Citizen report card surveys: a tool for effective social accountability

The supply of basic social services, or lack thereof, directly impacts on the quality of life for all. To this end the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, various policy instruments and strategy documents emphasise the provision of such services to all citizens of the country. The responsibility and accountability for the provisioning of social services is divided among the national, provincial and local authorities. Public engagement in the planning and prioritising of these services is crucial and a prerequisite for efficient and effective functioning of government. According to Shah (2006) government should be citizen-centred in its planning and in the implementation of policies and programmes. This policy brief identifies three key elements of citizen-centred government, namely: responsive, responsible and accountable governance. This policy brief also reports on two case studies where the Citizen Report Card Survey (CRCS) was implemented and makes recommendations for the use of these surveys as a tool for addressing service delivery problems.