Abstract:
As the public sector character and attributes continue to evolve globally,
the notion of accountability is identified as the pivot, around which
effective public management and good governance revolve. This has
followed the wave of neo-liberal reforms in Africa and elsewhere in the developing
countries, where the re-invention of government in recent years has earmarked
accountability as part of the governance and development imperatives. This article
critically analysis the dynamics of accountability in public sector reforms and
evaluates its significance in improving efficiency and effectiveness in the public
sector. A thorough examination on the practicality of the different accountability
mechanisms and relationships is made to provide a case, as to whether the
prescribed patterns of accountability under the new managerialism rekindle better
hope for developing countries.
The theoretical foundations and issues that underpin public sector
accountability are provided, before engaging its unfolding dynamics and
challenges. It is then argued that, whereas the need exists to transform public
accountability mechanisms to foster continuous improvement. Those who
inspect, audit and review public service management should be able
to appreciate the constraints under which public servants operate, and
the circumstances in which they have little or no control. The businesslike
performance measures are important in spearheading output and
outcome orientations. However, the traditional public service values such as impartiality, representation, integrity, fairness, welfare and justice,
should not be abandoned since they represent the basic requirement
eliciting public interest.
