Northern CSOs trained to work with assemblies

Northern sector civil society organizations (CSOs) working under the Ghana’s Strengthening Accountability Mechanisms (GSAM) Project have undergone a training to enable them to effectively execute the project.

The week-long training, which ended over the weekend in Tamale, was to strengthen the capacity of the 27 CSOs to monitor capital development projects of 50 selected district assemblies across the country.

Beneficiary CSOs included NORSAAC, Rural Media Network, Legal Resources Center, and Community Development Association.

Topics treated during the training included Procurement Processes at District Assemblies, Project Audit and Reporting, The Assembly Planning and Budget Cycle, Budget Monitoring and Power Analysis around Social Accountability.

The CSOs were each presented with a motorbike and a computer tablet to facilitate their work.

GSAM is a five-year (2015 to 2019) Project funded by the United States Agency for International Development to strengthen citizens’ oversight of capital development projects to improve local government transparency, accountability and performance in selected 100 district assemblies across the country.

It is being implemented by a consortium of three organizations namely CARE International in Ghana, IBIS in Ghana and Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC).

Mr Clement Tandoh, Chief of Party of the GSAM Project, who addressed the closing session of the training, said citizens’ participation in the selection and execution of capital projects of district assemblies would ensure quality of the projects, which would inure to the benefit of the people.

Mr Tandoh said if citizens participated and monitored the delivery of capital projects of district assemblies, they (citizens) would feel that they owned the projects and would, therefore, work to ensure the sustainability of the projects.

He said this would also end the suspicion of corruption by citizens against officials of district assemblies regarding projects delivery.

He, therefore, urged the CSOs to work hard to ensure the success of the project asking them to use the knowledge gained to train others including community members to effectively monitor capital projects of district assemblies.

Ms Kawusada Abubakari, NORSAAC’s Focal Person on the GSAM Project said the training came at an opportune time and helped to clarify the roles of CSOs on the project making it easier to work on the field to ensure success.