Learning outcomes of the curricular unit

There is growing recognition of social economy organizations (associations, foundations, IPSS, NGOs, etc.) as providers of social welfare and defenders of human rights. However, the field in which they operate is marked by complexity and cyclical volatility, sometimes accompanied by insufficient management practices with regard to transparency, accountability and good governance. 

Objectives: 

• To identify and understand the origins and evolution of the social economy and the models of accountability, transparency and governance in force in the world of SEOs, as well as the challenges and potential facing these organizations. 
• Analyze and debate the accountability practices of Portuguese SEOs, based on international benchmarks and a national proposal. 
• To learn about and apply accountability processes and tools, with a focus on the relationships established with the beneficiary commnunities, in the light of the human rights-based approach

Syllabus

1. The concept of Social Economy: different approaches
2. Legitimacy issues in the context of transparency and accountability of SEOs
3. Evolution and scope of the concept of transparency and accountability
4. Internal and external reasons for implementing transparency and accountability systems
5. Transparency and accountability as a relationship between stakeholders: donors, beneficiaries, human resources, networks and platforms, etc.
6. Transparency and accountability models: "principal-agent" and "mutual"
7. Transparency and accountability priorities: upward-downward, internal-external, functional-strategic
8. Mechanisms: dilemmas and potential
9. International proposals
10. Transparency and good governance: from theory to good practice