Constructive Engagement
Constructive engagement is the process of “building a mature relationship between two naturally opposable parties—i.e., citizens or citizen groups and government—bound together by a given reality.” (ANSA-EAP, 2013). That process involves building trust between the two parties; it is evidence based and is heavily driven by results and solutions (The Co-Intelligence Institute). Spaces for participation are created, wherein mutual trust and openness are required to facilitate meaningful and sustained dialogue and negotiation. In the context of SAI—citizen engagement, citizens and citizen groups are not outsiders. Rather, they sit at the same table and are given the same powers and responsibilities as those of state auditors.
When problems and gaps are identified during the implementation and delivery of government programs and services, it is the role of citizens and civil society to point out those problems and find ways to work with the government to solve them. That process is called collaborative problem solving. It is when citizens and the government deliberately sit together to identify possible interventions.
Once solutions have been identified for implementation, citizens and government must continuously communicate every step of the way. That communication ensures that each party is kept in the loop and is aware of the actions taken. The process of continuing dialogue is not always easy. Tensions arise when reform initiatives take place—a normal reaction given the different mandates and limitations of each institution. However, communication to resolve those tensions helps strengthen the relationship and trust between institutions. A dialogue transforms into a process of “shared exploration towards greater understanding, connection, or possibility (The Co-Intelligence Institute).” Throughout the process of continuing dialogue, we undergo the following stages: (1) enriching perspectives and achieving understanding, (2) framing choices and deliberating, (3) deciding; and (4) implementing (ANSA–EAP, 2010). These stages occur in one continuous loop to facilitate effective communication between and among the key actors in the reform process.
Guidelines for dialogue*
- 1. We talk about what's really important to us.
- 2. We really listen to each other.
- 3. We say what's true for us without making each other wrong.
- 4. We see what we can learn together by exploring things together.
- 5. We avoid monopolizing the conversation.
The process of building a mature relationship between SAIs (or any government agency) and citizens is characterized by the following:
- An attitude of trust building among the involved parties
- The use of evidence based on data generation and analysis to make claims;
- An orientation toward achieving concrete results or finding solutions
- A predisposition toward sustaining the engagement
The presence of those characteristics deepens the appreciation of the roles and responsibilities that government and civil society play when working toward reforms in governance.
The Affiliated Network for Social Accountability in East Asia and the Pacific (ANSA–EAP) adapted and customized the World Bank’s Quadrant Solving Tool and used it during constructive engagement workshops. That tool provides a concrete approach to identifying and solving problems collaboratively and identifies the nature of engagement between social accountability actors.
