The Importance of Result-Based Management in Fostering Transparency and Accountability in the Enhancement of Development Initiatives

Results-Based Management (RBM) is an organizational management system characterized by a goal-oriented approach. Its global application first came with the 2005 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness. RBM is a results-centered approach to Project Management, that emphasizes delivering results rather than managing inputs and activities. The current study investigates the impact of RBM on increasing transparency and accountability. With all development initiatives transparent and accountable, RBM enhances stakeholders’ ability to participate and understand where an organization or business stands in relation to its development objectives. This literature review integrates the findings of various studies (e.g., major multilateral organizations, bilateral donors, development banks, and international Non-Governmental Organizations) to evaluate RBM's relationship to building accountability and trust. The assessment relies on the theoretical cornerstones and principles of the RBM philosophy. It integrates them with New Public Management (NPM) to examine how the elements of RBM construct an openness and accountability culture. It demonstrates that, by adopting RBM, donors’ trust is increased through evidence of strategic planning, effectiveness, and impact of RBM. However, the review also identifies persistent technical, political, and/or institutional capacity barriers to the successful implementation of RBM. For subsequent projects to effectively contribute to the development of transparent and accountable governance arrangements, efforts must focus on improving the RBM through: adaptive management; improvement in capacity building at the institutional, administrative, and governance levels of RBM; and the creation of incentives that give incentives to focus on sustainable and meaningful outcomes and enhanced accountability, rather than just quick wins and “low-hanging fruit.”