TY - JOUR
T1 - Downward accountability mechanism effectiveness by non-governmental organizations in low- and middle-income countries
T2 - A qualitative systematic review
AU - Noble, Elizabeth
AU - Moinul, Dina
AU - Sylla, Oumou Khairy Djim
AU - Friedmann, Sophia
AU - Amick, Kristen
AU - Rowhani, Nehal
AU - Dua, Rashi
AU - Mannan, Nowshin
AU - Seaman, Cathleen
AU - Ayo, Omobolanle
AU - Pant, Shubhra
AU - Osoko, Oluwatimilehin
AU - Gogineni, Srija
AU - Malburg, Carly
AU - Dickey, Chris
AU - Peprah, Emmanuel
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 Noble et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
PY - 2025/5
Y1 - 2025/5
N2 - Background Downward accountability, defined as being answerable to beneficiaries for actions and giving affected populations influence in aid processes, remains unstandardized and underinvested across the humanitarian sector. Currently, numerous accountability mechanisms are being utilized by humanitarian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, the different mechanisms have varying degrees of effectiveness in providing true accountability to affected populations due to significant barriers or strengths in implementation. Objective To conduct a qualitative systematic review investigating the various downward accountability mechanisms employed by non-governmental organizations in LMICs, and to assess the effectiveness of these mechanisms in delivering downward accountability for populations in low-resource settings. Results We searched 10 databases, including PubMed, Medline, Embase, Ovid, Web of Science, Global Health, EBSCO SocINDEX, ABI/INFORM, ALNAP, and Sociological Abstracts from 2008–2023. Grey literature was searched on Google Scholar. To capture any additional articles, the search was updated in November 2024. Our search produced 1521 articles. After applying our exclusion criteria and screening, 38 articles comprised our final dataset. Each article reported on the effectiveness of five downward accountability mechanisms, including participation, ownership, transparency, program auditing, and social auditing. Associated barriers to accountability included implementation, power asymmetry, and fragmentation within the humanitarian sector. Conclusions There are significant gaps in research on the effectiveness of downward accountability mechanisms amongst humanitarian NGOs in LMICs. This research deficit adversely affects the sustainability of local development initiatives and, on a broader scale, undermines overall organizational effectiveness. Implementing balanced accountability mechanisms that promote equality in power dynamics is pivotal to achieving meaningful outcomes for affected populations.
AB - Background Downward accountability, defined as being answerable to beneficiaries for actions and giving affected populations influence in aid processes, remains unstandardized and underinvested across the humanitarian sector. Currently, numerous accountability mechanisms are being utilized by humanitarian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, the different mechanisms have varying degrees of effectiveness in providing true accountability to affected populations due to significant barriers or strengths in implementation. Objective To conduct a qualitative systematic review investigating the various downward accountability mechanisms employed by non-governmental organizations in LMICs, and to assess the effectiveness of these mechanisms in delivering downward accountability for populations in low-resource settings. Results We searched 10 databases, including PubMed, Medline, Embase, Ovid, Web of Science, Global Health, EBSCO SocINDEX, ABI/INFORM, ALNAP, and Sociological Abstracts from 2008–2023. Grey literature was searched on Google Scholar. To capture any additional articles, the search was updated in November 2024. Our search produced 1521 articles. After applying our exclusion criteria and screening, 38 articles comprised our final dataset. Each article reported on the effectiveness of five downward accountability mechanisms, including participation, ownership, transparency, program auditing, and social auditing. Associated barriers to accountability included implementation, power asymmetry, and fragmentation within the humanitarian sector. Conclusions There are significant gaps in research on the effectiveness of downward accountability mechanisms amongst humanitarian NGOs in LMICs. This research deficit adversely affects the sustainability of local development initiatives and, on a broader scale, undermines overall organizational effectiveness. Implementing balanced accountability mechanisms that promote equality in power dynamics is pivotal to achieving meaningful outcomes for affected populations.
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U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0324098
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0324098
M3 - Article
C2 - 40434995
AN - SCOPUS:105006772933
SN - 1932-6203
VL - 20
JO - PloS one
JF - PloS one
IS - 5 May
M1 - e0324098
ER -