Strengthening citizen agency and accountability through ICT

Zanello, G. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0477-1385 and Maassen, P. (2011) Strengthening citizen agency and accountability through ICT. Public Management Review, 13 (3). pp. 363-382. ISSN 1471-9037 doi: 10.1080/14719037.2011.553265

Abstract/Summary

We investigated the role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT, namely mobile phones) in support of citizen agency and its potential in calling authorities to account. We focused on Eastern Africa and we used a mixed methodology, which allowed us to explore the current uses of ICT to strengthen accountability and to forecast the growth of mobile phones' adaption in that region. Evidence from both analyses suggests that there are two main areas where citizen agency and ICT can reinforce each other in bottom–up and horizontal processes: participation and engagement of citizens, and the diffusion of information.