The role of community developers in facilitating citizen-based monitoring and strengthening public accountability in South Africa's public sector

Abstract

Citizen-based monitoring (CBM) has emerged as an important mechanism for strengthening public accountability and improving service delivery in developing countries. While existing scholarship has primarily focused on citizens, civil society organisations, and government institutions, it has paid limited attention to the intermediary actors who facilitate monitoring processes at the community level. This study examines the role of community developers in facilitating CBM and strengthening public accountability in South Africa's public sector. Using a qualitative research design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 community developers involved in CBM initiatives. The findings reveal that community developers play critical intermediary roles by mobilising citizen participation, translating governance processes and monitoring frameworks into accessible information, mediating interactions between communities and public institutions, and sustaining monitoring activities over time. However, their effectiveness is constrained by limited institutional support, resource constraints, weak coordination, and inadequate feedback mechanisms. The study contributes to participatory governance and accountability scholarship by demonstrating that effective CBM depends not only on citizen participation but also on intermediary actors who facilitate engagement and connect citizen-generated evidence to decision-making processes. The study recommends formally recognising community developers within CBM frameworks, strengthening institutional support, and institutionalising responsive feedback mechanisms.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Development Studies Research, 2026 · DOI ↗