This analysis is based on the fact that donor agencies in rural development normally work through different types of intermediary institutions in order to reach the population. A weakness identified in this system is the way accountability is oriented: the intermediary institutions formally respond to the institutions that facilitate financial support, while the relationship with the population being assisted does not go beyond a moral commitment. In particular, the final beneficiaries do not have the option nor the right to demand anything from the intermediary institution providing the service.
This new approach, called “Taking a New Look”, proposes that to whom we respond should be the final user of the services provided. The services are defined as products, not favors. In addition, the persons interested in the products are considered as clients, not as beneficiaries.