Citizen reporter Cards are participatory surveys that solicit user feedback on the performance of public services. CRCs can significantly enhance public accountability through the extensive media coverage and civil society advocacy that accompanies the process. Citizen Report Cards are used in situations where demand side data, such as user perceptions on quality and satisfaction with public services is absent. By systematically gathering and disseminating public feedback, CRCs serve as a “surrogate for competition” for state-owned monopolies that lack the incentive to be as responsive as private enterprises to their client’s needs. They are a useful medium through which citizens can credibly and collectively ‘signal’ to agencies about their performance and advocate for change

Assessing Urban Governance: Citizens’ Report Cards says that the Report Card as a tool for measuring public agency performance, getting user feedback and initiating reform has been employed in a number of cities across the developed as well as developing world, including Washington DC (USA), Bangalore (India), Penang (Malaysia) and numerous others. Used to evaluate local governments’ performance as seen by citizens, it is being acknowledged by governments as an important aid in obtaining public feedback on efficiency and efficacy of service delivery mechanisms and in making substantive systemic improvements.

Citizen Report Cards are public accountability mechanisms based on citizen surveys of the performance and quality of government services. They allow citizens to monitor state performance.
In addition, they: