Action plan – Wassa Amenfi East, Ghana, 2022 – 2024

At-a-Glance

Duration

Dec 2024

Date Submitted

20th December 2022

Foreword(s)

The Wassa Amenfi East Municipal Assembly joined the OGP in March 2022 in order to take advantage of the advantages that a multilateral initiative would provide in fostering constructive interactions between local reformers in the provision of innovative local solutions that advance the realization of participatory and inclusive governance in our local government system.

The Municipal Assembly acknowledges that the OGP values serve as essential guiding principles that guarantee that public resources are efficiently and effectively used, local public policies are created with citizens’ best interests in mind, and that public officials act ethically to ensure the best services to the public.

Joining the OGP offers the Municipal Assembly an opportunity to enhance its service delivery by ensuring 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, access to information, inclusive participation, and citizen-centric municipal service delivery, especially in the co-creation and implementation of OGP Local Action Plan

This Local Action Plan is in line with the municipal four-year medium-term development plan in order to maintain progress toward realizing Wassa Amenfi East Municipal Assembly’s OGP objective.

The OGP Local action plan is focused on improving municipal service delivery, ensuring a healthy and sustainable environment, promoting gender equality, bolstering government accountability, and expanding the civic space for regular citizens and civil society to actively participate in local governance.

By promoting transparency, accountability, gender equality, a healthy environment, and inclusive growth toward a sustainable urban future, it is hoped that this would set the Municipal Assembly on a road that puts citizens at the center of development.

The Municipal Assembly is therefore ready and committed to collaborating with all stakeholders both local and international who equally share in our OGP vision to support us to achieve the development we all seek for the citizens of Wasa Amenfi East Municipal Assembly.

Open Government Challenges, Opportunities and Strategic Vision

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

The long-term OGP vision of the Wassa Amenfi East Municipal Assembly is to create a peaceful environment based on sustainable development and open government principles in order to increase residents’ engagement in local administration systems and foster enduring trust and confidence. Our medium-term development plan (2022–2025), which places high value on environmental sustainability, and participatory and inclusive people-centered governance that creates prosperity and equal opportunity for all including the less privileged in society, outlines the priority areas where our municipal vision is expressed.

Placing citizens at the center of inclusive and sustainable urban development results in shared responsibility and better ownership of policies, unrestricted access to information, and better accountability, as well as increased legitimacy and trust in duty-bearers. This summarises our long-term vision of becoming a progressive municipality that efficiently serves its people through strategic partnerships with businesses and stakeholders.

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

• Enhanced transparency and accountability. The Municipal has implemented community and stakeholder interactions to inform the general public about the execution of Assembly projects. Due to this, citizens are now better informed, more empowered, and able to hold decision-makers accountable.
• Enhanced civic participation. In order to gather community feedback for the creation of the municipal medium-term development plan, the municipal conducted community needs assessments which served as their inputs in the Municipal Medium-Term Development Plan (MTDP 2022-2025).
• Periodic radio sensitization campaigns on citizen rights and responsibilities are also organized by the Municipal Assembly through its National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and Information Service Department. This is done in order to give citizens a chance to take part in and contribute to local governance processes.
• Creating opportunities for the vulnerable in society: The Municipal Assembly has been working to create opportunities for the vulnerable, especially the disabled, to be represented in all committees and other activities so that they can participate in decision-making
• Enhancing communication and feedback. Strengthened and equipped Client Service Unit to enhance access to information and proactive disclosure.

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

Under Ghana’s Local Government System, the Wassa Amenfi East Municipal Assembly has been in place for eighteen years. However, recurring issues including lack of communication between citizens and local government officials, which comes at a hefty cost, poorly run municipal services, and weak accountability procedures are significant failures that are slowly eroding citizens’ faith in the local governance system. The Wassa Amenfi East Municipal Medium-Term Development Plan (2022–2025) and its Local Action Plan (OGP LAP) consultations with the community and stakeholders, as well as other activities, gave sufficient proof of the extent of these deficiencies in the local government system.

The Municipal OGP Local Action Plan would put particular emphasis on enhancing the efficiency of service delivery, enhancing government accountability, ensuring environmental sustainability by safeguarding our water bodies and ensuring citizens have access to clean drinking water, advancing gender equality, and creating more innovative and civic spaces for regular people and civil society to actively participate in local governance.

By improving unrestricted access to legal information, citizens and other stakeholder groups will be better able to hold duty-bearers accountable for their stewardship. As a result, there is tighter monitoring and increased transparency regarding the viability of the Assembly’s programs and activities.

