| Overview : As part of its support to anti-corruption and integrity efforts at the sectoral level, globally and in the Arab Region, UNDP is piloting in Jordan an initiative to strengthen social accountability for better delivery of health services, in collaboration with the Anti-Corruption Commission, the Ministry of Health, the High Health Council and the National Woman’s Health Care Center. The initiative specifically aims to enhance citizen participation in monitoring the quality and integrity of health services through building their capacity to exercise social accountability and enabling them to use information and communication technology (ICT) to voice their needs and concerns, including corruption.
Phase I of the initiative resulted in developing an online electronic platform (www.sharek.jo) (hereinafter “Sharek”) with smart phones and social media applications, and linking it to the Ministry of Health and the Anti-Corruption Commission given their role in ensuring the quality and integrity of health services. Sharek was developed based on a consultative process that engaged anti-corruption and health officials as well as representatives of civil society, including women and youth groups. Sharek enables (i) civil society groups and citizens to share their feedback on health services provided by the public sector; and (ii) public officials, in particular those of the Ministry of Health and the Anti-Corruption Commission, to receive and synthesize the feedback and link it to upstream policy. Overall, Sharek is expected to contribute to awareness-raising and capacity development for those stakeholders on the importance of social accountability and the role of ICT in enhancing the delivery of basic public services.
Phase II of the initiative is expected to focus on fine-tuning and disseminating Sharek on the one hand, and providing training, at the local level, to the key stakeholders on the other hand, including training civil society activists and public officials from the Anti-Corruption Commission, the Ministry of Health, the National Woman’s Health Care Center and other concerned public bodies. Trainings will mainly target local communities in three pilot locations, including Irbid, Amman and Tafila, and will focus on raising awareness and enhancing knowledge on social accountability concepts and practices in the context of performance monitoring in public health sector, as well as transferring the necessary skills to promote the use of Sharek. |
