The PRIA Global Partnership (PGP) launched its newsletter Global Partnership. The first issue of the newsletter features PGP’s recent activities including an article on the Participatory Planning in East Asia maping study which they did in partnership with ANSA EAP. The article was written by Mr. Kaustuv Kanti Bandyopadhyay, the Director of PRIA. In the article, he discussed the impact of participatory planning on social accountability:
“Participatory planning has made positive impact on strengthening and institutionalising social accountability. It has led to dissemination of information, including information on planning processes, budget allocations and assessment of previous performance. It has also set up and strengthened grievance redressal by making available a system, giving it publicity, ensuring effectiveness of that system and responsiveness of authorities in addressing registered grievances.”
and the issues and challenges in trying to institutionalize participatory planning in East Asia.
“There are a number of challenges with regard to institutionalisation of social accountability in participatory planning process, including
- Capacity gaps
- Low participation
- Long wish list
- Weak downward accountability”