Closing feedback loops: From engaged citizens to more responsive governments

This webpage from The World Bank Institute looks at the impact of citizen engagement on development outcomes.

Outlining this idea and providing links to five key World Bank resources on this area, the page provides detailed guidance on closing feedback loops. 

Excerpt

"Recent experiences of citizen movements from around the world have highlighted the urgent need to fundamentally rethink traditional governance models towards a new approach that is based on a more open, direct, and inclusive engagement with citizens. 

The rapid spread of new technologies is transforming the daily lives of millions of poor people around the world and has the potential to be a real game changer for development. Innovations in technology are empowering citizens to make their voices heard and to better participate in decision-making processes in the governance of villages, cities, states and countries.

But many questions remain: What is the impact of citizen engagement on development outcomes? 

• Can enhanced transparency be translated into improved accountability and better development outcomes on the ground?
• Can citizen engagement programs make governments more responsive and improve the delivery and quality of public services?
• Can Citizen Engagement programs make the development process more inclusive and empower marginalized communities to better participate in decision-making processes?
• What is the role new technologies are playing? Can ICTs be an accelerator for development and close the accountability gap?"

Contents

• Closing the Feedback Loop: Can Technology Amplify Citizen Voices
• The Loch Ness Model: Can ICTs Bridge the “Accountability Gap”?
• The Role of Crowdsourcing for Better Governance in Fragile State Contexts 
• Malawi’s open aid map

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• Interactive Community Mapping: Between Empowerment and Effectiveness