Abstract:
In Ethiopia important service provision improvement program is formulated. One of these programs is Social Accountability Program (SAP). Therefore, this study is conducted to examine the practices of SA in service quality and status, to investigate the degree of awareness of community towards SA practices and to identify challenges that impede SA practices in West Badawacho Woreda Education Sector, Hadiya Zone SNNPR State of Ethiopia. In order to achieve these objectives, 197 respondents were selected by applying Yamane formula of proportional sampling representation and thereafter systematic simple random and purposive sampling techniques were used to distribute questionnaires for households and to selected focused group discussion and key informant interview to generate both quantitative and qualitative data respectively. Therefore, research relied on both primary and secondary sources of data. The collected data regarding the practices of SA in the study area were analyzed using descriptive statistics like, percentage, frequency and graphs. The survey result shows that about the majority of communities’ respondents did not participate in planning, monitoring, supervising, and coaching quality of service provision whereas the implementation of SA tools in the sector was found very weak, ineffective, very little understanding, skill and knowledge towards the tools and mechanisms of SA. On the other hand, lack of experience sharing, absence of information, poor initiation of communities and service providers to strengthen SA tools, and absence of commitments and SA committees in the sector and Kebeles were the major bottlenecks that impede SA practices in the sector. Therefore, there is a need of citizen awareness creation to successively and successfully implement the joint reform agenda. In addition, local government officials, service providers as well as the community members have to show their willingness and commitment in the implementation of this joint action plan together. Furthermore, there is a need to improve the expert’s ability who works in the sector offices to use the social accountability tools and its civic engagements such as interface meeting and dialogue with the community to identify the major challenges that hinder the smooth participation of the citizens in SA.
