Reflection for Better Local Government Service Delivery to Communities

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Siem Reap - World Vision, with 145 Community Accountability Facilitators (CAF) and local government officers from across the province, came together for their annual reflection on the “Voice and Action: Social Accountability for Improved Services Delivery or Implementation for Social Accountability Framework (ISAF)” project implementation, a reflection for better local Government service delivery to communities. This reflection workshop was presided over by His Excellency Thor Souny, a provincial council member, in Siem Reap provincial hall in December, 2016.

...royal government of Cambodia... encourage the leadership style of being a servant with high responsibility and accountability.

“Voice and Action: Social Accountability for Improved Services Delivery” project is implemented within the Royal Government of Cambodia strategic plan for social accountability in sub-national democratic development – Implementation of Social Accountability Framework (ISAF). ISAF aims to empower citizens and local communities (particularly youth, women and disadvantaged group) to be better informed about public services and budgets, voice their opinions and needs and collaborate actively with state actors to improve local governance and the delivery of essential public services, such as education, health and commune administration. 

“This workshop reflects a high commitment of royal government of Cambodia for well-functioning democracy at the grassroots level and to encourage the leadership style of being a servant with high responsibility and accountability,” said H.E. Thor Souny.

The National Committee for Sub-National Democratic Development Secretariat (NCDDS), representing the Royal Government of Cambodia, and five civil society organisations signed the Memorandum of Understanding on the Implementation Plan for Social Accountability Framework in March 2016 and the launching was taken place in December 2016.

In 2013, the Royal Government of Cambodia approved a Social Accountability Strategic Plan developed by NCDD in consultation with civil society organizations and other stakeholders which defines the process and activities to be undertaken on both the supply side (the NCDDS, Sub-National Councils and public service providers), and the demand side (citizens, communities and NGOs).

Rath Romany, World Vision’s Technical Officer for Voice and Action: Social Accountability for Improved Services Delivery or ISAF said, “World Vision’s ISAF project in Siem Reap is implemented in three districts including Kralanh, Varin and Chikreng district. We aim for good governance, citizen empowerment, a good relationship between citizens and government and the strengthening of good service to citizens.”

“Through reflection, we can see that several service providers understand their roles well, and citizens also understand their right to receive accurate information and know what the service providers do,” she added. 

We aim for good governance, citizen empowerment, a good relationship between citizens and government and the strengthening of good service to citizens.

World Vision has been working closely with 442 Community Accountability Facilitators (CAF) who play very active roles to strengthening the relationship between community and local service providers to take action for positive change in Kampong Thom, Siem Reap and Banteay Meanchey.

World Vision’s Voice and Action project is an implementation project of ISAF in Cambodia. The project is funded by the Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF) through the World Bank in Cambodia, to implement and support the improvement of service delivery in 75 health centres, 171 Primary School within 87 communes across the country in 2016 and the scale up plan to increase to 208 Health Centre, 439 Primary Schools within 220 communes in 2017 and 2018.