The Dynamic Accountability Community of Practice August Newsletter!

Accountability in Action

Jack Cornforth (CIVICUS) and Bao Han Tranle (Accountable Now): "Engaging Communities: Beyond Talking"

Previous newsletters have emphasised the importance of staying accountable by keeping stakeholders engaged during these challenging times. However maintaining interest and energy is likely a big challenge here for both staff and wider audiences. We therefore take a look at how two organisations are trying to address this head on by using creative dialogue formats which enable their stakeholders to express themselves and their experiences in more artistic ways, and hear about some positive outcomes emerging from these new approaches. Click here to read more!

Community Spotlight!

Megan Sayers @ Keystone Accountability: "Combatting the Passivity of the ‘New Normal’"

Megan (a member of our DACoP team!) outlines how her organisation is trying to defy passivity and get clarity on what COVID-19 really means for their partners and constituents. This includes a micro-survey project launched in response to the pandemic, with the article explaining why they have taken this approach and what they have learned from listening to their stakeholders during these difficult times. Click here to read her article!

  Upcoming Events & Opportunities  

• DACoP invites you to our interactive Digital Dilemma event that is bringing together different organisations to share their experiences and ideas for ensuring more inclusive and effective digital collaboration. This includes how we can connect online spaces more effectively and meaningfully with offline communities, to ensure their rights to participate and advocate on decisions affecting their lives are upheld. RSVP here!
   
• CIVICUS Global Learning Exchange on Legitimacy, Transparency and Accountability (LTA) events:
  1) Contextualising LTA in Central Asia: 13:00-14:30 GMT+2, 16th Sept
  2) Reflecting on LTA and Continuing the Conversation: 14:00-15:30 GMT+2, 23rd Sept
  Webinar sign-up forms will be sent via the DACoP Google Group in the preceding week, so make sure you join here!
   
• Open Gov Youth Collective has developed a survey on young people and parliaments with support from Accountability Lab and Restless Development. The survey explores how young people view their parliament, and if and how they engage with the institution. Available in English, French and Spanish. Your views will help to start the conversation on youth engagement with parliaments. Open until late August.

   Resources   

• Anti-Corruption Resources Centre, Supporting Civil Society During the COVID-19 Pandemic. This resource highlights the challenges and opportunities for civil society during this difficult time, and poses different solutions to encouraging further participation.
   
• NCVO, How to Engage with Your Community. Practical tips from the UK National Council for Voluntary Organisations on how to engage with your constituents, complete with real life examples and results.
   
• Feedback Labs, Feedback Fundamentals. This series of resources explains why feedback is so important, and takes you through each component in the feedback cycle to enable organisations to design and collect insights from communities in the most positive way.
   
• Perry Maddox, I became less trustworthy when I became a CEO. Here’s how to rebuild trust. This blog post by Restless Development's CEO outlines how leaders of NGOs and CSOs can start the process on rebuilding trust from within.