2014 in Review and What to Look out for in 2015!

It’s been an exciting year for the Accountability Lab, from launching Integrity Idol in Nepal to playing a key role in addressing Liberia’s Ebola crisis to setting up an OpenGov Hub in Nepal. In addition, we consolidated our management and oversight structures, including a reorganized board and public quarterly impact calls (learn more here, and stay tuned for the next call on January 5th). We received great recognition of our work, including the World Technology Award, Echoing Green Fellowship, Social Media for Empowerment Award, Ivy Film Award, HiiL Innovating Justice Awards Popular Vote, BMW Foundation Responsible Leaders Award, and more.

The Lab welcomes Lawrence Yealue as Country Representative for Liberia!

The Accountability Lab is very excited to have Lawrence Yealue on the team as Country Representative for Liberia. Lawrence will lead the accountability work from Monrovia- including the Liberia Accountapreneurship Fund, the Accountability Change Agency and the @ccountability Initiative

Failure, Innovation, Communities and Technology- the Accountability Agenda

Protesters calling for greater accountability of Malaysia’s government march on the centre of the capital Kuala Lumpur, April 29, 2012. REUTERS/Tim Chong

This post was originally posted on the Trustlaw Governance website here

By Luke Balleny

LONDON (TrustLaw) – Holding decision-makers to account is hard work and embracing failure is a key step for those trying to bring about greater accountability in the developing world to understand what works, Blair Glencorse, founder and executive director of Accountability Lab says.

Connecting Agents of Change in Brasilia

Thinking through anti-corruption

The Lab was selected as a “Game Changer” at the recent, and brilliant, International Anti-Corruption Conference in Brazil organized by Transparency International and the Government of Brazil, and supported by the Instituto Ethos among others. The meeting brought together thousands of anti-corruption campaigners from the public sector, business and civil society from all over the world.

Moroccan Mint Tea, Atlanticism and Accountability

Last weekend I was fortunate to attend the Atlantic Dialogues organized by the German Marshall Fund of the United States and the OCP Foundation in Rabat.

The Lab welcomes Rakesh Karna as Country Coordinator for Nepal!

The Accountability Lab is very excited to have Rakesh Karna on the team as Country Coordinator for Nepal. Rakesh will lead the accountability work from Kathmandu with his experience in governance and development.

Accountability Innovations We Love, No.3: “Venture Accountability”

Traditional aid models and organizations have often not managed to precipitate sustainable development, nor do they always have the incentives in place to report failure or adapt rapidly when plans go wrong. As a result, failing projects continue and results remain sub-optimal. One approach we have adopted at the Accountability Lab is to understand that in difficult contexts, the definition of success (or more accurately- progress) must be slightly different. Taking risks with new and more innovative tools may lead to problems and blockages more often, but it also creates the possibility for transformative change.