In a comparative study of two global health multi-stakeholder partnerships (MSPs), we investigate the interplay between accountability and responsibility. We show that the ways in which global health MSPs frame their responsibility have direct repercussions on how accountability is enacted.
In connection with this, we argue that MSPs face different accountability challenges depending on their “official” and “de facto” responsibilities. We conclude that the transformative potential of MSPs should be understood in relation to the specific governance contexts in which such partnerships are embedded.