The overall objective of ESAP3 is to strengthen Social Accountability (SA) mechanisms for enhanced service delivery in Ethiopia. Social Accountability refers to citizens holding service providers and local governments accountable for service delivery. Through dialogue and feedback loops between basic service users and service providers, joint action plans are developed to enhance the quality and accessibility of services. The five basic service sectors are Education, Health, Rural Roads, Agriculture and Water and Sanitation (WASH). ESAP3 is linked to the Enhancing Shared Prosperity Through Equitable Services (ESPES) Program of the Government of Ethiopia.

ESAP3 works in 317 woredas (local governments) in Ethiopia across all regions. A Management Agency (MA) in Addis Ababa is responsible for managing a grant scheme for 22 clusters of Ethiopian CSO's (IPs, implementing partners) that implement the social accountability cycle in these woredas and expand into kebele's (sub-level under woreda). The MA is furthermore responsible for capacitating the CSO's, to monitor and evaluate outcomes and ensure adequate financial management. ESAP3 has adopted a strategy of digitalized process monitoring. During implementation the COVID-19 pandemic and civic strife in the country has necessitated adaptive implementation management. Finally ESAP3 has assisted GoE / Ministry of Finance in institutionalizing SA into government systems.

The program has formulated five outcomes:
Outcome 1: Increased Awareness around Social Accountability and Citizen Mobilization
IP's provide education and communication to citizens on the service standards adopted by the Government of Ethiopia, their entitlements and the nature of the SA process. IP's mobilize citizens and local citizens' interest groups to participate in the Social Accountability process. Next to visits and training, social media and radio are used as tools.
Outcome 2: Services are Assessed by Citizens
Social Accountability tools such as the Citizen Report Card are used by citizens to express their priorities in service delivery and their assessment of the accessibility and quality of services. ESAP3 has adopted the Kobo toolbox coupled with mobile phone technology to conduct household surveys. The survey data are real-time presented on a Power BI empowered dashboard that enables data drive decision making by Woreda councils.
Outcome 3: Citizens and service providers agree on a Joint Action Plan (JAP) for service improvements
At woreda and kebele level Interface meetings between citizens and service providers are organised and JAP formulated
Outcome 4: JAPs are aligned with woreda planning and budgeting processes
Ultimately SA outcomes should find their way into the local government planning and budgeting cycle. Under this outcome citizens' role in budget planning and implementation is reinforced and CSOs and regional government work together (under the FTA-SA-GRM partnership) to resolve prioritized systemic woreda level issues
Outcome 5: Monitoring of JAP implementation and learning
Citizens monitor implementation of joint action plans under this outcome as testified by evidence-based collaborative SA interventions and action research feeds into national policy making and practice and national practice dissemination media channels and knowledge management portal established and functional.

Some examples of service improvements as result of SA process:
Identification and provision of medicines by item and volume to ensure availability
Allocating additional budget for medical drug delivery
Extra water points drilled in Kebele's where water problem persists
Woreda's lobbying Ethiopian Electric Utility (EEU) district office to provide improved service
Using alternative electric sources like solar power
Combating teacher absenteeism through awareness raising and constructing shades in the schools for teachers to use
Putting follow up and monitoring procedure distribution of agricultural inputs
Facilitating timely provision of agricultural inputs;
Raising the awareness of the community on reason of price increase
[Pascale George 20-02-2023 16:38 (GMT +01:00)]