Citizens urged to monitor projects in their communities

Mr Eric Dorfe, Projects Coordinator at Care Net Ghana has urged the citizenry to show interest in projects executed by district assemblies in various communities and deepen monitoring them.

He said when beneficiary communities developed interest in projects and continued to track them, it would ensure accountability and rapid socio-economic development.

Mr Dorfe who was speaking at a day's training for 75 Community Development Monitors (CDMs) at Kpetoe in the Agotime-Ziope District of the Volta Region, said it would ensure that the projects were delivered qualitatively and within the stipulated time frame.

The CDMs were selected from 15 communities in the District, comprising women, the youth, opinion and religious leaders and persons with disabilities.

The training was organised by Care Net Ghana in collaboration with the Agotime-Ziope District Assembly, which formed part of Ghana's Strengthening Accountability Mechanisms (GSAM) project.

It aimed at improving the knowledge of the CDMs in the Assembly’s planning processes, the legal framework for citizen participation in local governance, and the processes for monitoring projects and engaging the Assembly to get their concerns addressed.

Mr Dorfe said the training was necessary for continuity of GSAM's work when it folded up in September, as it helped to improve transparency and accountability of beneficiary district assemblies in capital projects delivery.

Mr Selase Davis, Project Officer, Care Net Ghana called on district assemblies to endeavour to use the available communication channels to frequently engage communities, saying this would whip up interest in community members in their work and to offer them the needed support.

He implored the CDMs to conduct themselves impeccably so they could secure acceptance of all in the discharge of their duties.

Mr Davis also urged them to channel their concerns through appropriate channels for effective redress.

He entreated them to put the knowledge and skills they had acquired at the training to good use for its desired objective to be achieved.

Some of the CDMs who spoke to the Ghana News Agency described the training as helpful, saying it would go a long way to have positive impact on their communities.

They commended the organisers and promised to inculcate the knowledge and skills they acquired into others to promote rapid growth of their communities and the Assembly.

GSAM is a six-year social accountability project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and is being implemented in 100 districts of Ghana by a Consortium, comprising CARE, OXFAM, and ISODEC, and in collaboration with 25 other CSOs and the District Assemblies.