The Public Policy Advocacy and Social Accountability (PPASA) Project is part of a global project called “Strengthening the Accountability of Ghana’s Central and Local Government” supported by the French Government as part of the funding agreement signed by Ghanaian and French Governments within the programme called “Solidarity Priority Fund (SPF)” for the period 2014-2017. The project focuses on the application of principles of respect for the rule of law, consensus building, transparency, citizen participation, gender equality, efficiency and public sector accountability. The Project objective is to strengthen the implementation of accountability mechanisms of Ghanaian Government.
- Main Objectives of the Project
The objectives of the PPASA II project are as follows:
Objective 1: To strengthen traditional authorities-MMDAs-Citizens’ relationships to promote accountability and sustainable development in the areas of resource mobilization, infrastructure development, conflict resolution, natural resources and sustainable environmental management.
Objective 2: To promote active interest and engagement of citizens, CSOs and traditional authorities in local level environmental and development policy formulation and implementation.
Objective 3: To expose traditional authorities, citizens and CSOs to the use of social accountability tools to assess performance of duty bearers in the areas of sustainable development, environmental management and sustainable utilization of resources.
- Beneficiaries
The beneficiaries of the project are:
- Traditional Authorities
- Citizens (i.e. economic grouping, opinion leaders and women groups, youth groups, PWDs)
- The Suhum Municipal Assembly (i.e. Assembly Members, Technocrats etc.)
- Civil Society Organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations, FBOs
- Political leadership
- ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN/IMPLEMENTED
- Inception Meeting
As part of the project work plan, CLGA initiated the project on Tuesday, 15th March, 2016 with an inception meeting with the key officials of the Suhum Municipal Assembly (SMA). CLGA held an inception meeting with the key officials of the Suhum Municipal Assembly including some assembly members at the premises of the assembly. In attendance was the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Municipal Coordinating Director (MCD), Dr. Eric Oduro Osae, the Deputy Executive Director, Hon Gladys G. N. Tetteh and key stakeholders of the Assembly.
2.2 Launch of the Project
The Project was launched at Akorabo within the Suhum Municipality in the Eastern Region on Thursday 24th March, 2016. The launch was to create awareness about the project in the project communities and the municipality as a whole. The launch was attended by dignitaries including the MCE and Staff of SMA, a representative of the CDD, the project team from CLGA, traditional authorities, CSOs, Assembly members, Unit committee Members, Women and Youth Groups and personnel from the media.
2.3 Community Meeting
An introductory community meeting was held on Thursday 5th May, 2016 at the forecourt of the Akorabo Zonal Council Office which was attended by the Deputy Executive Director and the Deputy DCD of SuMA this activity created a better understanding of the project and clearly delineated the roles of respective stakeholders. The activity also set the tone for the attainment of project objectives. Thirty (30) community members including 20 males and 10 females attended the meeting.
2.4 Formation of Project Zonal Groups and Implementation Committee
To make running of the project easier in the Akorabo area, four zones were formed to make communication and monitoring as well as other project activities easily achievable. The zones included Old Town and Zongo Zone, Market Square Zone, Clinic Area Zone and New Town Zone. 35 community members including 22 males and 13 females
The PPASA II project aside from bringing the leadership of the assembly closer to its stakeholders also streamlined the information flow between the assembly and the communities’. Within the reporting period, the project held Accountability Forum. The forum was to provide a platform for the SMA to provide a face to face feedback to citizens and vice versa after the communities had assessed services delivered by the SMA. The forum also served as an opportunity for TAs to also receive views and opinions of citizens on the activities of service providers and the assembly to enable them transmit same as inputs into the development process of the assembly. This activity led to the attainment of project outcome and based on the interaction the following can be reported as achievements of the project:
- Improvement in the water situation as a result of the construction of additional boreholes for the Akorabo Township. Five additional boreholes have been constructed for the Akorabo zone.
- On security, street lights have been fixed and 200 bags of cement have been received from the Assembly and the Member of Parliament towards the construction of a police post.
- Sanitation Refuse dump in the community, the rubbish heap in the community had been cleared and the rubbish bins have promised the citizens.
- Market: The market in the community had been built. The attached toilets, electricity and water were however not completed.
- Participatory governance: The assembly indicated that the zones will be used to draw its medium to long term development project and help bridge the gap between the assembly and it citizens.
In conclusion it was agreed that the assembly should meet the traditional authorities at Akorabo at least once in a year as part of their accountability forum. Again, an additional zone was created as part of the community monitoring group and also include all stakeholders’ especially religious leaders within the communities.