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Untangling blame and responsibility for service delivery and local governance performance: testing a grounded social accountability approach in Tanzania

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  • Anna Mdee
  • Andrew Mushi

Abstract

We examine the gap between theory and practice in social accountability mechanisms to improve local governance performance in Tanzania. We do so through drawing on an ethnographic investigation tracing lines of blame and responsibility for service delivery, from individual citizens up to the central state incorporating a total of 340 interviews and 12 focussed group discussions. We have two keys findings: Firstly, that there is a wide divergence between formal lines of accountability and where actors direct blame for performance failure in practice. Secondly, building a collective understanding of this divergence provides an effective starting point for intervention to improve performance. Our conclusion is that dominant assumptions on social accountability interventions require significant revision in light of our findings.

Suggested Citation

  • Anna Mdee & Andrew Mushi, 2021. "Untangling blame and responsibility for service delivery and local governance performance: testing a grounded social accountability approach in Tanzania," Local Government Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 47(6), pages 993-1013, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:flgsxx:v:47:y:2021:i:6:p:993-1013
    DOI: 10.1080/03003930.2020.1842735
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    1. repec:hal:journl:hal-04679504 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Ruth Smith & Anna Mdee & Susannah Sallu, 2023. "How gender mainstreaming plays out in Tanzania's climate‐smart agricultural policy: Isomorphic mimicry of international discourse," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 41(6), November.

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