Identification of Role of Social Audit by Stakeholders as Accountability Tool in Good Governance

In the recent years social audit is being viewed as a promising approach to improve the performance and social accountability in private as well as in public sector. A number of state governments have also initiated social audit exercise and government of Delhi is probably the pioneer in social audit. Organizations have developed procedures, standards and methods to achieve social audit as it has been useful in many ways in improving performance and accountability, but it is only the stakeholders who can truly appreciate the benefits and role of social audit. This study undertakes the construction of a standardized Likert scale questionnaire to assess the role of social audit as perceived by stakeholders. In the process of constructing the instrument, this paper attempts to clarify the actual role of the society and civic engagements as is perceived and expected by stakeholders. Social audit creates confidence in society regarding government initiatives, promotes transparency and efficiency, improves social, ethical and environmental performance, enhances inclusion, facilitates monitoring and ensures accountability.