Analysis of Accountability in Nutrition-Sensitive Policies and Programs in Burkina Faso

Introduction: In the nutrition sector, accountability is of particular importance. Indeed, the World Nutrition Report 2015 devotes an important section to the issue of measurement and accountability. The report states that accountability mechanisms are essential to strengthen the effectiveness of all stakeholders in nutrition improvement efforts. This paper aims to analyze the accountability mechanisms contained in nutrition policies and programs in Burkina Faso. Methodology: The data used in this article are primarily qualitative. They were collected through two collection techniques: individual interviews and reviews of policy documents. The individual interview was organized with public administration executives from the health and agriculture sectors, commune officials and civil society organizations involved in the implementation of nutrition programs in the Boulgou and Sissili provinces. In total, 32 people were interviewed, 12 at the provincial level and 20 at the central administration level. Results: In total, approximately 101 documents were reviewed and 16 were selected for this article. Most of the selected policy documents address the issue of nutrition. In fact, these policies do not address nutrition in the same way, as they are related to several sectors and each one has its own specificity. We note that the question of accountability is weakly developed in the policy documents sensitive to nutrition. The consistent finding from the documents used in this paper is that policymakers give very little attention to this important issue in the formulation phases. Based on the basic elements of the Bovens conceptual framework, it is noted that aspects that would facilitate the consideration of the accountability issue are not developed in nutrition-sensitive policy documents. Conclusion: Accountability is weakly addressed and developed in nutrition-sensitive policies. During the elaboration of these documents, the actors do not give themselves the necessary time to develop the part devoted to accountability mechanisms which occupy an important place in the promotion of good governance and the improvement of the performance of the actions undertaken.