Enhance civic participation and access to information on development projects and programs (GHKS0002)

Commitment ID

GHKS0002

Commitment Title

Enhance civic participation and access to information on development projects and programmes

Problem

All resources available to the Ketu South Municipal Assembly to enhance service delivery are owned by the constituents who are the government in the general sense. It is therefore prudent that as a government authority, we report and account to citizens how resources are utilized. Over the years efforts have been made to ensure accountability and transparency in resource utilization through Community Fora, Town Hall Meetings, Social Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability fora, Participatory Planning and Budgeting meetings, and Social Auditing committee meetings on funds utilization. However, we acknowledge citizens' dissatisfaction with how information is disseminated to the public about resource utilization. The perception citizens have about the Assembly is that of a corrupt institution that has nothing better to offer them. We believe this situation is so because citizens are mostly misinformed or do not have access to relevant and reliable information about the activities of the Assembly and the lack of information leads to mistrust among the constituents. The Assembly is quite opaque in enhancing fiscal openness which has resulted in apathy and a lack of interest in civic participation. There is also the over-politicization of fiscal openness and non-organization of community meetings by zonal councils to enhance accountability at the local level.

Status quo

Currently, the Assembly implements several participatory programmes aimed at ensuring fiscal openness. The assembly has established a client service unit responsible for handling public relations issues and is the first point of contact for information and customer service-related issues. Town hall meetings, Public Budget Hearings, Fee-fixing consultation meetings, participatory implementation, and monitoring exercises are among some programmes implemented to ensure Open Governance and popular participation.

Action

The Assembly proposes the following actions:

1. To display information of all projects and programmes on its website social media platforms, zonal council boards and share with the media.
2. The assembly plans to make the client service contact numbers accessible to the public to ensure easy access to information and enhance civic participation, transparency, and trust.
3. Organize and engage in quarterly social accountability committee meetings and intensifying public education on radio stations to provide information on the assembly’s activity.

How will the commitment contribute to solving the public problem described above?

The solutions and actions outlined are aimed at achieving:

1. Enhanced civic participation and access to information on development projects and programmes
2. Build trust and consensus between the Assembly and constituents.
3. Enhanced information sharing on physical projects being constructed in terms of cost, source of funding, and other relevant details.
4. Reduced misconceptions among the public about the Assembly and its resource utilization.

What long-term goal as identified in your Open Government Strategy does this commitment relate to?

Enhance civic participation and access to information on development projects and programmes will ensure transparency, improve the recognition and reputation of the Assembly through socially empowered citizens, reducing all manner of mistrust among citizens and eventually enhance revenue mobilization. Information sharing will guide policy, increase citizen participation, ensure accountability and fiscal openness, and rekindle the closeness of governance to the people by reducing the level of apathy among citizens.

Primary Policy Area

Fiscal Openness

Primary Sector

Other/NA

What OGP value is this commitment relevant to?