The
current status of citizen engagement in my country, in my view, is average.
Considerable efforts have been made to encourage active citizen participation
in public management. However, the inability to understand some of the
technical subject matter and recapitulation prompted by inertia of
powerlessness that undermine active engagement. Furthermore, the good intentions
to promote participation and engagement is sometimes undermined by some problems
that's make it hard on the citizen, but active
promotion of decentralized governance, participation has ensured effective
engagement in public management..
Some of the successful examples of citizen engagement
include:
1-
Monitoring the utilization of funds disbursed to Local Governments for the
provision of social services. This enables citizens to foster a culture of
accountability through demanding knowledge of how the funds have been utilized
2-
Participation in the budget conference; which enables citizens to understand
and contribute to prioritization of development activities that affect their
welfare
3-
Involvement in the development of the local development plans, which enables
citizens' active participation in planning of the development process
4-
Involvement of citizens in the development of agricultural research and
extension programmers
5-
More recently the Civil society organizations have encouraged citizen
engagement in the electoral process through the development and popularization
of the Citizens' Manifesto; this is enabling citizens to point to the electoral
candidates what are of priority concern and interests to the citizens
