TITLE:
Analysis of Accountability in Nutrition-Sensitive Policies and Programs in Burkina Faso
AUTHORS:
Issa Sombié
KEYWORDS:
Accountability, Nutrition, Health Policy, Burkina Faso
JOURNAL NAME:
Sociology Mind,
Vol.13 No.2,
April
3,
2023
ABSTRACT: Introduction: In the nutrition sector, accountability is of
particular importance. Indeed, the World Nutrition Report 2015 devotes an
important section to the
issue of measurement and accountability. The report states that accountability mechanisms are
essential to strengthen the effectiveness of all stakeholders in nutrition improvement efforts. This
paper aims to analyze the accountability
mechanisms contained in nutrition policies and programs in Burkina Faso. Methodology: The data used in
this article are primarily qualitative. They were collected through two
collection techniques: individual interviews and reviews of policy documents.
The individual interview was organized with
public administration executives from the health and agriculture sectors, commune officials and civil society organizations involved in the
implementation of nutrition programs in the Boulgou and Sissili provinces. In
total, 32 people were interviewed, 12 at the provincial level and 20 at the central administration level. Results: In
total, approximately 101 documents were reviewed and 16 were selected
for this article. Most of the selected policy documents
address the issue of nutrition. In fact, these policies do not address
nutrition in the same way, as they are related to several sectors and each one has its own specificity. We note that the
question of accountability is weakly developed in the policy documents
sensitive to nutrition. The consistent finding from the documents used in this
paper is that policymakers give very little attention to this important issue in
the formulation phases. Based on the basic
elements of the Bovens conceptual framework, it is noted that aspects
that would facilitate the consideration of the accountability issue are not developed in nutrition-sensitive policy
documents. Conclusion: Accountability
is weakly addressed and developed in nutrition-sensitive policies. During the elaboration of these documents, the actors do not give themselves
the necessary time to develop the part
devoted to accountability mechanisms which occupy an important place in
the promotion of good governance and the improvement of the performance of the
actions undertaken.