A framework for transparency in SHGs

Abstract

A Self Help Group [SHG] is a small homogeneous gathering of persons who join on a voluntary basis in order to undertake some common activity through mutual trust and mutual help. SHG system is conceptualized basically to address the problem of rural unemployment, and empowering people to make them economically self-dependent. But, there is a possibility of it being turned into a commercial unit negating the very thesis it espouses. In the last decade we have seen an increased use of the term "transparency" in different contexts such as business, political affairs, education, administration and government. Transparency is considered an indispensable ingredient in social accountability and necessary for preserving and guaranteeing ethical and fair processes. Transparency is related to visibility of information. Lack of transparency leaves the organization and stakeholders in blind states. The growing importance to the requirement of transparency in businesses was the motivation to study Transparency in SHGs. This paper persents a framework for transparency and also outlines the implementation of transparency through Member Behavioral Model (MBM) and Task Execution Cycle (TEC). © Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering 2012.