TITLE: Further Support for GII’s Anti-Corruption and Good Governance Programmes in Ghana
DONOR: MISEREOR – The German Catholic Bishops Development Agency
DURATION: current phase July 2015 – June 2018
LOCATION: SACs - (Savelugu Nanton, Akatsi North, Akatsi South, Kpando, Atebubu Amanting, Shama, Tain, Konongo, Yilo Kribo, New Juaben, Ahanta West, Ashaiman)
CoBMETs - (Bolgatanga, Berekum, Asante Akyem South, South Tongu, Gomoa East, Assin South, Ga West)
Main Objectives
The project supports GII in pursuing two of its important areas of work:
- Increased citizen participation
Achieve sustained citizen monitoring of public service delivery and project execution in order to increase accountability and improve delivery of basic services and project implementation in selected communities. This is primarily achieved through the work of Social Auditing Clubs (SACs).
In addition to the SACs, GII has also established Community Based Monitoring and Evaluation Teams (CoBMETs). At the heart of this area of work is the objective of increasing participation, transparency and accountability in basic school management in 30 schools in Ghana.
- Improved external communication
The project funds the production and dissemination of GII’s quarterly newsletter (the GII Alert). The GII Alert is a quarterly publication that provides key information to GII’s stakeholders about GII’s activities, current developments in anti-corruption and good governance both in Ghana and internationally.
Brief Summary
MISEREOR has been a supporter and funder of GII’s work. The current phase of support focuses on improving participation and accountability particularly at the local level. Furthermore, it also supports GII in its external communication through the production of the GII Alert.
Since 2009 GII has been working at the local level with citizen groups called Social Auditing Clubs (SACs) throughout Ghana. The project funds 13 of a total of 31 SACs. SACs are democratically elected community members who monitor public service delivery and project developments in their districts and work closely with local authorities to prevent, detect and, where possible, collaborate with District authorities to sanction irregularities and corrupt practices.
In addition to the SACs, GII has also established Community based Monitoring and Evaluation Teams (CoBMETs). At the heart of this area of work is the objective of increasing transparency and accountability in basic school management in 30 schools in Ghana. CoBMETs seek to empower parents and their representatives in thirty schools, mainly through the School Management Committees (SMCs) and Parent/Teacher Associations (PTAs) to demand transparency and accountability in the management of school resources and participation in school decision-making at the basic school level.
Results Achieved
Together SACs & CoBMETs have monitored over 40 community projects/initiatives in 2016 alone. Those have ranged from monitoring large scale infrastructural projects of schools and medical facilities to collaborating with staff from the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to counter corruption in electricity delivery.
Below are just some of our success stories:
In Asante Akim Central District, the SAC as part of their previous project focused on the quality of pipe borne water in the district. Citizens were raising concerns of a dirty colour and poor quality of the water.
The problem was largely being caused by downstream illegal mining and rusted metal pipelines. After undertaking their investigation and presenting their report to the District Chief Executive (DCE) and the Ghana Water Company, the dam was expanded and security assigned to monitor illegal mining activities 24 hours a day.
The water company also confirmed that the metal pipes that distribute water from the treatment plants to homes have been replaced with PVC pipes. This has caused a drastic improvement in the quality of water in the district.
The Akatsi South SAC was able to stop the construction of a highly faulty 3-story building in the College of Education due to shoddy work by the contractor. On a visit to the site, the monitoring team confirmed that the blocks were crumbling even upon the slightest scratch with bare hands. The pillar were also weak and one dig a hole into it using a nail and bare hands. It would therefore have been extremely dangerous for the construction to continue beyond the foundation level.
The poor construction has now been demolished and a new sight demarcate for new construction to begin.
In terms of communication, GII’s Alert is published on a quarterly basis and each quarter we distribute 2,000 hard copies to our key stakeholders. An online version is available for download to the broader public on the GII website.
Related Publications
To download any of GII’s Alerts published so far, please click here.
