"Civil Society: A Missing Link in Development" featured examples from the Transparency and Accountability Program (TAP) of how civil society can drive policy change to improve health services for the poor. TAP awards grants to independent monitoring organizations in order to promote improvements in public sector social spending and decision making. The sessions's panelists included:
• George Cheriyan, Consumer Unity and Trust Society, India
• Neil Overy, Public Service Accountability Monitor, South Africa
• Denis Kibera, Coalition for Health Promotion and Social Development, Uganda
• Courtney Tolmie, Results for Development (Transparency and Accountability Program), USA
The session was moderated by Nicholas Burnett, a Managing Director of the Institute, and included Jeff Sturchio of the Global Health Council and Nicole Klingen of the World Bank as discussants.
The session examined how the three TAP grantees tackled public accountability problems from stock outs in pharmacies to misuse of government equipment. The presentations revealed how civil society groups can identify problems in the public sector through analysis and move forward to mobilize resources, launch media campaigns and propose reform to enact meaningful change in their countries.
Global Health TV Coverage of the CSO Session
Global Health TV Interviews Courtney Tolmie.
