Written by Madeleine Goerg, AL Global Board Chairperson

I first came across Accountability Lab in 2012, when I met founder Blair Glencorse at The German Marshall Fund’s Brussels Forum. I was part of the organizing team and was struck by the novel and bold approach which Blair outlined during one of our governance panels. Accountability Lab works to make governance work for people by bringing communities into conversations, celebrating exemplary leaders, and strengthening the accountability of institutions. AL takes a positive approach to an incredibly complex set of challenges and creates a community of practitioners to share and amplify their message across continents, languages, and cultural contexts. 

I have traveled to and worked in many different countries, and it struck me that while the scale and the day-to-day impact on ordinary citizens may vary, the challenges that societies grapple with tend to be similar. More importantly, perhaps, it is very rarely simply a lack of resources that holds societies back but often a question of where those resources are spent, who contributes to the decisions, and who is accountable for ensuring they get to where they are needed. Governance and accountability are not abstract concepts. They are tangible issues, from how life-changing medications get to patients to how humanitarian aid reaches affected communities and fully functioning schools are built. 

Coming from a foreign and security policy background, AL’s positive outlook felt like a breath of fresh air. AL sets out a vision for a world in which resources are used wisely, decisions benefit everyone fairly, and people lead secure lives. The organization chooses to contribute to that vision by appealing to the best parts of us. 

For example, the Voice2Rep campaign provides a platform for undiscovered artists to shine while addressing pressing issues in their communities. In Liberia and Zimbabwe, artists have focused on democratic renewal as well as infrastructure and service delivery challenges. Meanwhile, in Nigeria, songs have been produced around gender equity and human rights, encouraging citizens to take urgent action to make their communities more inclusive. I met the 2019 cohort of Voice2Rep artists in Lagos and was inspired both by their drive and conviction, and by the real opportunity that AL gave them to make their music heard. We all remember songs that changed our outlook on life – tunes that stuck in our heads that got us thinking. Music is a powerful tool to change norms and reach the next generation of citizens. 

We also remember who influenced us and just as keenly feel the lack of inspiring role models. Integrity Icon changes the narrative by celebrating everyday heroes and naming and faming honest government officials. Knowing another path is possible – especially in parts of the world where it is far from being the norm – is crucial. 

AL is at the forefront of governance and accountability innovation with the Accountability Incubators and its accountapreneurs. AL incubates and supports amazing solutions like Tanzila Khan’s Girlythings, taking on menstrual healthcare in Pakistan, or advocating for much-needed boreholes in far-flung areas of Nigeria like Wilson Atumeyi’s Water Wide. When it comes to digital governance and innovation, AL’s HackCorruption program gets great minds working together to solve complex issues around procurement, digital citizenship, and beneficial ownership. The series of hackathons from South Africa and Nigeria to Bangladesh and Nepal, is creating avenues for young people to engage with government departments, building trusting relationships in the process. This work also gives innovators the space to ideate together across borders, catalyzing brand new ‘unlikely networks’ – a key objective of the organization. 

AL also took on the radical notion that communities could know best when it came to tackling their own challenges. The translocal network takes this to heart by putting citizens and activists from within at the center of its programs and delivery. Civic Action Teams bring volunteers and local journalists together to create two-way feedback loops between affected communities and local and national power holders. Communities, especially in hard-to-reach places can contribute to decisions that directly impact their lives.  

Beyond the programming, AL works tirelessly to embody its values with open budgets, translocal decision-making, transparency on internal policies, or its Accountable Now commitments. I joined the board in 2019 and have seen both the growth of the Lab and a deliberate move to bring more diversity to the governance of the network. Our global board brings together an amazing set of people from the private sector, academia, NGOs, and international organizations from Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America. Starting this year, I am taking the role of Chairperson of the board and am incredibly excited about being a part of the next decade of the Lab’s work. 

What about you? How do governance and accountability play out in your community? What unlikely coalitions or local organizations could you support? Please reach out and consider supporting our ongoing campaigns! 

*Goerg is chairperson of Accountability Lab’s global board of directors.

Sheena Adams