Press Release

Accountability Lab and Accountable Now Announce Strategic Partnership

Washington D.C., 25 September 2023 – Accountability Lab (AL) and Accountable Now (AN) today announce a strategic partnership that positions Accountable Now as a venture of AL. The partnership will enable both organizations to contribute more sustainably to the global accountability ecosystem, deepening their advocacy, research, and stakeholder engagement.

AN is a global membership-based organization that supports civil society to be more accountable, transparent, and responsive to stakeholders. This process includes Member Reporting, Accountability Dialogues, Peer Advice Groups, and an Independent Review Panel. AL is a global translocal network of Accountability Labs in twelve countries worldwide. AL makes governance work for people by supporting new ideas for accountability, transparency, and open government. AL has been an AN member since 2019.

AN officially joins AL’s network and will continue to maintain an independent board of trustees, which will now include a permanent member representative seat for  AL. AN’s new Executive Director is Megan Colnar, who joins the AN team after previously serving on Accountable Now’s Board and previously roles as Director for Strategy & Impact of the Open Society Foundation (OSF) and as Global Director for MEL at The Hunger Project. 

Colnar said that while the membership offerings of AN won’t change, the organization needed a new operating model with greater operational bandwidth and updated financial infrastructure. “This partnership with AL will allow us to increase our strategic capacity and grow our member base in a thriving and flexible operating environment,” she added. AN’s members endorsed the need for a new operating model and search for a new strategic partnership at the organization’s Annual General Meeting in May 2023.

AL Co-CEO Jean Scrimgeour said, “Accountable Now is unique in that the commitments that we make to accountability are developed by civil society, for civil society. In welcoming AN into our network, we are better able to deliver on our commitment to actively convene, coach, mentor, and develop the next generation of accountability thinkers and practitioners.” she said.

For more information, contact AL Global Communications at [email protected].

About Accountability Lab: 

Accountability Lab is a global translocal network that makes governance work for people by supporting active citizens, responsible leaders, and accountable institutions. Our goal is a world in which resources are used wisely, decisions benefit everyone fairly, and people lead secure lives. Our programmatic focus is in three core areas of work: shifting norms and behaviors (campaigns); equipping reformers for collective action (knowledge); and influencing policies, processes and practices (communities).

About Accountable Now:

Accountable Now is a global membership platform that supports civil society organizations to be more transparent, responsive, and impact-focused. For more than 15 years, Accountable Now has partnered with our members and civil society at large to shift power, champion equity, and embed dynamic accountability into everyday practices. 

Sheena Adams