Speakers:
- Stuti Khemani, Senior Economist, World Bank (Video | Presentation)
- Raymond C. Offenheiser, President and CEO, Oxfam America (Video | Presentation)
Discussants:
- Katrina Kosec, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI (Video)
- Tewodaj Mogues, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI (Video)
Moderator:
- Ruth Meinzen-Dick, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) call for public decision-makers to deliver high quality public goods for the poor in agriculture, health, education, and other areas. However, if public leaders lack proper incentives and professional behavioral norms, no amount of evidence on good policies, or, funding to finance public investments, will make the SDGs a reality. Several international development agencies have long been advocating for a greater role for citizens in improving accountability and governance for development results. Is there any new research to offer to policymakers and development practitioners? What are the lessons from the experience of those who work on the ground to design and implement programs?
By bringing together leading researchers and practitioners on these themes, this Special Event explored how accountability matters for development, and how public leaders can be made more accountable for delivering upon the SDGs. Stuti Khemani presented the main messages of the new World Bank policy research report Making Politics Work for Development: Harnessing Transparency and Citizen Engagement, shedding light on how citizen engagement in the selection and sanctioning of public leaders is the key to understanding and solving government failures. Ray Offenheiser reflected on programmatic and policy work, highlighting the on-the-ground difference that a rights-based approach to development makes in the lives of poor women and men. Tewodaj Mogues and Katrina Kosec discussed these insights, drawing upon their own research and experience in this area.
For more, see this blog post about the event.