Document Name: 2008. Listen First Framework.
Organization: Concern Worldwide
The Listen First framework does not deal with M&E, but rather highlights an approach for NGO accountability to poor and marginalized stakeholders. It highlights a variety of participatory, respectful, and transparent processes for assessing the public accountability of development work and planning. There are four dimensions, which include: providing information publically, involving people in making decisions, listening, and staff attitudes and behaviors. These categories are then rated on a four-point scale ranging from sapling, maturing, flowering, and fruit bearing. See chart below.
Strengths:
- The four-point assessment scale provides a clear outlining of steps to improve public accountability and participatory processes with stakeholders.
- The focus on engaging the grassroots in decision-making strengthens an organization’s planning and program implementation processes, ensuring that their activities have direct relevance to its targeted stakeholder groups.
- The framework allows for more voice and visibility from stakeholders.
- Accountability processes within an organization are made more transparent.
Weaknesses (or not designed for):
- The lack of a power analysis obscures inequalities between staff and the grassroots. It is unclear the degree of voice that stakeholders really have in shaping agendas.
- There is no mechanism for assessing progress beyond the four-point scale, moving into a more transformative partnership with greater equality and more balanced power relationships.
- The traditional development model of service delivery is not challenged or transformed using this form of participation and accountability.
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