Which statement best describes accountability?

• A. External audits only
• B. Accepting responsibility for actions and outcomes, and being answerable to supervisors and policy.
• C. Submitting weekly reports only
• D. Avoiding responsibility

Answer: (B)

Accountability means owning your actions and their results and being answerable to the people and rules that govern your work. It’s about taking responsibility for what you do, including recognizing mistakes, explaining outcomes, and accepting the consequences or adjustments required by supervisors and policy. This goes beyond any single task like audits or weekly reports; those are methods that can show accountability, but they don’t themselves define it. Being accountable isn’t about dodging responsibility or avoiding scrutiny—it’s about actively owning what you did, how it affected others, and how you’ll address it moving forward. That’s why the statement describing taking responsibility for actions and outcomes and being answerable to supervisors and policy best captures accountability.