Why isn’t tech for accountability working in Africa?

This policy briefing examines why 'technology for transparency and accountability' (T4T&A) initiatives in Africa have failed to achieve large-scale impact despite expanding mobile networks and falling costs. The author argues that failures stem from a poor understanding of technology, a lack of user research, and a tendency for non-tech organisations to build custom tools from scratch rather than using existing ones. The document recommends shifting from short-term pilots to building a supportive innovation ecosystem that emphasises iterative learning and stronger links between technologists and accountability actors.

• Despite the potential of expanding mobile networks and lower data costs to improve communication between citizens and governments, T4T&A initiatives have generally failed to achieve effectiveness at scale.
• A primary cause of failure is the 'build it and they will come' approach, where initiatives ignore the incentives, needs, and aptitudes of the citizens and government actors required for accountability processes to function.
• Research involving 38 T4T&A initiatives in Kenya and South Africa revealed that fewer than 25% of managers were satisfied with their chosen technologies, and nearly half of the target audiences did not use the tools as expected.
• There is a significant tendency for non-technical organisations to develop custom digital tools from scratch without researching existing alternatives, leading to increased costs, delays, and failure to meet expectations.
• Organisations lacking technical expertise often struggle with third-party service providers because they cannot provide adequate briefs or ask the necessary technical questions during development.
• To improve performance, T4T&A initiatives must move away from product-based inventions and instead adopt an iterative innovation process that includes user research, field testing, and a commitment to learning from failure.
• Funders are encouraged to move away from supporting short-term pilots and instead invest in building institutions and networks that can disseminate learning resources across the continent.

APA

de Lanerolle, I. (2017). Why isn’t tech for accountability working in Africa? South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Policy-Briefing-161.pdf

Chicago

de Lanerolle, Indra. Why isn’t tech for accountability working in Africa? South African Institute of International Affairs, 2017. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Policy-Briefing-161.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=de Lanerolle |first1=Indra |title=Why isn’t tech for accountability working in Africa? |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=May 2017 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Policy-Briefing-161.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{delanerolle2017why, author = {de Lanerolle, Indra}, title = {{Why isn’t tech for accountability working in Africa?}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2017}, month = may, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Policy-Briefing-161.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }