Marie Michael Library

Shifting power? Assessing the impact of transparency and accountability initiatives

McGee, Rosie; Gaventa, John

This paper arises from a review of the impact and effectiveness of transparency and accountability initiatives. It examines the debates surrounding governance and accountability work. It describes how choices about methods are made in the context of impact assessment designs driven by different objectives and intentions. The authors argue there is a need to re-think what impact means in relation to accountability initiatives, and to governance and social change efforts.