Action plan – Ketu South, Ghana, 2025 – 2028

At-a-Glance

Duration

Dec 2028

Date Submitted

26th October 2025

Foreword(s)

Ketu South Municipality is the eastern gateway to the Republic of Ghana. The Municipality is unique in the sense that it shares a direct boundary with Lomé, the Capital of the Republic of Togo. The Municipality was established by Legislative Instrument (LI) 2155 of 2012. The highest administrative, planning, and decision-making body/authority in the Municipality is the Ketu South Municipal Assembly and is made up of fifty-nine members. The Municipal derives its mandate and functions from the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936), section 12, making it responsible for the overall development of the Municipal.

The constitution of Ghana highlights the importance of participation at the local governance level. Recognizing the strategic objective of the Open Government PartnershipThe Open Government Partnership (OGP) is a multi-stakeholder initiative focused on improving government transparency, ensuring opportunities for citizen participation in public matters, and strengthen... More Program, which is based on the idea that governments should be more transparent, inclusive, participatory, and accountable to citizens, the Ketu South Municipal Assembly is among the two Assemblies in the Volta Region of Ghana to join the OGP platform. As a Local government institution, we are committed to ensuring good governance through transparencyAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, transparency occurs when “government-held information (including on activities and decisions) is open, comprehensive, timely, freely available to the pub... More, effective citizen participationAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, citizen participation occurs when “governments seek to mobilize citizens to engage in public debate, provide input, and make contributions that lead to m... More, and accountability in our service delivery.

This OGP Plan represents the blueprint of the Ketu South Municipal spanning the period 2025 to 2028 with commitments related to inclusiveness, fiscal openness, public service deliveryTo ensure that citizens of all groups are better supported by the government, OGP participating governments are working to improve the quality of and access to public services. Commitments in this are... More, and natural resource management. The document was prepared through a participatory process involving all relevant stakeholders in government, civil society, and the private sectorGovernments are working to open private sector practices as well — including through beneficial ownership transparency, open contracting, and regulating environmental standards. Technical specificat... More, traditional authorities, vulnerable groups, and religious groups, among others. The Assembly, together with the lead Civil Society Organization (Friends of the Nation), would ensure the effective implementation of the Open Government commitments to promote transparency and accountability in the Municipal.

Open Government Challenges, Opportunities and Strategic Vision

What is the long-term vision for open government in your context and jurisdiction?

The 2030 Agenda (SDG) acknowledges that promoting sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all is among the greatest global challenges and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. To escape from poverty, the poor need productive jobs that lead to higher income. The Ketu South Municipal Assembly envisions empowering citizens, especially women and the vulnerable group through continuous civic engagement and vocational supports to help boost economic growth and promote open government principles.

What are the achievements in open government to date (for example, recent open government reforms)?

Platforms that create the environment for citizens to participate in activities of the Assembly, including Community Fora, Town Hall Meetings, Participatory Planning, Budgeting, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Social Audit Committees. There is support from CSOs and Institutions such as the National Development Planning Commission, Friends of the Nation, Foundation for Sustainable Development, CDD-Ghana, GIZ, and Empath Reach LBG, which have enhanced citizen engagement. Other interventions include:

• Spatial Planning: Planning schemes for 5 communities are currently being developed.
• Development Planning: Co-creation of the Medium Term Development Plan (2026 – 2029) through community engagement and public hearings.
• GenderOGP participating governments are bringing gender perspectives to popular policy areas, ensuring diversity in participatory processes, and specifically targeting gender gaps in policies to address gov... More: established a Gender-Desk in the Assembly to handle all gender issues and ensure gender is effectively mainstreamed in all activities, particularly the plans and budgets.
• Client Focus: A dedicated Client Service Unit has been established in the Assembly to receive and direct all clients who come to transact business/seek information in the Assembly.
• Chief Executive engagement with the public: The CE has visited and engaged all sub-districts in the first quarter of the year to address pertinent issues confronting them.
• The Assembly has developed a website to engage with the public; however, the internal capacity to manage it needs to be boosted. Regular updates are needed on the website, social media, and notice boards to keep the public informed.

What are the current challenges/areas for improvement in open government that the jurisdiction wishes to tackle?

Although Ghana’s local government system has been in existence for over thirty years, recurring challenges such as poor engagement between citizens and local government authorities, inefficient delivery of municipal services, and limited communication practices are major setbacks that are gradually eroding the confidence of citizens in the system. The Assembly is still challenged and unable to reach all the citizens due to resource constraints, capacity issues, and a weak telecommunication network in some areas. As a result, our people are seeking greater openness in the governance process, enhanced participation in the Assembly’s activities. There is a need for a vibrant civic space and a well-informed citizen base that is active enough to contribute meaningfully to the development and governance process, which the OGP program presents.

What are the medium-term open government goals that the government wants to achieve?

