Social Accountability Programs

FTT

Fadhili Teens Tanzania promotes transparency and citizen engagement in public finance through the Good Financial Governance Project, Subnational Open Budget Survey, and Simplified CAG Reports, ensuring accountability in Mwanza.

Good Financial Program

Fadhili Teens Tanzania in a Good Financial Governance (GFG) project, implemented in Mwanza Region through a partnership with GIZ Tanzania, began in May 2016. The initial phase (GFG I) concluded in July 2020, and the current phase (GFG II) commenced in August 2020, with an extension until January 2024. Funding for GFG is provided by the governments of Germany and Switzerland, as well as the European Union. The objective of the GFG program is to strengthen the public finance system in alignment with the principles of good financial governance, focusing on transparency, efficiency, and accountability. The project emphasizes social accountability regarding
public funds. GFG has collaborated with local partners, such as FTT, to undertake various activities aimed at enhancing accountability in public finance. Specifically, FTT has been involved in working within three districts of Mwanza: Mwanza City Council, Ilemela Municipal Council, and Misungwi District Council, through its partnership with GIZ.

Sub National Open Budget Survey.

In 2023, Fadhili Teens Tanzania, in collaboration with GIZ and other local partners involved in the Good Financial Governance (GFG) program, participated in the Sub National Open Budget Survey (SNOB 2023). This survey, conducted by SIIKIKA, aimed to measure levels of budget transparency and citizen participation in the budget process at the local government level across 16 partner Local Government Authorities (LGAs), including three from Mwanza Region. The Subnational Open Budget Survey (SN OBS) utilized a detailed questionnaire adapted from the Open Budget Survey designed for the national level. Its purpose was to gather comparative data on the availability of budget information to the public, as well as on budget accountability practices and citizen participation at the subnational level.

The goals of SNOB were achieved through a questionnaire with four specific objectives: assessing the timely availability of budgetary information to citizens, evaluating the clarity and relevance of information in main budgetary reports, examining the quality of mechanisms for disseminating budgetary information, and assessing the quality of channels for citizen participation in budgetary document review and oversight. To accomplish these objectives, FTT staff were engaged as data collectors in the Mwanza region, focusing on the three areas covered by the GFG program: Mwanza City Council, Ilemela Municipal Council, and Misungwi District Council.

Promoting Peaceful Engagement

Through funding from GIZ under the GFG program, FTT and WAJIBU Institute on Social Accountability collaborated to conduct simplified reports of the CAG (Controller and Auditor General) reports. WAJIBU Institute provided capacity building to CSOs involved in the GFG program, focusing on making the CAG reports easily understandable for ordinary citizens without compromising their intended meaning.

FTT and WAJIBU Institute created simple brochures, each focusing on one or two agenda items, to be disseminated to the community through our regular activities, with the goal of promoting social accountability in public finance. In 2023, FTT and WAJIBU Institute produced simplified CAG reports for the 2021/22 period, specifically focusing on the sectors of Women, Youth, and People with Disabilities (442) in Mwanza Region, covering various districts such as Mwanza City Council, Ilemela Municipal Council, Misungwi District Council, Magu District Council, Sengerema District Council, Buchosa District Council, and Kwimba District Council. The decision to simplify the sectoral area of 442 was made because FTT primarily works with Youth and Women. These simplified brochures aim to increase
citizens' awareness of CAG reports and empower them to question the accountability of public funds.