Origin, evolution and objectives of the program

ANSA Africa was launched in 2007 at its first stakeholder conference. Since then, the network has grown quickly, and today comprises over 2,300 members from 39 countries across the continent.

ANSA-Africa’s vision is sustained citizen engagement and partnerships for accountable institutions. Its overall goal is to improve governance and increase government’s responsiveness to citizen demands -- leading to better social and economic outcomes for citizens in Sub-Saharan Africa. ANSA-Africa supports the engagement of citizens and civil society across the African continent in building more effective states through social accountability approaches.

The purpose of the ANSA-Africa project is to promote the recognition and active use of social accountability initiatives, methods and tools as a means of building enduring social and economic contracts between citizens and governments.

The types of activities undertaken by ANSA to meet the aforementioned objectives include the following:

1. Development and dissemination of learning and knowledge products to improve the understanding and practice of social accountability in Africa;
2. Fostering connections, information exchange and sharing of experience among stakeholders through learning events and conferences to develop greater knowledge of social accountability and strengthen the ANSA-Africa network;
3. Strengthening the practice of social accountability in Africa through technical assistance and leveraged financial support; and
4. Supporting capacity development for social accountability.

The project focuses on vertical accountability, which is the direct engagement that citizens have with governments and other duty-bearers using political voice through participation in democratic political processes.

The thematic areas of intervention for ANSA Africa are the following:

• Access to information;
• Good governance and extractive industries;
• Climate change;
• Electricity governance; and
• Procurement.

Tenders should be emailed to: with a copy to by c.o.p. 10 September 2010. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted by 15 September.