The Medium-term open government goal that the Ketu South Municipal Assembly wants to achieve is to promote local democracy, participation, and accountability through strong and viable stakeholder involvement in decision-making. The specific objectives to achieve the above goal are to;

• Promote transparency and accountability through increased access to information.
• Promote ownership of the development activities and programs.
• Promote popular support for the development agenda.
• Promote responsibility among citizens.
• Build a strong, active citizenship that facilitates good governance and ensures maximum security.
• Strengthen the local governance system by enhancing citizens’ participation, especially women and persons with disabilities, in decision-making, electoral democracy, and leadership.
• Promote proactive, participatory, and gender-based planning, budgeting, and implementation of development projects and programs.
• Build a vibrant Civil Society network and create a congenial civic space for effective collaboration and participation in the governance process.

How does this action plan contribute to achieve the Open Government Strategic Vision?

This action plan clearly specifies strategies to be implemented towards the achievement of open governance in the Ketu South Municipal. Effective public participationGiving citizens opportunities to provide input into government decision-making leads to more effective governance, improved public service delivery, and more equitable outcomes. Technical specificatio... allows the values of the public to be identified and incorporated into decisions that ultimately affect them. The Municipal’s OGP strategic vision is to promote local democracy, participation, and accountability through strong and viable stakeholder involvement in decision-making.

Specifically, the commitments spelled out in this OGP plan are intended to elicit citizens’ participation in local governance, improving access and quality of service delivery, and enhancing the principle of transparency and accountability. The plan provides the avenues for constructive engagement between the government and the governed. By engaging Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Traditional Authorities, Citizens, etc., in the development process in the Municipal, these actors are more likely to appreciate the developmental challenges confronting the Municipal and are therefore more inclined to empathize with the Municipal.

How does the open government strategic vision contribute to the accomplishment of the current administration’s overall policy goals?

Citizen participation in decision-making, policy formulation, and development activities of local governments is an essential component of Ghana’s decentralization agenda. One of the key areas under governance and institutional development of the 2026-2029 Medium-term Development Plan is to engender citizens’ trust and ownership of government interventions through active citizen engagement and popular participation. The people of Ketu South Municipality, through the implementation of the OGP program, stand to be well informed about the activities of the Assembly and empowered to hold authorities accountable. Women who are usually under-represented in the decision-making process through the OGP will have fair representation in the decision-making process across all levels.

The Open Government strategic vision on good governance and transparency will help to ensure accountability at the sub-nationalRecognizing that much of what impacts people’s daily lives occurs at the local level, many OGP countries are working to open up lower levels of government by creating commitments focused on subnatio... level in the utilization of public resources to create opportunities and build a prosperous society. Civic participation and inclusionOGP participating governments are working to create governments that truly serve all people. Commitments in this area may address persons with disabilities, women and girls, lesbian, gay, bisexual, tr... More in planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of projects and programs will help to ensure a resilient built environment, safeguard the natural environment, and maintain a stable, united, and safe society for economic growth.

Engagement and Coordination in the Open Government Strategic Vision and OGP Action Plan

Please list the lead institutions responsible for the implementation of this OGP action plan.

• Office of the Municipal Coordinating Director, Ketu South Municipal Assembly
• Development Planning Unit of the Ketu South Municipal Assembly
• Budget Unit of the Ketu South Municipal Assembly
• Municipal Social Welfare and Community Development Department of the Ketu South Municipal Assembly
• Municipal Environmental Health and Sanitation Unit of the Ketu South Municipal Assembly
• Information Service Department of the Ketu South Municipal Assembly
• National Commission for Civic Education of the Ketu South Municipal Assembly
• Keta Office of the Friends of the Nation (FoN)

What kind of institutional arrangements are in place to coordinate between government agencies and departments to implement the OGP action plan?

The Municipal Planning Coordinating Unit (MPCU), led by the OGP Point of Contact responsible for the Local OGP, shall be the coordinating and facilitating agency for the purpose of implementing this OGP Local Action Plan. The commitments will be implemented by appropriate Departments and Units led by their heads, whose operations reflect the commitments.

In addition, Civil Society Organizations, Private Sector Associations, identified media, and other Local and International Organizations, Departments, and agencies whose activities are related to specific commitments will collaborate with the lead Department and Units to implement the commitments. All the lead Departments and Units and their collaborating/supporting CSOs shall report to the Coordinating office (Development Planning Unit) led by the OGP Point of Contact. The OGP Point of Contact will collate all reports on implementation and submit them to the Multi-Stakeholder ForumRegular dialogue between government and civil society is a core element of OGP participation. It builds trust, promotes joint problem-solving, and empowers civil society to influence the design, imple... (MSF) meetings for deliberations. The MSF will provide technical feedback and assist in mobilizing additional resources to support the implementation of the Plan.

What kind of spaces have you used or created to enable the collaboration between government and civil society in the co-creation and implementation of this action plan? Mention both offline and online spaces.

Working Team: A team of 11 members from government, civil society, traditional authorities, and a representative of a vulnerable group was constituted to develop this LAP. The team developed the vision, mission, and goal for the OGP Local Action Plan, identified stakeholders, developed a community engagement strategy, and prepared a work plan.

Thereafter, a Multi-Stakeholder Forum (MSF) meeting was organized to make inputs into the plan and to ensure that essential technical expertise, logistics, and finances are available to implement the specific commitments in the action plan.

