CDD-Ghana/OSIWA SOCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT

PROJECT NEWSLETTER
Volume 1

PROMOTING SOCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY THROUGH CITIZENS PARTICIPATION IN

LOCAL GOVERNANCE IN GHANA : BUILDING TRANSPARENCY, PARTICIPATION
AND FEEDBACK AROUND LOCAL GOVERNMENT BUDGETING AND PLANNING
SYSTEM

About the Project

The Ghana Center for Democratic
Development (CDD-Ghana) and the Open
Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA),
is implementing a four-year (2015-2018)
social accountability project expected to
develop an informed citizenry and build
coalitions among local citizen groups, media
and citizens with the goal of building
transparency, participation and feedback
around local government budgeting and
planning systems. Similar to CDD-Ghanas
social accountability projects, this project
would also strengthen citizens voice,
transparency and accountability in local
governance. The project is being
implemented in 20 selected districts across
the country

Update on 2015 Project

Activities
National Project Advisory
Committee (NPAC)
Selection of Project Districts
Developing Project Baseline
Studies
Selection of Local CSO Partners

National Project Advisory Committee

(NPAC)

Some members of NPAC at a meeting held at

the CDD-Ghana Accra Office

The NPAC was constituted in June,

2015. The idea behind the NPAC is to
strengthen institutional collaboration
and partnership under the project,
particularly with state institutions
whose official mandate involve policy
coordination
related
to
decentralization in Ghana. The
institutions represented on the NPAC
include Ministry of Local Government
& Rural Development (MLGRD);

A Newsletter on the CDD/OSIWA Social Accountability Project

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Ministry of Finance (MOF); National

Development Planning Commission
(NDPC); Local Government Service
(LGS); National Association of Local
Authorities of Ghana (NALAG); Ghana
Federation
of
Disability
Organizations
(GFD)
and
a
representative from the media. The
committee also advises on the
implementation of the project
activities. It is jointly chaired by the
MLGRD and CDD-Ghana.

District-level
engagement
with
stakeholders at Techiman North District
Assembly in the Brong-Ahafo Region

Developing Project Baseline Studies

and District Level Engagements

Selection of Project Districts

During the year, two main studies

were conducted: A baseline study in
project districts and a desk Study on
Social Accountability focusing on
local Authorities in Ghana. The
findings are to inform knowledge and
learning among stakeholders; inform
design of project intervention policies
at the district level and provide
evidence to inform advocacy through
dialogue and engagement with NPAC
and policy makers particularly the
Inter-ministerial
Coordinating
Committee leading decentralization
reforms at the national level. Also,
whilst conducting the baseline study,
the Project Team (PT) engaged
relevant state and non-state actors in
the project districts to introduce the
project to them.

Several factors were taken into

consideration in the selection of the
final 20 project districts. The major
consideration applied was that
districts
selected
were
not
beneficiaries of the major social
accountability projects currently
being implemented in Ghana. These
include projects such as Ghana
Strengthening
Accountability
Mechanism (GSAM); Accountable
Democratic Institutions and Systems
Strengthening (ADISS); Making the
Budget Work for Ghana; Social Public
Expenditure Financial Accountability
(SPEFA). Other considerations were
to build upon CDDs prior social
accountability work in Ghana and
consolidate the gains in some of
these districts.

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List of 20 Districts selected for the

project
Region

District

Gt. Accra
Ashanti

NingoPrampram
BosomeFreho

AhafoAno South

Tano South

Dormaa East

Techiman North

Central

Western
Eastern
Northern Region

Komenda-EdinaEguafo-Abirem
Amenfi West
Upper West Akim
Kumbungu

Saboba
Sawla-Tuna- Kalba

Central Gonja

Brong Ahafo

shortlist of two CSOs from each

district from which the final
CSOs/CBOs were selected as local
partners. Some districts are expected
to have two Local CSO/CBO partners,
thus the Lead Local CSO/CBO Partner
and District-based Partner. This would
be adopted in districts where CSOs
were selected from nearby districts.
These vibrant CSOs would be
expected to use this project to groom
a budding civil society group based in
the project district.
List of Local Partner/Mentee
CSOs/CBOs
Region

District

CSO

KassenaNankana
West

Gr.
Accra
Central

NingoPrampram
KEEA

The Guardian Home

Builsa North
Binduri

Volta

Ketu South

Upper West
Region

Lawra
Nandom

Volta Region

Jasikan

Ketu South

Upper East
Region

Jasikan
Western

Eastern

Selection of Local CSO partners

The final activity for the year was the
selection of the local CSO Partners
from each of the project districts that
would partner CDD-Ghana in the
implementation of the district level
project activities and also benefit
from learning and capacity building as
part of the project concept. Through
a rigorous assessment, the Project
team was able to do the initial

Ashanti

Brong
Ahafo

A Newsletter on the CDD/OSIWA Social Accountability Project

Progressive Excellence
Youth Organization
(PEYORG)
Foundation for
Sustainable
Development in Africa
(FSDA)
VIKA Child Aid
Foundation
CODESULT Network

Amenfi
West
Upper
Obra Foundation
West Akim
Bosome - Solidarity for Youth
Freho
and Disabled
Development
Ahafo Ano Resource Link
South
Foundation
Tano South TIM Africa Aid Ghana
Dormaa
East
(wamfie)
Techiman
North

Hope Alive 360

Foundation (Sunyani)
Center for Prosperity
Interest Organization
(COPIO)
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Kumbungu

Campaign for Balanced

Education and
Development
(CAMBED)

N/R

Upper
East

Saboba

Integrated Development
Center (IDC)

Central
Gonja

Rural Improvement
Services (CRIS)

SawlaTunaKalba

Center for Deprived

Communities (CDC),
Bole

Kassena
Nankana
West
Builsa
North
Binduri

RISE-Ghana

FISTRAD Ghana
Community
Development Advocacy
Centre (CODAC
Ghana)

Lawra

Community
Development Alliance
(CDA)

Nandom

Partnership for Rural

Development Action
(PRUDA)

Upper
West

Editorial Team
Dr. Franklin Oduro
Paul Osei-Kuffour
P.N.K Aborampah Mensah
Mildred Edinam Adzraku
Newton Norviewu

Accra Office
# 95 Nortei Ababio Loop,
North Airport Res. Area,
Accra-GHANA P. O. Box LG.404 Legon
Accra-GHANA
: + 233-0302 / 776142/ 777214 / 784293/4
Cell: + 233 024 435 0266 / 0277 744 777
Fax: 233-0302 763028/9

Tamale Office
# RC 50, Opposite Arewa Sunshine Hotel,
Rice City, Gumani, Tamale
P. O. Box TL 1573, Tamale
: + 233-03720 277 58
Cell: +233 0544 444 242
Fax: +233 3720 277 59

Next Edition
In the next edition, we will share with
you updates on project activities for
January June, 2016, some interesting
findings from the research reports
and the profile of the project team
members as well as the local CSO
partners.

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