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

• Promote the co-creation and joint implementation of inclusive local policies to enhance local government effectiveness in Wassa Amenfi East Municipal Assembly.
• To ensure innovative ways of bringing local governance to the doorsteps of the citizen.

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

The strategic aim of the Wassa Amenfi East Municipality is to become a “progressive municipality that effectively serves its people through strategic relationships with businesses and stakeholders”. Building a responsive local government that offers chances for its citizens to actively participate in the formulation and implementation of local policy as well as the establishment of the enabling environment for citizens to take advantage of its services are two ways to do this.

The Municipal Assembly’s commitments are specifically intended to break down barriers to 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 empower people to take an active part in governance, as well as to improve access to and the quality of municipal services, break down barriers between transparency and accountability, advance gender equality, and ensure a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment.

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

To foster citizens’ trust and ownership of the Municipal Assembly’s actions through active citizen participation is one of the top priorities of the Municipal’s Medium-Term Development Plan (2022-2025), under the headings of governance, corruption, and public accountabilityAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, public accountability occurs when ”rules, regulations, and mechanisms in place call upon government actors to justify their actions, act upon criticisms ... More. Concrete pledges that promote active citizen engagement and government accountability in the provision of municipal services give life to this comprehensive vision.

An integral feature of Ghana’s decentralization plan is citizen involvement in local government decision-making, policy creation, and development activities. Participation of people, particularly that of the frequently disadvantaged, particularly women, children, and the disabled, through consultations and mobilization, is closely related to how responsive a government is to the needs and desires of its citizens.

This PLAN increases initiatives aimed at fostering a culture of shared accountability for actions and at increasing 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... and engagement in the political process.

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.

• Development Planning Unit of the Wassa Amenfi East Municipal Assembly
• The Works and Physical Planning Unit of the Wassa Amenfi East Municipal Assembly
• Environmental Health Unit of the Wassa Amenfi East Municipal Assembly
• The Gender Unit of the Wassa Amenfi East Municipal Assembly
• Budget Unit of Municipal Assembly
• The Human Resources Unit of the Wassa Amenfi East Municipal Assembly
• Management Information System (MIS) Unit of the Wassa Amenfi East Municipal Assembly
• The Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) Unit of the Wassa Amenfi East Municipal Assembly
• National Commission for Civic Education Unit of the Wassa Amenfi East Municipal Assembly
• The Wassa Amenfi Traditional Council
• The Information Service Department of the Wassa Amenfi East Municipal Assembly
• The Forestry Commission of Wassa Amenfi East Municipal Assembly
• The Minerals Commission of Wassa Amenfi East Municipal Assembly

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

The Municipal Development Planning unit led by the OGP point of contact responsible for the OGP Local remains the coordinating and facilitating agency for the purpose of implementing the OGP Local Action Plan.

The commitments will be implemented by designated Departments and Units led by their heads whose operations reflect the commitments.

Civil society organizations, 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 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.

Municipal Planning and Coordinating Unit (MPCU) Meeting: this medium was used to explain the concept 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 initiative to all heads of departments and agencies in the municipality for their support and collaboration. A Technical Working Group was then formed to facilitate 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...

Technical working group: This comprises 9 people from departments and agencies responsible from various sectors of the Municipal Assembly to design the road map for the co-creation processes and also provide technical support in the development of the Action Plan. The team was headed by the Municipal Coordinating Director.
Radio and community sensitization: These mediums were used to sensitize the public on the OGP initiative and to solicit their input for the Local Action Plan.
Multi-Stakeholder Forum (MSF):  The MSF is composed of 25 members: 12 government representatives, 10 CSOs, media, and vulnerable groups (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, 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..., and artisan groups), and 3 private sector representatives. To guarantee that the co-creation process is transparent and inclusive of all stakeholders, the MSF monitors it.

MSF WhatsApp platform: A WhatsApp platform has been created to share information and updates during the co-creation and implementation stage.
General Assembly meeting: The honorable members of the Assembly were officially informed about the OGP initiative through this medium to also seek their involvement in the preparation process.

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

To identify all the different stakeholders, including marginalized groups like individuals with disabilities, women’s groups, youth groups, and artisan groups, the technical working group carried out a stakeholder mapping exercise. The four thematic deep dives that the technical working group chose for the co-creation served as the foundation for the stakeholder’s mapping. The Multi-Stakeholders Forum (MSF), which was founded by the representatives of different organizations, functioned as the primary mechanism for ensuring diversity in representation. The Multi-Stakeholder Forum (MSF) is tasked with putting the OGP’s co-creation principle between the government, civil society, and other stakeholders into practice as well as ensuring the preparation and implementation of the Local action plan to ensure the process is inclusive of all stakeholders.

