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, semistructured
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 decisionmaking
processes. The study recommends formally recognising community developers
within CBM frameworks, strengthening institutional support, and institutionalising
responsive feedback mechanisms.