Project Transparency and Accountability
Transparency and accountability are not new concepts — they have been around for a long time. But over the past decade, they have become increasingly central to discussions about how governments can best serve their citizens, particularly about service delivery and public spending.
Project transparency and accountability are two sides of the same coin. The concepts are so intertwined that they are often used interchangeably. Yet, they are distinct and complementary ideas. Transparency, in general terms, means clear or open communication about issues of public interest. Accountability can be defined as the obligation to explain one’s actions, decisions, or policies.
These two ideas are critical for good governance and achieving development results.
Let’s have a look at both concepts.
Transparency
Transparency traditionally refers to giving citizens access to information about government policies, operations, and finances. Citizens can access this information directly or through government agencies that provide it on request.
There are various ways to do this:
- Publish budgets, contracts with vendors and service providers, procurement plans, project reports, or evaluations;
- Provide details about the implementation of a project on a government website;
- Publish regular updates about the implementation of projects through social media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter); or
- Hold community meetings to provide information on the status of projects and answer questions from citizens.
Accountability
Accountability refers to the mechanisms used by citizens to hold government officials responsible for fulfilling their obligations, respecting rights, and using resources responsibly.
The way that accountability will work will vary depending on the context. It will also depend on whether an organization is responsible for implementing a project or if a group of individuals is implementing it.
Project accountability can mean different things, but they all relate to the idea that those responsible for implementing an activity or achieving a goal should be held accountable to those who care about that activity or goal. Accountability can help ensure that projects are successful and achieve their intended goals and objectives.
Key principles of accountability:
- The right to know – the public has a right to information regarding any action or decision of the government;
- Consequences – official misconduct must result in sanctions; otherwise, the principle of accountability has no meaning.
- The right to demand – the public must be able to require officials to explain their acts or decisions;
- The right to redress – individuals must have access to an independent body that can investigate complaints against officials;
Why are project transparency and accountability important?
Transparency and accountability within project management cannot be overstated. A lack of Transparency will often lead to a lack of accountability, which can quickly lead to disaster for your project and your overall business plan.
Stakeholders need to feel comfortable that the project is being managed effectively and efficiently. When stakeholders have no faith in their project manager’s ability, they begin doubting the overall viability.
Project transparency is the openness of the project manager to share all relevant information about the project with all stakeholders, including scope, schedule, and budget performance. Some project managers, as well as some organizations, are reluctant to share this information. They believe that sharing it will make their performance look bad or that they will lose control over their projects. In my experience, however, project transparency is more likely to help a project manager gain control over the project than lose it.
Project accountability is the willingness of the team members to accept responsibility for actions they take (or fail to take) in connection with the project. Accountability is also a way to manage risks by ensuring that someone takes responsibility for managing a specific risk. Some people are uncomfortable holding other people accountable because they do not want to be disliked by those they hold accountable. However, holding people accountable is one way we get things done on a team.
What are the benefits of Transparency and accountability?
Implementing a transparency and accountability strategy can help direct public pressure to change. The benefits of Transparency and accountability are:
- Data collection and analysis become easier.
- Financial transactions become more transparent.
- People have better information about the decisions being made by the government.
- The government can hold individuals more accountable, encouraging more ethical behavior.
- Citizens can more easily monitor the government’s activity and call for any changes they deem necessary.
- It is easier to detect corruption within government agencies, such as bribery or abuse of power.
How can you ensure Transparency and accountability in your projects?
Ensuring Transparency in Projects
As a project manager, it is your responsibility to increase Transparency in projects. These steps will help you do that:
- Plan for Transparency
Transparency is an essential component of successful project management. Set aside time in the planning phase to incorporate Transparency into your project plan.
- Know when and where to share
Establish what information will be shared, with whom, where, and when it will be shared. Include this information in your written project plan.
- Monitor and measure performance
As the project progresses, continue monitoring and measuring performance against your plan. Data from these measurements should be used to decide how to improve Transparency.
Ensuring Accountability in Projects
- Define Roles & Responsibilities for Team Members
Clearly define roles, responsibilities, and expectations for each team member. This goes far toward clarifying who is responsible for what and what is expected of each team member. Be sure to document these agreements in writing, possibly through a contract or an agreement that defines the work and the required deliverables.
- Clarify Reporting Structure
Identify who reports to whom. Everyone needs to know who reports to whom and when to contact them. This will help ensure that everyone knows who is accountable for which tasks. If there are multiple team leads, make sure that they communicate with one another regularly regarding the project to understand who is doing what and how their efforts fit together as part of a larger whole.
- Provide Specific Deadlines:
Setting deadlines for the project helps the team members be accountable for the work. The deadlines are also set to know when a particular task is completed and when it is not. If a team member misses the deadline, he cannot blame others or say they were not informed about it.
- Document Everything:
Everything should be documented while ensuring accountability in projects. If there is any confusion between the team members regarding their roles, they can see what the project manager has documented. The project manager can also review the work of different team members through documents to know how each one performs their role.
- Triggers and Notifications:
The project manager should set triggers and notifications about the due dates for submitting tasks. It will help ensure accountability in projects because it will allow the project manager to ensure that all team members are on track with their assigned tasks. For example, if there is a trigger for a given task on Friday, everyone working on that task will be notified about it so that no one misses it.
Conclusion:
These days, Transparency and accountability are buzzwords that mean a lot to people everywhere. But only a few take them seriously beyond simple slogans. If you want to ensure that your project is both transparent and accountable, it’s helpful to understand what these terms mean and how they fit into a successful project.
Moreover, transparency and accountability don’t happen in a vacuum. They happen together. Be transparent with your team, and they’ll demand accountability from you. Be accountable to your team, and they’ll be more understanding of your need for Transparency.
Research Links:
https://thedigitalprojectmanager.com/value-transparency-project-management/
https://teamdeck.io/team-happiness/project-transparency/
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/project-transparency
https://pmtips.net/article/how-to-make-transparency-a-part-of-projects-dna
https://kissflow.com/project/how-to-improve-project-transparency/
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