Who participated in these spaces?

The Wassa Amenfi East Municipal Assembly Local Action Plan has four (4) thematic areas namely, water and sanitationOGP participating governments are in a unique position to address many of the root causes of water issues, including corruption and poor quality, as well as lack of prioritization, access, equity, and..., civic participation, gender, and climate resilience, and different stakeholders’ groups participated in the co-creation namely:

1. Government officials/technocrats
2. Assembly members
3. Traditional Authorities
4. Non-governmental organization
5. Media
6. Private Sector (small-scale miners Association, Amenfiman Rural Bank)
7. Market Women Associations
8. Persons with Disability Association
9. Youth Groups
10. The Christian Council of Wassa Amenfi East
11. Muslim Council of Wassa Amenfi East

How many groups participated in these spaces?

12

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

8

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

The Multi-Stakeholder Forum and the technical working group, both of which are overseen by the OGP point of contact, will be in charge of monitoring each commitment’s progress and offering support. The Working Group and MSF will create indicators to monitor implementation progress. The Working Team will assist in resolving issues that arise throughout the action plan’s implementation. The MSF will convene every three months and provide leadership in the form of coordination and facilitation to put into effect the translation of the action plan into practical initiatives. The National OGP Secretariat and the OGP Support UnitThe OGP Support Unit is a small, permanent group of staff that work closely with the Steering Committee and the Independent Reporting Mechanism to advance the goals of the Open Government Partnership.... will also give technical support for the plan’s implementation.

The Municipal and its partner CSO, Friends of the Nation, will look for additional funding options for the Action Plan’s execution, monitoring, and evaluation. Under the direction of the MSF, an independent monitoring body has been appointed to carry out impartial monitoring.

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

As part of the Multi-stakeholder forum efforts to select an independent monitoring body to ensure effective implementation of the Action Plan, the forum upon further consultations agreed on a two-member monitoring body to ensure effective monitoring of the plan implementation process. The members were selected based on their experience and knowledge of project monitoring. The Forum is yet to receive confirmation from the other member.

Provide the contact details for the independent monitoring body.

• Mr. Vincent Wireko, Auditor, Ghana Education Service, vincentampongwirekoh@gmail.com

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.

1. Bi-annual Multi-Stakeholder Forum (MSF) meeting: the MSF will hold a bi-annual meeting to review the progress of the implementation of the action plan and provide recommendations to the appropriate agencies for further actions.
2. Bi-yearly town hall meetings.
3. Quarter Metropolitan Planning and Coordinating Unit (MPCU) meetings.
4. Radio discussions.
5. General Assembly meetings.
6. Community engagement meetings.
7. Quarterly technical working group meeting to discuss the progress of implementation.
8. The MSF will constitute a team to gather the views and concerns of a broad range of impacted stakeholders with an emphasis on those who might be vulnerable or marginalized and ensuring the full participation of marginalized groups.

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

Leading departments and units will be invited to monthly in-person visits by the action plan coordinating office, which is overseen by the OGP Point of Contact, to assess progress.

The Technical Working Group will communicate with the implementing agencies on a quarterly basis via phone calls, in-person meetings, and a WhatsApp group to discuss the status of implementation. To discuss the status of implementation, there will be biannual review meetings with the implementing agencies. The comments will be compiled and used as input for MSF meetings.

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

The MSF will be the first group to hear the results of the monitoring efforts at their quarterly meetings. Additionally, it will be discussed at the Assembly’s quarterly Metropolitan Planning Coordinating Unit (MPCU) sessions.

To present the findings, the independent monitoring organization will be invited to the Assembly’s Town Hall gatherings.

There will be radio discussions of the outcomes that will be part of the MCEs quarterly media engagements. The panel will include the OGP point of contact and Municipal Planning Officer.

The outcomes will also be published on the various Assembly’s Social media platforms/website as well as that of the OGP.

The outcomes will also be captured in the Assembly’s quarterly progress reports that will be submitted to the Regional Coordinating Council (WRCC) and the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC).

Endorsement from Non-Governmental Stakeholders

• Nana Ameyaa II, Queen Mother, Wassa Amenfi Traditional Council
• Apandago Peter, President, Ghana Federation of the Disabled
• Mr. Robert Asare, Branch Manager, Amenfiman Rural Bank
• Nana Owedie II, Chief, Wassa Amenfi Traditional Council
• Solomon Ampofo, Programs Manager, Friends of The Nation
• Isaac Boah, Secretary, Small Scale miners Association