Social Audits - Experience of Andhra Pradesh, India

What is a Social Audit?

Participatory process through which community members monitor the implementation of government programs and projects in their community

Social audit complements financial audit.

Auditing quality, performance, and choices strengthens financial audit

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VICIOUS CYCLETardy

Implementation of welfare

schemesDilution /

Corruption / Leakages

Lack of grievance redressal mechanism / social

audit

Dilutions of rights

and entitlements of the communit

y

Disempowerment of beneficiari

es

POSITIVE CYCLELeakages plugged / corruption reduced

Rights & Entitlemen

ts of the poor

protected

Community/

Beneficiaries

empowered

Strong grievance redressal mechanisms with Social Audits

Improved service

delivery by implementing agency

Social Audit by the people

citizens’ vigilance + governance

transparency + accountability

democratic practice + democratic institutions

Social and Financial AuditFA = Was the money spent correctly?

SA = Did the spending make a difference?

Social Audit: ◦Assesses performance and unpacks decisions

◦Complements financial audit

SA + FA = True Picture

The Imperatives of the Process

Full access to all information prior to social audit, with enough time for assimilation and verification

Obligation on officials to be present and answer queries

The outcomes must have legally sanctioned implications.

Creating an enabling atmosphere

Case Study of Social Audits of the MGNREGS in Andhra Pradesh - India

6 rounds of Social Audits – 21,000 GPs

Misappropriation identified : Rs. 141.11Cr (INR)

Total Amount Recovered : Rs. 24 CrStaff implicated in cases: 49,194Staff removed based on the SA

findings :5220

Staff suspended : 1230FIR’s filed : 163Punishment Imposed :

13,579

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How did the State achieve this? Began Social Audits through a small unit -SPIU-

RD

The SPIU-RD wound up in 2009 – SSAAT established in May 2009

0.5% of the MGNREGS budget set aside for SA

In a span of 6 years -Human Resource base built up

o State Resource Persons => 100o District Resource Persons => 1000o Village Social Auditors => 70,000

Scaled up to all 22 Districts of the entire State

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Mobilizing Political will Political will was mobilized by top level

bureaucracy

The Chief Minister (Premier of the State) directly monitored the progress

Logic given:oDistancing of Govt from corrupt practices is good

politics oCan win elections oChance to interact with large number of peopleo Publicity for welfare programme

Borne out in the 2009 state elections

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Administrative will  Complete backing by the top level

officialsSSAAT as independent unit outside the main stream

Combination of written instructions and a constant sensitization,

Efforts to bring in the various stake holders

Constant bridge building between administration and civil society activists

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Systematization

Rules for conduct of Social Audit (2009)

passed through the State Legislative Assembly

govern the response of the administration to social audit

Making all the records accessible

Presence of officials was made mandatory for all public hearings post the social audit

Use of relevant laws for immediate corrective action

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Way forwardSynergy with the Auditor General’s Office

in the StateConsolidate where already under social

audit◦ MGNREGS (Employment Programme)◦ Social Security Pensions◦ Water Preservation Programmes◦ Rural Housing for the poor◦ Food Security Programme

Bring all development projects and programmes under Social Audit

Constantly train & spread technique to other departments to do social audit on their own

Village Social Auditor Training

Village Social Auditors consolidating the records

Field Verification during Social Audit process

Meeting the beneficiaries

Worksite Verification

Social Audit Public Hearing – Reports being read out

Beneficiary testifying in Public Hearing

Beneficiaries testifying in a Social Audit Public Hearing