Journalists Discuss Making People Aware of Access to Government Services
- By Thun Senghong
- April 28, 2024 6:00 PM
KAMPOT — A group of journalists from Phnom Penh and Kampot, Koh Kong and Preah Sihanouk provinces took part in an information tour on April 26 regarding social accountability at sub-national level.
Taking place in Kampot province, the tour was organized by Internews along with partner organizations. Part of the project Innovations for Social Accountability in Cambodia (ISAC), the goal was to help journalists based in the provinces provide people with the information they need to access services at all government levels in the provinces.
According to the World Bank, social accountability refers to people’s capacity to make government and service providers accountable and responsive to the needs of the public.
The ISAC project, which was funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development and is led by Family Health International 360 (FHI 360), works with partners to help public education and health services reach people in 64 communes of six provinces and in two districts in Phnom Penh. FHI 360 has worked to address Cambodia's health and needs for nearly 30 years.
According to Internews, the field trip was an opportunity for ISAC project partners to discuss with journalists the needs and challenges faced as well as the situation regarding social accountability in Kampot province.
Internews country director Seng Sokha highlighted the importance of a joint forum between journalists and ISAC partner organizations. “It provides additional knowledge to social accountability reporters,” Sokha said. “This will help increase their confidence when reporting on social accountability topics, and especially promote wider social accountability for people at local level.”
“When people understand social accountability, they know the right to access the services by posting information at the grassroots level,” said Nget Leaksmy, coordinator of FHI 360 in Kampot province. “Providers, on the other hand, are responsible for allocating resources at the local level [to meet] people’s needs and using the budget transparently and efficiently,” he said.
As Leaksmy explained, the concept of social accountability includes promoting people’s participation and having initiatives to help improve public services at the sub-national level in three contexts: at health centers and primary schools, and in communes.
“Although we have been doing social work for 10 years, we need the media to help disseminate information as soon as possible so that the public can better understand social accountability [in practical terms] regarding both providers and recipients, especially poverty reduction.”
Kong Maitos, a resident of Kampot City’s Boeung Ta Pream village, stressed the importance of people being aware of their right to basic services.
“After attending FHI 360 [information sessions], people have become more courageous about communicating with the local authorities, as well as raising concerns about their children's schools, maternity hospital issues and road construction in villages,” she said.
