5. Accountability monitoring

The term ‘accountability monitoring’ is used to mean the monitoring of our performance on accountability, such as through our compliance with the CARE Humanitarian Accountability Framework.

Accountability monitoring can help CARE to:

• Check that the accountability systems that have been set up are working effectively.
• Focus our monitoring on approach, processes, relationships and behaviours, quality of work, satisfaction as well as outputs and activities.
• Priortise listening to the views of disaster affected people to assess our impact and identify improvements.
• Provide a feedback opportunity for staff, communities and other key stakeholders to comment on our response and how we are complying with our standards and benchmarks.

Accountability monitoring contributes to CARE’s overall monitoring and evaluation activities. Aspects can be integrated into other project monitoring tools, or carried out as a specific activity e.g. a beneficiary satisfaction survey or FGD (Focus Group Discussion) to solicit feedback and complaint from vulnerable groups in isolated communities as part of a formal complaints mechanism. Ideally, accountability should be built into project proposals from the outset.

CARE’s HAF and Sphere can be used to help develop staff design monitoring tools for use with staff, partners, communities and local authorities.

Some examples can be found at Annex 9.17 Sample of accountability monitoring tools, including:

• Checklists.
• Simple questionnaires.
• Focus group discussion tools.
• Staff review tools.
• Monitoring tool to help research into local communities’ views.

Accountability data (including complaints data) needs to be incorporated into monitoring reporting, alongside monitoring of project progress.