Operation of the Institute of Democratic Governance, Ghana. www.ideg.org https://www.facebook.com/IDEGGhana https://twitter.com/IDEGGhana Led by Commonwelath Eminent Person Dr. Emmanuel Akwetey.

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Promoting Transparency and Accountability in Local Governance: The GIFNet Experience
Transparency refers to visibility and accessibility to information related to public administration. For
example, the finance officer of a district disclosing to the public how much of revenue was collected and
how that is being utilised. Accountability refers to the act of public officers or duty bearers giving account
of their performance to the people that they serve. For example, district officials explaining to citizens in
their districts why they consider certain projects to be of higher priority.
Transparency and accountability of government and duty bearers ensures that citizens know what
development plans have been put forward and are able to make input to reflect their development
aspirations. They are able to question and insist on what is of priority to them. Citizens are able to monitor
projects, track expenditure, seek for clarity on expenditure, etc. Developmental nemesis such as
misplaced priority expenditure, misapplication and misappropriation of funds, and corruption are
reduced. The urgency is that Transparency and Accountability of government and duty bearers produce
responsiveness and improved service delivery to the public.
In Ghana, we have come to accept that the best way to improve responsiveness of government and
service delivery is to bring government closer to the people, and create space for the people to actively
participate in government. Since 1988, Ghana has decentralized. Local government districts have been
created to facilitate citizen participation with the aim to improve public service delivery. It has gone
further to put in place institutional measures to ensure that citizens’ participation, transparency and
accountability are exercised. This is variously expressed in the Constitution of Ghana (1992), the local
Government Act 462 of 1993, the National Development Planning Act 480 of 1994, etc. For example,
Article 35(6d) of the 1992 Constitution require the state to “make democracy a reality by
decentralizing the administrative and financial machinery of government to the regions and districts
and by affording all possible opportunities to the people to participate in decision- making at every
level in national life and in government”.
However, surveys conducted by the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG), Send-Ghana and other
organisations, show that citizens or civil society participation in the formulation, implementation,
monitoring and evaluation of economic and social policies and programmes is generally weak and
ineffective in Ghana, especially at the local levels of government. This is largely because many civil society
organizations pay less attention to mobilizing citizens to participate in the public policy processes. The
few who get involved have limited capacity in research and advocacy skills, policy knowledge, resource
mobilisation and networking with the right institutions for effective collaborations. This represents an
important gap in civil society’s capacity.
Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDA) in Ghana are responsible for vital social services
such as infrastructure for transportation, education, healthcare, and sanitation. By improving the capacity
of civil society organisations (CSOs) to work with the MMDAs in the delivery of these services, CSOs have
the opportunity to significantly improve living standards.
In view of this, projects that seek to promote transparency and accountability in governance are
important to learning and improved governance. The collaboration among IDEG, Governance Issues
Forum Networks (GIFNets), and some District Assemblies under the Ghana Local Governance and
Decentralisation Program (LOGODEP) sponsored by the USAID is one of such projects. The project titled
“strengthening civic participation and social accountability in local governance” is being implemented in
the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality, Prestea Huni-Valley, and Shama Districts. The objective is to strengthen
civic participation and social accountability in Local Governance in the project districts. The project is also
expected to promote transparency and accountability in the project districts.

