(s) do you propose?
12. Wrap Up and instructions for next day (split the participants into two groups and instruct them where to go for the following day’s session)

Module II: Social Accountability Tools and Approaches
Objective: Developing skills on selected social accountability tools and techniques and developing strategies to adapt them in Cambodian context

Day 4: 20-21 November, Thursday
Module IIA: Performance Monitoring of Local Governance – I
Framework for Performance Monitoring (2 groups)
Tool 1: Introduction to Report Card

1. Steps to implementation of Report Card
2. Case studies in the practice of Report Card
3. Exercise on Report Card

Tool 2: Introduction to Social Audit

1. Steps to implementation of Social Audit
2. Case studies in the practice of Social Audit
3. Exercise on Social Audit

Day 6: 22 November, Saturday (Split 2 groups)
Module IIB: Participatory Planning in Local Governance

1. Understanding Participatory Planning
2. What is participatory planning?
3. Why is participation in planning required?
4. What are the principles of participatory planning?
5. Movie on Participatory Planning and Discussion
6. Steps in Participatory Planning­
7. Identify the site and the stakeholders
8. Environment building: create demand for participation in planning
9. Data collection: situation, resource, problems, target groups – PR/PRA tools
10. Data analysis: problem prioritization and identification of solutions
11. Develop action plan:  activities, budgets, resources allocation, time frame, responsibility
12. Develop plan to monitor implementation of the plan – ensure social accountability vis-à-vis expenditure tracking, participatory budget meetings
13. Participatory Methodologies
14. Understanding participatory approaches
15. Participatory Research (PR) and Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) Approaches
16. Application in different stages of participatory planning
17. Participatory Planning in Action

Simulating a village situation; undertake the following exercise as community members, for the given case study:
- Situational analysis - stakeholders, resources, problems
- Presentation of group reports and feedback
- Processing and wrap up

Day 7: 24 November, Monday (Split 2 group)
- Problem prioritisation and identification of solutions
- Develop action plan:  activities, budgets, resources allocation, time frame, responsibility
- Develop plan to monitor implementation of the action plan
- Presentation of group reports and feedback
- Generating Project Ideas on Participatory Planning in Local Governance
- Processing and wrap up (connect the dots)

Day 8-9: 25-26 November, Tuesday
Module IIC: Performance Monitoring of Local Governance – II
Tool 3: Expenditure Tracking 
             Wrap up – connect the dots
Tool 4: Local Grievance/ Dispute Resolution Mechanisms
            Wrap up – connect the dots

Day 10: 27 November, Thursday
            Project Proposal Preparation and Mentoring (Facilitator Group 1 & Group 2)

 Day 11, 28 November, Friday
            Continued
            Synthesis, Wrap Up, Closure
            Post SAS2:

1. Diploma (Training hours, essay writing guidelines etc.)
2. Proposal Guidelines (NB emphasize that this is not connected to diploma)
3. Mentoring – Coaching and Exposure Visit (MCEV) 
4. SAS Alumni Group (SA Champions of Cambodia)
5. SA Network - ANSA

- Overall synthesis – Wrap up of entire SAS2
- Break – set up of the closing ceremony
- Speeches
- Handing out of Certificates
- Dinner

Click here to view details and to link to SAS2 learning materials, click here.

Social Accountability in the Context of Democratic Decentralization in Cambodia

Date: 26 May – 06 June 2009
Venue: <National Institute of Education (NIE), Phnom Penh>

Objectives:

1. Developing better appreciation of the public value of Social Accountability by tracing its links to good governance;
2. Introducing global ideas, strategies, practices and tools on Social Accountability especially those applicable to democratic decentralization agenda in Cambodia;
3. Stimulating a shared process of creative approaches to engaging government through the application of Social Accountability tools and approaches;
4. Developing better understanding on the role of media in promoting Social Accountability; and
5. Encouraging individual and collective commitment and action through Social Accountability projects.

PROGRAMME DESIGN
26th May 2009, Tuesday
Module 1: Foundation on Social Accountability and Good Governance
Learning Objective: To develop conceptual understanding on good governance, democratic decentralization and social accountability and the inter-connectedness of these three concepts
                Study Circle
                Group Quiz Competition
- Basics of Social Accountability, Good Governance and Democratic Decentralization
- Orientation on Learning Journal
- Wrap Up

27th May 2009, Wednesday
                Recapitulation by participants
                Understanding Good Governance

1. Formulating a working definition of ‘good governance’
2. Relevance of ‘Demand for Good Governance’

- Understanding Democratic Decentralization

1. Formulating a working definition of ‘democracy’ and ‘decentralization’
2. Connection between democracy and decentralization

- Understanding Social Accountability

1. Formulating a working definition of ‘social accountability’
2. Key elements of social accountability
3. A Few Examples of Social Accountability in the Context of Democratic Decentralization

- Conceptual Connection between Good Governance, Democratic Decentralization and Social Accountability
- Wrap Up

