THE CONCEPTS OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTROL

Accountability

The term ‘accountable’ came into usage in the English language in 1583. The Oxford Dictionary defines it as “liable to be called to account, responsible (to, for)”. Similarly, the Webster’s Dictionary defines it as “liable to be called on to render an account.”

Thus, the concept of accountability connotes the obligation of administrators to give a satisfactory account of their performance and the manner in which they have exercised the powers conferred on them. Its main aim is to check wrong and arbitrary administrative actions and to increase efficiency and effectiveness of the administrative process.

The two terms ‘administrative accountability’ and ‘administrative responsibility’ are very often used interchangeably. According to L.D. White, “Administrative responsibility consists of the sum total of the constitutional, statutory, administrative and judicial rules and precedents and the established practices by means of which public officials may be held accountable for their official actions.”

However, Pfiffner distinguished between accountability and responsibility:

• Accountability → formal and specific location of responsibility.

• Responsibility → personal, moral quality, not necessarily related to formal status or power.

According to him:

• Responsibility refers to the public servant’s responsiveness to public will (subjective, works from within).

• Accountability denotes the methods and procedures to enforce responsibility (objective, works from without).

In a constitutional and democratic system of government, administrative responsibility cannot depend solely on the personal responsibility of public servants. It must be supported by a formal legal and procedural basis. This basis of enforcing responsibility is known as accountability.

Control

Administrative accountability is enforced through various controls. In other words, it involves devising control mechanisms to keep the administration under watch and check. Public servants are made accountable to different agencies which exercise control over them.

The purpose of control is to ensure that public servants exercise their powers and discretion in accordance with laws, rules, regulations, procedures, and conventions.

The need for control is expressed well by:

• L.D. White: “Power in a democratic society requires control, and the greater the power, the more need for control. How to vest power sufficient to the purposes in view and maintain adequate controls without crippling authority is one of the historic dilemmas of popular government.”

• Lord Acton: “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

Thus, control over administration is necessary to check the dangers of bureaucratic power and to provide correctives against the despotic exercise of power. The instruments of control must safeguard the rights and liberties of the people without unnecessarily curbing the power and discretion of public servants.

Broadly, there are two types of administrative control:

1. Internal Control – operates from within the administrative machinery. It is automatic, spontaneous, and constant with the working of the system.

2. External Control – operates from outside the administrative machinery. It is laid down by the Constitution of a country.

Techniques of Internal Control:
(i) Budgetary system
(ii) Personnel management
(iii) Efficiency survey
(iv) Professional standards
(v) Administrative leadership
(vi) Hierarchical order
(vii) Enquiries and investigations
(viii) Annual Confidential Report (ACR)

Agencies of External Control:
(i) Legislature
(ii) Executive
(iii) Judiciary
(iv) Citizen