Embedding co-production for social accountability: the role of NGOs in marginalised economies

This thesis explores how co-production can enhance the social accountability of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) operating within the complex institutional contexts of marginalised economies. Accountability is essential for NGOs’ legitimacy and effectiveness. However, existing research indicates that the proliferation of donor-driven monitoring systems and the prioritisation of upward, functional accountability have significantly changed NGOs’ operational logics and approaches (Agyemang et al., 2017; Banerjee and Jackson, 2017; Tanima et al., 2020; Yang and Northcott, 2018). These technocratic practices often marginalise participatory forms of social accountability, leading to mission drift (Ebrahim et al., 2014; Hopper and Tanima, 2018). To address these issues, scholars advocate for co-production—collaboration between professionals and citizens to better share assets, resources, and contributions (Loeffler and Bovaird, 2021)—as a means to strengthen social accountability (Banerjee and Jackson, 2017). Using Social-symbolic Work (Lawrence and Phillips, 2019) as a framework, this study conducted an in-depth case study of BRAC, the largest NGO in Bangladesh, employing semi-structured interviews, journal entries, observations, and document analysis. The findings reveal that BRAC’s Climate Change Program (CCP) representatives supported co-production through intermediary community groups, enabling beneficiaries to reconceptualise their roles from passive aid recipients to active agents of change. This shift transformed community mindsets, enhanced self-efficacy, and fostered a collective sense of agency, creating conditions for social accountability mechanisms to emerge within environments characterised by deep-rooted socio-economic and cultural barriers. The study concludes that co-production functions as a catalyst for social accountability, narrowing the relational gap between NGOs and communities. By embedding shared ownership in the design and implementation of programmes, NGOs like BRAC can institutionalise more participatory, inclusive, and sustainable accountability practices, empowering communities to overcome structural barriers and actively shape their own development pathways.