Stakeholders Reflect On Social Accountability

Dr. Esther Ofei-Aboagye presenting a citation and a copy of the Local Government logo to Daria Fane

The Institute of Local Government Studies, with support from the European Union (EU), is promoting social accountability through increased engagement of non-state actors in local planning.

The project, which is under the Ghana Decentralization Support Programme and dubbed ‘Social Accountability Platform for Local Governance in Ghana,’ is aimed at providing a harmonized approach to promoting comprehensive and coherent social accountability at the local level.

As part of initial steps toward providing a workable platform, a meeting to reflect on social accountability in Ghanaian local development was held in Accra to facilitate interface among key stakeholders in social accountability and local governance.

Dr. Callistus Mahama, Deputy Director of the Institute of Local Government Studies, giving an overview of the project, stated that it is envisaged to provide the opportunity to monitor performances on social accountability and responsiveness commitments in the decentralization policy and local government programmes.

In the end, he said, it is also expected to foster wider and more holistic performance assessment of local government service delivery including public financial management, resources allocation.

As part of the project, he said, there would be mapping of regional social accountability interventions which would be used for the development of an annual ‘status of local government accountability in Ghana’ report.

There would be periodic policy research which would be used to feed two policy briefs on specific aspects of social accountability.

Dr. Esther Ofei-Aboagye, Director of Institute of Local Government Studies, stated that the project would enhance citizenry participation at the local level.

“Citizens will be equipped to scrutinize management of public financial resources and other intervention projects over the years.”

Nana Boachie–Danquah, a local government expert, who chaired the function said, “People have a say in what the local government does.

He said the constitution demands accountability “but the supply side has been very weak.”

Daria Fane, Head of Governance Section of the European Union Delegation to Ghana, was honoured for her commitment to the promotion of social accountability.

 By Emelia Ennin Abbey