IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute

Accountability is an effective entry point to work with water governance. In most countries, institutional arrangements for water service delivery are in place: policies, plans and institutions exist, yet performance remains poor. In this context, accountability, which works on improving the quality of relationships between the different stakeholders in service delivery arrangements, is a key element to make these institutional arrangements start to work. Accountability is about fighting the institutional inertia and make changes happen, through making the allocated responsibilities in the policy deliver results.

To achieve an effective governance of water resources and services, decision-makers and service providers need to take responsibility for their decisions and services.