ProSAVANA and the Expanding Scope of Accountability in Brazil's Development Cooperation
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.12274 |
| Author | Lídia Cabral,Iara Leite |
| Published date | 01 November 2015 |
| Date | 01 November 2015 |
ProSAVANA and the Expanding Scope of
Accountability in Brazil’s Development
Cooperation
L
ıdia Cabral
Institute of Development Studies
Iara Leite
Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC)
Abstract
As Brazil becomes a visible player in international development, questions about accountability resonate loudly amidst
wider scrutiny of the country’s cooperation programme. This article takes the case of Brazil’sflagship ProSAVANA pro-
gramme in Mozambique to analyse changing accountability practices in Brazilian development cooperation. It docu-
ments the emergence of a transnational civil society movement contesting ProSAVANA, and analyses the interaction of
this transnational movement with evolving domestic political contests surrounding Brazilian cooperation. This transna-
tional mobilisation exposed weaknesses in Brazilian cooperation regarding transparency of action and lines of responsi-
bility –contributing to shifts in both understanding and practices of accountability within Brazil. Campaigners called
for the Brazilian government to accept greater responsibility vis-
a-vis Mozambican constituents, and established direct
lines of interaction between Mozambican and Brazilian civil society actors. To some extent, these links have enabled
ProSAVANA target populations to communicate their preferences to Brazilian taxpayers, who can then call the Brazilian
government directly to account. Such domestic-transnational accountability interfaces can contribute to tackling ‘bro-
ken information feedback loops’between donors and affected populations. However, the enduring significance of such
changes will depend on the ability of emerging accountability practices to connect a broader range of stakeholders,
both in Brazil and in Mozambique, and to establish constructive dialogue among competing visions and interests.
Policy Implications
•As Brazilian development cooperation matures and its programmes increase in scale, the Brazilian government is
increasingly asked to assume responsibilities not only towards domestic constituencies, but also towards popula-
tions targeted or affected by its development initiatives abroad. Development cooperation can no longer be
framed as an exclusively government-to-government interaction, demanding a corresponding expansion in the
scope of accountability.
•Transnational social mobilisation plays an important role in facilitating the extension of accountability in
development cooperation beyond simply government accountability to their own domestic constituencies. Such
mobilization can enable presumed beneficiaries to better communicate their needs and preferences to domestic
political constituencies within donor countries, who can then call policy makers in donor countries directly to
account.
•Broader representation of social actors in debates about Brazilian development cooperation would assist policy
makers to better understand negative as well as positive impacts of proposed development interventions on target
populations.
Accountability has become a buzzword in contemporary
debates about international development cooperation.
Leading proponents of international aid orthodoxy,
including Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD) donor countries and major interna-
tional organizations, have declared accountability to be
one of the tenets of effective development assistance.
But what does accountability in aid relations really mean?
Who is accountable to whom, and how might account-
ability be balanced between the multiple constituencies
Global Policy (2015) 6:4 doi: 10.1111/1758-5899.12274 ©2015 University of Durham and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Global Policy Volume 6 . Issue 4 . November 2015 435
Special Section Article
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