Public Accountability in Regulatory Governance
Abstract
Assessing public accountability to improve public service delivery, local governance, and development has been an increasing global concern. The discourse and practice of accountability has been integrated in many disciplines such as public administration, political science, organizational development, and environmental management. But while some studies focus on accountability assessment in specific areas of public management and related concerns, the current academic literature of accountability reveals the paucity of studies on accountability assessment models in regulatory governance. This paper presents a review of relevant literature on public accountability, regulation and regulatory governance; issues and concerns affecting regulatory governance; and assessment perspectives in regulatory governance that can be relevant in empirical studies assessing accountability systems and practices in regulatory governance. The review yields conceptualizations as well as approaches that call for a holistic appraisal of the regulatory governance structure and performance. It also gives a more meaningful, ethical, and responsible engagement of the State and other societal sectors in exacting accountability in regulatory governance. Nevertheless, the current literature could be enriched with public policy research and analysis involving assessments of accountability practices in regulatory governance particularly in the context of developing societies.
