CONTRIBUTION OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE GOVERNMENT INSITUTIONS POLICY FORMULATION IN RWANDA. A CASE STUDY OF MINISTRY OF YOUTH AND ARTS

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the contribution of public accountability in influencing government institutions policy formulation in Rwanda, focusing specifically on the Ministry of Youth and Arts. The objectives of the study are threefold: to examine the role of public accountability in policy formulation, to analyse its influence on the Ministry of Youth's policy- making processes, and to identify strategies that can enhance the impact of public accountability in policy formulation within the ministry. This study lies in its potential to inform policymakers about the importance of accountability mechanisms in crafting responsive policies that reflect the needs of youth in Rwanda. By enhancing public accountability, the study anticipates that government policies will become more transparent and inclusive, ultimately benefiting the youth population. It involves a quantitative approach, where data was collected from 150 youth through questionnaires that include both open-ended and closed-ended questions. The analysis of the research was done by the use Statistical Package for the Social Science and the results discovered that public accountability strongly enhances policy formulation at the ministry of youth and arts. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used and provided table showing the numbers of the respondents with their percentages whether it was very low, low, moderate, high and very high. Age, education, gender and marital status were considered when selecting the respondents of whom sought to have the right information. Major findings revealed a strong correlation between public accountability and effective policy formulation, underscoring the necessity for enhanced accountability mechanisms in governance. The study was concluded with recommendations for the Ministry of Youth and Arts to implement strategies that further strengthen public accountability, ensuring that youth voices are adequately represented in policy decisions. Further researchers in the same field should enlarge the population size to have

17 extended information on how public accountability enhances government institutions policy formulation in Rwanda.