28th May 2009, Thursday
                Examples of connections between Good Governance, Democratic Decentralization and Social Accountability

Module 2: Deepening Understanding on Democratic Decentralization and Social Accountability
Learning Objective:
(i) To develop an understanding on the democratic decentralisation through global and Cambodian practices;
(ii) To analyze and identify spaces for promoting social accountability in democratic decentralization process in Cambodia.
                Recapitulation by participants
                Importance and Rationale for Democratic Decentralization
                Basic Understanding on Frameworks for Decentralization
                Wrap Up

29th May 2009, Friday
                Recapitulation by participants
- Re-enforcing previous day’s learning through Question and Answer
- Legal Frameworks of Democratic Decentralization in Cambodia
- Comparative Analysis of Legal Frameworks on Democratic Decentralization
- Presentations on Comparative Analysis of Legal Frameworks on Democratic Decentralisation
- Frameworks for Decentralization: Global Overview (exemplary provisions in legal frameworks of decentralization in other countries e.g. South Africa, India, The Philippines)
- Wrap Up

30th May 2009, Saturday
                Recapitulation by Participants
- Reinforcing previous day’s learning through Question and Answer
- Case Exemplars on Civil Society Engagement in Democratic Decentralization
- Case 1: Report Card by CCSP, Cambodia
- Case 2: Naga/Iloilo, The Philippines
- Case 3: Social Audit, India
- Key Learning from Case Exemplars
- Concretizing Understanding on Good Governance, Democratic Decentralisation and Social Accountability
- I ndividual and Group Sharing: Social Accountability in the Context of Democratic Decentralization
- Wrap Up

Learning Objective: To strengthen perspectives and skills on participatory planning as social accountability approach in the context of democratic decentralization in Cambodia

1st June 2009, Monday
- Understanding Participatory Planning

1. What is participatory planning?
2. Why is participation in planning required?
3. What are the principles of participatory planning?

- Movie on Participatory Planning and Discussion
- Steps in Participatory Planning­

1. Identify the site and the stakeholders
2. Environment building: create demand for participation in planning
3. Data collection: situation, resource, problems, target groups – PR/PRA tools
4. Data analysis: problem prioritization and identification of solutions
5. Develop action plan:  activities, budgets, resources allocation, time frame, responsibility
6. Develop plan to monitor implementation of the plan – ensure social accountability vis-à-vis expenditure tracking, participatory budget meetings

- Session Continued
- Wrap Up

2nd June 2009, Tuesday
                Recapitulation by Participants
- Reinforcing Previous Day’s Learning through Question and Answer
- Participatory Methodologies

1. Understanding participatory approaches
2. Participatory Research (PR) and Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) Approaches
3. Application in different stages of participatory planning

- Participatory Planning in Action
Simulating a village situation; undertake the following exercise as community members, for the given case study:
- Situational analysis - stakeholders, resources, problems
- Presentation of group reports and feedback
- Problem prioritization and identification of solutions
- Recapitulation by Participants
- Reinforcing Previous Day’s Learning through Question and Answer
- Develop action plan:  activities, budgets, resources allocation, time frame, responsibility
- Develop plan to monitor implementation of the action plan
- Presentation of group reports and feedback

Module 3B: Local Budgeting and Expenditure Tracking in the Context of Democratic Decentralization
Learning Objectives:
(i) Situate the social accountability framework in the participants’ existing experiences, practices and projects;
(ii) Deepen participants’ understanding of local budgeting and expenditure management processes and issues in Cambodia;
(iii) Introduce SAc tools and approaches for tracking local budgeting and expenditure processes in Cambodia; and
(iv) Strengthen commitment to engage with commune/sangkat councils in local public financial management.
            Identifying learning expectations
- Framework for analyzing commune/sangkat issues
- Mix and match game: Commune and sangkat development planning cycle
- Group game: Commune and sangkat investment program cycle
- Group Game: Monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the commune or sangkat investment plan
- Exercise on local budget preparation
- Game: Commune/sangkat budget management
- Learning management

4th June 2009,Thursday
                Recapitulation by participants
                The Commune/Sangkat Fund: Exercise on the key steps in project preparation
- Technical clearance: checking for a local project’s technical standards
                Quiz game: Procurement and contract management in Cambodia and Philippines
                Developing a procurement monitoring and evaluation plan/tool
                Group reports
                Role-playing: Partnering with the government
                Learning management

5th June 2009,Friday
                Recapitulation by participants
                Critiquing and assessment
                Exercise on effective critical engagement
                Group game: Performing technical audits of projects
                Video presentation: Social accountability models
                Rural Infrastructure and local Governance
                Learning management
                Recapitulation by participants on the various modules

6th June 2009, Saturday
                Project Proposal Consultation
                Project Proposal Consultation
                Closing

Click here to view details and to link to SAS3 learning materials, click here.