VISUAL TIMELINE OF THE COURSE BY THE ACCOUNTABILITY INITIATIVE

There are limited opportunities for Civil Society Organisation staff and aspiring development practitioners in rural India to build their conceptual skills on governance. Accountability Initiative’s course – Hum Aur Humaari Sarkaar – is a step to bridge this capability gap. In mid-March, the first ‘open’ course was conducted in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Applications were invited from all over the state. After a selection process, staff from 6 NGOs and students from leading state universities were accepted into the course. All exhibited potential to effect positive change by actively monitoring the way public services are delivered.

To give the participants the conceptual skills they need to engage with the government system, course curriculum is based on evidence from Accountability Initiative’s research and features hands on practical tips. Their lessons included: planning and budgeting at the Gram Panchayat level, understanding the complexities of the bureaucratic set-up responsible for service delivery, and the financial architecture of government schemes. Cutting edge academic theory on public administration and finance informs the course.