Accountability Ecosystems in the Pacific

The research aims to foster locally-led understandings of and approaches to accountability – recognising that the most relevant and effective mechanisms of accountability will come from Pacific Islanders, not outsiders.

The research examines and documents Pacific understandings of accountability and maps the relevant actors, relationships and power dynamics at play in the accountability ecosystem in six countries, spanning the North and South Pacific. The research deepens understandings of how accountability and oversight is thought about and enacted in diverse ways across the Pacific, as well as within countries, and identifies key actors and potential opportunities for strengthening accountability.

Project outputs to date:

• Synthesis report: The Political Economy of accountability ecosystems - Charting a new course in the Pacific - authored by Lisa Denney, Glenn Bond, Aidan Craney and Allan Mua Illingworth.
• Kiribati Country Study - authored by Aidan Craney and Tearinaki Tanielu.
• Solomon Islands Country Study - authored by Ali Tuhanuku and Aidan Craney.
• Vanuatu Country Study - authored by Gregoire Nimbtik and Allan Mua Illingworth.
• Tuvalu Country Study - authored by Tala Simeti and Allan Mua Illingworth,
• Palau Country Study - authored by Aidan Craney and Bernadett Besebes
• Responsive Governance in the Pacific - building off the Centre’s EU-funded research for UNDP on the political economy of accountability ecosystems in the Pacific, Adjunct Research Fellow Glenn Bond has developed a policy paper that sets out potential conceptual framings for UNDP’s responsive governance work.
• A literature review summarises key literature on accountability for responsive governance globally as well as within the Pacific,  situating the research project in wider debates and providing a consistent baseline understanding of the scope of accountability ecosystems, and what influences its various interpretations, to inform the country studies that follow.
• A blog on the Developmental Leadership Program website introduces the research and summarises some of the emerging themes the country studies will pick up on.

We continue to support UNDP’s Vaka Pasifika program through action research accompaniment of ‘Fellowship Schemes’ in two countries (Solomon Islands and Tuvalu). These Fellowships bring together like-minded national advocates for accountability to work in coalition to progress locally determined accountability initiatives. Across both countries, these have focused on improved accountability for constituency development funds. The CHSSC is working with national researchers in each country to conduct action research of the Fellowship Schemes, documenting their process, learning and results.

The research is being led by our Director, Lisa Denney with support from Adjunct Research Fellow Allan Illingworth, Research Fellow Aidan Craney, Adjunct Research Fellow Glenn Bond, Research Assistant Serena Ford and Pacific researchers Gregoire Nimbtik (Vanuatu), Ali Tuhanuku (Solomon Islands), Tala Simeti (Tuvalu), Vasa Saitala (Tuvalu), Tearinaki Tanielu (Kiribati), Bernadett Besebes (Palau) and Mahoney Mori (Federated States of Micronesia).