Engaging Citizens to Improve Service Delivery Through Social Accountability and Integration of Social Accountability into National and IN CAMBODIA Subnational Systems Projects Background The Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) began reforms in 2001 to improve the quality of public services and to to be more responsive to the needs of citizens. The National Program for Sub- National Democratic Development (SNDD) 2010–2019, was subsequently created with the intention to establish a ’vibrant, democratically-elected and locally accountable sub-national governance system,’ supported by local budgets to empower local government councils and effective citizen engagement in local decision-making. The SNDD reform agenda has recently implemented the successful 3-year Implementation Plan for the Social Accountability Framework (ISAF), 2015-2018. The ISAF followed endorsement of the Social Accountability Strategic Plan for Subnational Democratic Development by the RGC ’s National Committee for Subnational Democratic Development (NCDD) in July 2013. During its first Location: 3-year implementation period, partnerships with and between State Civil society were established, Banteay Meanchey, Siem Reap, and ISAF activities were rolled out to 18 out of 24 provinces, 98 out of 159 districts, and 827 out of Preah Vihear, Kampong Thom, Kampong Chhnang, Kandal, Prey 1410 communes across the country. Veng, Svay Rieng, Kep and Preah Sihanouk provinces. Financiers: the Cambodia Social Accountability and Service Delivery Multi-Donor Trust Fund, supported by the governments of Switzerland and Germany.  Engaging Citizens to Improve Service Delivery Through Social Accountability Project: US$5.95 million  Integration of Social Accountability into National and Subnational Systems Project: US$1.72 million • Administrated by the World Photo: World Bank/Bou Saroeun Bank. ISAF is a unique and groundbreaking program in the Cambodian context, and the achievements over the first 3-year implementation period (ISAF Phase I) prompted stakeholders to call for a second phase of implementation (ISAF Phase II). There is still much to be done to extend ISAF Implementing Agencies: coverage, refine methodologies and ensure that achievements are consolidated and integrated • For Engaging Citizens to into sustainable systems, for service delivery and active citizenship. ISAF Phase II will allow more Improve Service Delivery time for sustainable social and behavioral changes to take place. The goal by the end of ISAF Through Social Phase II is to establish permanent systems within government and civil society, to ensure that Accountability Project: social accountability activities can be sustained in the long term. By 2023, it is expected that ISAF  World Vision Phase II will conclude with significant service delivery improvements and an implementation International approach that requires minimal external financial support. • For Integration of Social Accountability into National The World Bank has approved two complementary projects to support implementation of ISAF and Subnational Systems Phase II. One project is to be implemented by government, the other to be led by an Non- Project: Government Organisation. The two projects should be viewed as two parts of a whole, financed  National Committee separately so that the implementing agencies on each side can act freely to balance each other out for Subnational and to collaborate and partner on their own terms. The projects aim to engage citizens in Democratic improving the quality and delivery of public services for the people of Cambodia. Development Secretariat IN CAMBODIA About the Projects Project Title: Engaging Citizens to Improve Service De- livery Through Social Accountability Objective: To improve the quality and responsiveness of selected public services through more informed and en- gaged citizens. Main components: There are five main components of this project which comprise the annual cycle of social ac- countability activities:  Transparency and access to information;  Citizen monitoring;  Implementation of Joint Accountability Action Plans (JAAPs),  Training and capacity development, and  Civil society coordination and partnership support, Photo: World Bank/Bou Saroeun provide overarching support to building the capaci- ty required to implement the planned activities and sustain them beyond the duration of this project. Key intended results: The project seeks increases in the: percentage of service providers covered by this project that are meeting key national standards; percentage of JAAP activities completed or ongoing in target communes/sangkats; percentage of target communes/sangkats that have com- Approval Date: pleted three full annual ISAF cycles; percentage of graduated target communes/sangkats where a March 20, 2020 CAF network has been created and is operational. Closing Date: Project Title: Integration of Social Accountability into National and Subnational Systems June 30, 2024 Objective: To improve to improve the performance of public service providers through the devel- opment and institutionalization of national and sub-national government systems for improved transparency, strengthened citizen engagement and responsive action Main components: There are five main components of this project which comprise the annual Contact: cycle of social accountability activities: Benjamin Burckhart  Transparency and access to information; World Bank Task Team Leader  Citizen monitoring; E-mail:  Implementation of Joint Accountability Action Plans (JAAPs). bburckhart@worldbank.org  Training and capacity development, and  National and subnational coordination and partnership support, provide overarching sup- port to building the capacity required to implement the planned activities and sustain them beyond the duration of this project. Key intended results: The project seeks increases in the: percentage of service providers covered by the project that are meeting key national standards; percentage of JAAP actions completed or www.worldbank.org ongoing in target communes/sangkats; percentage of target communes/sangkats that have com- pleted three full annual ISAF cycles; percentage of target communes/sangkats that allocate re- www.youtube.com/worldbank sources to support the implementation of the ISAF process. Beneficiaries www.twitter.com/worldbank The primary beneficiaries of the project will be the citizens of the targeted coverage area who will benefit from improved access to information and knowledge of public services, an increased abil- www.facebook.com/worldbank ity to influence the delivery of services, and improvements in the quality of public services.