RAMALLAH, West Bank — A coalition of 70 nongovernmental organizations is monitoring the performance of the new Palestinian government to gauge its social accountability in the absence of a legislative council playing this role.

The Palestinian Constitutional Court in Ramallah decided in December to disband the Palestinian Legislative Council. Now, the Palestinian Consultative Staff for Developing NGOs (PCS) — an independent civil association comprising 70 civil society organizations — has stepped up with a program dubbed "Accountability Development."

The PCS was formed in 2005 and operates in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It works to develop and empower Palestinian society by promoting democracy, social justice, sustainable development and respect for the law and human rights. The association offers its services impartially.

Its latest effort focuses on ensuring citizens’ access to the basic services of ministries and governmental bodies, assessing the development of governmental institutions' performance and their conduct with citizens, and offering potential insights to improve their work.