What Is The Accelerator?
Most ‘accountable governance’ professionals watch the same pattern repeat: reforms are implemented, institutions are strengthened — and corrupt behavior remains unchanged.
This isn’t a failure of effort. Most approaches simply weren't built to account for how behavior actually changes when corruption is endemic.
Strong institutions matter. But they don't drive behavior on their own. People follow rules when they believe others will too. Where that belief is absent - rules don’t hold. This is where social norms become critical. Understanding that social norms matter is step one.
What comes next is harder — and it's where most organizations stall:
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Translating social norms research into policy and programming that reflects how behavior actually changes
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Knowing what a credible norms intervention looks like — and what makes most fall short
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Building organizational capacity that outlasts a single project, a single champion, or a single funding cycle
The Social Norms Accelerator is built for exactly this — not to introduce the concept, but to make it operational inside your organization.
What is Accountable Governance?
‘Accountable governance’ is simply how we name work that confronts the abuse of entrusted power for personal or political gain — whether you call it public sector reform, leadership ethics, transparency, accountability, civil service professionalization, anti-corruption, governance or integrity, or something else entirely. You don't have to speak our language -- we are still your community.
HOW IT WORKS
The Accelerator is a 9 month hybrid program for teams of 2–3 professionals, put forward by their organization that work in ‘accountable governance’. The program is built around three reinforcing pillars:
Social norms theory and practice: the research base, made operational
Theory of change thinking: translating norms insights into effective work
Skills diffusion: ensuring team learning moves through your organization
Starting late September 2026, the program runs for 9 months and combines virtual and in-person learning. Most months include 1–2 virtual sessions plus curated reading and application exercises. It will require approximately 8 hours of time per team member per month. Learning is inquiry-based: it happens through discussion and doing, not passive instruction.
Two multi-day, in-person workshops anchor the program at key points in the year – late January and late March 2027. In those months, virtual requirements are minimal.
Throughout, teams receive individualized coaching to support application inside their organization.
The Social Norms Accelerator begins with a virtual kickoff session
in late September 2026 and concludes in May 2027.
WHO IT'S FOR
This program is for teams of 2–3 professionals from government agencies, civil society organizations, and multilaterals that have identified social norms as a capacity gap they're ready to close. Each team includes at least one technical specialist — who engages deeply with analytical and design work — and at least one strategist — who ensures insights move from learning into institutional practice. This structure is intentional. Together, they form an internal pair of champions — bridging what the program builds and what the organization can sustain.
Organizational backing is required — because this program is designed to build institutional capacity, not just individual expertise. This takes the form of a letter of support from a supervisor or executive accompanying the Expression of Interest. It's a short letter, not a heavy process.
See our page on eligibility before completing your Application.
OUR FACILITATORS
Besa Global's Diana Chigas and Cheyanne Scharbatke-Church bring decades of experience turning research on endemic corruption into practice. From Uzbekistan to Uganda to the Philippines, they have worked with teams to design programs, review policy, and implement capacity-transfer strategies that make change stick.
Their experience is grounded in contexts where corruption isn't occasional but endemic — where it shapes what people expect, what they tolerate, and what they believe is even possible to change. This is exactly where social norms do their heaviest lifting.
The Social Norms Accelerator puts that expertise directly in your team’s hands - providing practical, operational, and context-grounded toolkits - built to help your organization act on social norms, not just understand them.
GOT MORE QUESTIONS?
Check out our Frequently Asked Questions
But if you’re ready to roll, our How does my team apply? page walks you through the application process.