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The mission of IDEG is to enhance the capacity of citizens to influence public policy choices in order to
consolidate democracy and good governance in Ghana. Over the years, the Institute has played diverse
roles in promoting participation of civil societies and other non-state actors in the pursuit of democracy
and good governance, economic growth and poverty reduction, as well as equitable development in
Ghana. These include implementing social accountability projects across the country. The success of these
social accountability projects is underpinned in IDEG’s Governance Issues Forum (GIF) Model and the
GIFNets which have been lauded by external evaluators as an effective methodology for building
citizens capacity to influence decision making. The GIFNets are empowered networks of civic groups
and individuals. Members of the network are all trained in the public deliberation methods and their
application to civic participation in the governance process. The GIFNet functions as the basic operational
mechanism for collective action by civic groups and individual citizens. Since the introduction of the
methodology in 2004, IDEG and GIFNets have implemented social accountability projects in 26 districts
across the 10 regions of Ghana, with phenomenal developmental impacts. This experience forms the basis
for collaboration under the LOGODEP.
The LOGODEP project started in May 2014 and runs till July 2015. Beside seeking to promote transparency
and accountability in the project districts , the project is expected to strengthen civil society capacity to
influence local government priorities and monitor implementation of their annual action plans, improve
trust between MMDAs and CSOs at the local level, support advocacy efforts at the local and national
levels to improve timely disbursements of funding to MMDAs and effective implementation of projects at
the local level, and institutionalize a platform at the local level to foster engagement between civil society
actors and local government.
To enhance the organisational efficiency of CSOs and individuals to engage with their duty bears, IDEG
with the support of its local partners namely Network for Community Planning and Development, and
Organisation for Livelihood Enhancement Services has established GIFNets in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem
Municipality, Shama, and Prestea-Huni Valley Districts. These newly formed GIFNets are made-up of civil
society organisations, elected assembly members, community based organizations, professional
associations, traditional authorities, women, the youth, etc.
Capacity constrain was identified as a factor hindering the ability of CSOs and Citizens to participate
effectively in governance and to demand transparency and accountability of public officials. To address
this constrain, the capacity of Assembly members, citizens, and opinion leaders have been built in public
deliberation, advocacy and lobbying, issues identification, framing of issues, moderation, monitoring, etc.
The project uses the districts’ annual action plans, planning and budget hearing meetings, and project
monitoring visits as entry points for civic participation, transparency and accountability roles in local
governance. Additionally, public spaces such as public forums, tv and radio discussions, and engagement
with relevant stakeholders are some of the key interface platforms that the project uses to promote
transparency and accountability in the districts.
IDEG and GIFNets in the district have disseminated information on all projects being implemented in the
districts. Citizens know the projects in their district Annual Action Plan. This is considered an important
starting point in promoting transparency and accountability, thus, to first enlighten the people on the
various projects being implemented as a means to empower them to monitor such projects.
Subsequently, IDEG and the GIFNets with the support of the respective district assemblies have
undertaken regular monitoring visits to the various projects outlined in the annual action plan or budget.
Monitoring refers to regular collection of data to inform timely decision making. It is a process as well as
an important tool that is used to promote transparency, accountability, and improved public service
delivery. It provides information and feedback (on project activities) to keep efforts on track in achieving
desired objectives, thereby serving as an evidence-based result oriented policy-making tool.

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The reports of the monitoring visits are shared with the district assemblies and the public. Radio and
public forums are organised for citizens to engage with public officials on the findings of the monitoring
visits. The finances of the Districts are also shared with CSOs and citizens. These have thus opened up the
governance process in the project districts; the citizens know what the public officials are doing for them
and are able to seek clarifications, the latter accounts to them, and both partners discuss how best to
improve development outcomes in their district. Through this constructive civic participation and
interaction with the district officials, there is increased transparency and accountability in these districts.
Duty bearers and citizen groups have taken actions to improve service delivery. The project which runs
until July 2015 is not only promoting transparency and accountability, but also improving public service
delivery.
In the Shama District, monitoring revealed that a borehole project for the Inchaban community had not
been implemented. This was communicated to the District Assembly and further discussed at a
community forum. In response, the District Chief Executive assured the citizens that the Assembly was
going to provide them with the borehole. Construction of the bolehole is currently ongoing. To
complement the work of the Assembly, the Inchaban community led by the Queen Mother (Nana Akosoa
Mfrasie II) has provided two Polytanks to help provide good drinking water for the citizens.
In the Prestea-Huni Valley, after the monitoring visit, the Assembly’s attention was drawn to internal
roads in the budget which were behind schedule, and within a matter of two weeks the priority sections
of the road had been completed.
The participation and support of the District Assemblies is commendable. The success of the project so far
can also be attributed to the shared understanding among all partners, IDEG, GIFNets, and the District
Assemblies, that the project is a collective effort intended to improve public service delivery.
The project also encountered some challenges. These include ignorance among citizens on their rights
and responsibilities, and the lack of volunteerism. Most citizens are ignorant of their rights and
responsibilities to participate in governance, and the urgency to exercise these rights and responsibilities.
It takes time to explain to them to understand that the constitution guarantees them those rights and
those rights are aimed at improving their welfare. More sensitization is required in this direction.
Transparency, accountability and community development thrives on volunteerism. However, the spirit of
volunteerism is lacking in most citizens. Citizens want to be paid huge sums of money before they honour
their civic responsibilities. This is particularly challenging as it raises questions on the sustainability of civic
activities.
The GIFNets are designed to be self-sustaining after few years of initial support. Similarly, measures are
being put in place to ensure that after July 2015, the GIFNets are able to sustain their activities and
continue to promote transparency and accountability and improved public service delivery in their
communities.
Institutions like the National Commission for Civic Education and the Information Services Department
can contribute to improve civic participation in governance, transparency and accountability by
sensitising citizens at the local level on their civic rights and responsibilities, and on projects in their
district Annual Actions Plans to enable them monitor such projects.
Ewald Quaye GARR, IDEG
egarr@ideg.org