NGO Accountability: Undermines responsiveness to the Beneficiaries?

This paper examines accountability process in the Local small Non- Government Organization (NGO) in Bangladesh with special attention to the responsiveness to the beneficiaries. The research finds that upward accountability demands of donors and government are not necessarily conducive to the qualities of the NGOs that are necessary to address their downward accountability demand. The study explores different mechanisms that NGOs practice to address the accountability demand. These mechanisms are generally put into place to provide accountability to donors, government and oversight agencies. The study suggests these mechanisms are too intense for local small NGOs. To practice these mechanisms efficiently, local small NGOs have taken different strategies, such as: increase managerial staff in the organization; decrease time for learning and reflection; organize special training etc. This study suggests these strategies have the tendency to drive NGOs away from their beneficiaries.