A WhatsApp platform has been created to share information and updates during the co-creation processCollaboration between government, civil society and other stakeholders (e.g., citizens, academics, private sector) is at the heart of the OGP process. Participating governments must ensure that a dive... and will serve as one of the mediums of information sharing during the implementation stage. The Assembly has a website for sharing information with the public. Though this platform was not used during the co-creation process, it will serve as another medium of sharing information on the implementation of the plan.

What measures did you take to ensure diversity of representation (including vulnerable or marginalized populations) in these spaces?

The Working Team conducted a stakeholder mapping to identify all the various stakeholders, including marginalized groups such as people with disabilitiesA government is not open unless it is accessible to all, and governments are working to ensure people with disabilities are afforded equitable services and opportunities to participate. Technical spec..., women, youthRecognizing that investing in youth means investing in a better future, OGP participating governments are creating meaningful opportunities for youth to participate in government processes. Technical ... More, the elderly, religious groups, among others. The various stakeholders were invited to participate in community engagement meetings.
The Multi-Stakeholder Forum consists of 18 member representatives:

• 7 from the government
• 8 from CSO, media, and vulnerable groups (women, youth, people living with disability, Assembly members, and HIV). T

The mission/mandate of the MSF is to put into practice OGP’s principle of co-creation between government and civil society. The MSF oversees the OGP process to ensure it is open and inclusive of all stakeholders. Gender representation was key in the selection of participants during the co-creation process.

Who participated in these spaces?

The various stakeholder groups that participated in the co-creation process are as follows.

• Government officials
• Assembly members/councilors
• Traditional Authorities
• Non-governmental organization (Friends of the Nation, Empathe Reach LBG)
• Media
• Private Sector
• Market Women Association
• Youth Groups
• Women Groups

How many groups participated in these spaces?

13

How many public-facing meetings were held in the co-creation process?

3

How will government and non-governmental stakeholders continue to collaborate through the implementation of the action plan?

The Working Team, led by the OGP Point of Contact, and the Multi-Stakeholder Forum will be responsible for tracking progress and providing support to each commitmentOGP commitments are promises for reform co-created by governments and civil society and submitted as part of an action plan. Commitments typically include a description of the problem, concrete action.... The working team and the MSF will develop indicators for tracking progress. The Working Team will also help address any challenges experienced during the implementation of the LAP I. The MSF will provide leadership in the form of coordination and facilitation to give effect to the translation of the Action Plan into concrete actions and meet quarterly.

The Municipal Assembly and its collaborating institutions, such as Friends of the Nation and other CSOs, will explore other sources of funding for the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the plan.

Please describe the independent Monitoring Body you have identified for this plan.

The Regional Planning Coordinating Unit (RPCU) of the Volta Regional Coordinating Council will be the external body to conduct an independent evaluation of the implementation of the Plan. RPCU will conduct an independent assessment and evaluation of the co-creation process, the implementation of the OGP, and the results achieved from the implementation of the commitments under the guidance of the OGP. As part of their quarterly monitoring of Assemblies, they will monitor the implementation of the OGP activities since all the activities have been mainstreamed into the Assembly’s work plan and budget.

Provide the contact details for the independent monitoring body.

• Volta Regional Coordinating Council, Regional Development Planning Officer, [email protected]

What types of activities will you have in place to discuss progress on commitments with stakeholders?

The following activities have been earmarked to discuss progress on the commitments with stakeholders.

• Quarterly MSF review meetings to discuss progress, challenges, and the way forward.
• Quarterly Municipal Planning and Coordinating Unit (MPCU) and Social Audit Committee meetings to discuss progress, challenges, and the way forward.
• Media engagement
• Community engagement/Town Hall meetings

How will you regularly check in on progress with implementing agencies?

The focal person of the Social Audit Committee and Action Plan Coordinating Unit (DPCU), led by the OGP Point of Contact and Technical Committee members, will organize monthly visits to lead Departments and Units to check on progress. The Working Team will hold quarterly follow-ups with the implementing agencies through face-to-face meetings to discuss the progress of implementation. There will be quarterly review meetings with the implementing agencies to discuss the progress of implementation.

How will you share the results of your monitoring efforts with the public?

The result of the monitoring efforts will be shared first with the MSF at their quarterly meetings. It will also be shared at the Assembly’s Municipal Planning Coordinating Unit (DPCU) quarterly meetings. There would also be media engagement on the results. The OGP point of contact, technical working team, and independent monitoring body will be the panel. The results will also be shared on the OGP webpage on the Assembly’s website.

Endorsement from Non-Governmental Stakeholders

• Randolph Kwesi Benyi Johnson, Community Development Coordinator, Friends of the Nation
• Reginald Adjei, Director, Empath Reach LBG

Commitments:

• Enhance inclusion of women and vulnerable groups in governance. (GHKS0001)
• Enhance civic participation and access to information on development projects and programs (GHKS0002)
• Increase sensitization and enforcement of bye-laws on waste management (GHKS0003)