Accountability of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to direct beneficiaries, target groups and local government authorities is uncommon. In most development projects, financial management systems, monitoring and evaluation reporting are established by the funders to hold their implementing partners accountable.<\/p>\n
For example, if SEND-GHANA failed to submit satisfactory semi-annual financial and narrative reports for Food Security through Co-operatives in Northern Ghana (FOSTERING) to Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA), funding for the continuation of the project would be jeopardized. \u00a0On the other hand, if direct beneficiaries and local stakeholders are not satisfied with SEND\u2019s work, they have little leverage to demand better performance. \u00a0<\/p>\n
In the implementation of FOSTERING, SEND-GHANA is promoting accountability, not only to the donors, but also to its target groups, which SEND calls \u201cprincipals\u201d (e.g. farmers co-operatives and women groups) and to its local partners, including the District Assemblies. Through a downward accountability strategy, the principals and stakeholder agencies are empowered to hold SEND-GHANA and Ghana Credit Union Association (CUA) accountable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
SEND and CUA are being funded with C$8.5 million by Canada\u2019s Department for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD) and the Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA) to implement FOSTERING from 2013 to 2018. FOSTERING is promoting increased food security, income, gender equity and climate change resilience for 42,000 farm households. The operational districts are East Gonja, Nanumba North, Nanumba South, Chereponi, Kpandai, Zabzuu, Tatale-Sangule and Krachi Nchumuru. \u00a0<\/p>\n
These 8 District Assemblies, 9 Credit Unions, 130 family-based cooperatives and 8 Rural Commercial Women Associations are the direct stakeholders in FOSTERING. They have been mobilized, trained and will be supported to hold SEND and CUA accountable for the project\u2019s financial resources and key development outcomes.<\/p>\n
SEND West Africa\u2019s Downward Accountability Principles\u00a0<\/p>\n
SEND\u2019s downward accountability approach mainstreamed in the implementation of FOSTERING is underpinned by four principles:<\/p>\n
Honesty \/ transparency: providing project financial data and programming information to the principals and stakeholders, regularly, in a timely fashion, in ways that are easy to understand and utilize. Possible actions include: sharing of work plans, celebrating successes and admitting failures. Radio programs, community notice boards, town hall meetings and newsletters are tools for delivering transparency. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Empowerment: \u00a0equipping the principals and stakeholders with skills, tools and confidence to use the project information to demand accountability. A key activity is building their capacity. This will require leadership training for principals and stakeholders, and accountability training for SEND staff. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Accessibility: \u00a0creating spaces and platforms for principals and stakeholders to query SEND and CUA and to get feedback. \u00a0The key activities are consulting with communities and engaging stakeholders in monitoring and evaluation. The tools are: community forums, project steering committee, radio discussions, joint quarterly and project review meetings.<\/p>\n
Stewardship: adding everlasting values and significant changes in the lives of the principals or beneficiaries. Possible activities are: \u00a0joint planning and following through on plans, proper use of resources, long-term commitment, and monitoring and evaluation. \u00a0Audit and financial reports, mid-term reviews, MOUs, and staff and project evaluation are the key tools.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Operational mechanisms for downward accountability<\/p>\n
To operationalize these principles, actions and tools, four mechanisms for downward accountability have been established.\u00a0<\/p>\n
First, \u00a08 Community Accountability Committees (CAC) have been formed including representatives of District Assemblies, District Gender Officers, Rural Commercial Women, Traditional Authorities, Zonal Co-Operatives, family-based farmers co-operatives and persons with disability. \u00a0 The distribution of 258 CAC members per district is presented in the Box below.<\/p>\n
| \n DISTRICT<\/p>\n<\/td>\n | \n # Members<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| \n East Gonja<\/p>\n<\/td>\n | \n 33<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| \n Kpandai<\/p>\n<\/td>\n | \n 29<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| \n Nanumba North<\/p>\n<\/td>\n | \n 28<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| \n Nanumba South<\/p>\n<\/td>\n | \n 36<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| \n Chereponi<\/p>\n<\/td>\n | \n 32<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| \n Zabzugu<\/p>\n<\/td>\n | \n 33<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| \n Tatale-Sanguli<\/p>\n<\/td>\n | \n 29<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| \n Krachi-Nchumuru<\/p>\n<\/td>\n | \n 38<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n The stakeholder agencies and target groups nominate their representatives to the CAC. The main task of the CAC is to demand accountability for project resources expended on activities within their communities. \u00a0This includes training workshops, farm inputs and credit facilities. To facilitate the work of the CAC, SEND has put up accountability notice boards and regularly pastes financial information covering expenditures on activities. Every quarter a senior staff of SEND will meet with the CAC to discuss the information on the notice board and respond to any concerns or issues members might have related to expenditures made in their communities. At the end of each session, SEND and \u00a0CAC will \u00a0develop and agree on an action plan \u00a0to include: (i) provision of \u00a0additional \u00a0information \u00a0on \u00a0issues that were not \u00a0adequately addressed and (ii) verifiable \u00a0commitments to improve \u00a0SEND\u2019s accountability. \u00a0CAC meetings and discussions are co-chaired with SEND\u2019s Director for Livelihood and Food Security and the District Coordinating Director.<\/p>\n Second, 8 District Advisory Committees (DAC) includes representatives of implementing stakeholders: District Agricultural Development Units (DADU), Department of Cooperatives, Ghana Health Services (GHS), Ghana Police Services (GPS) and District Assembly (DA). Each of these agencies is represented by their head in the district. The DAC will ensure that FOSTERING activities are aligned with district priorities, \u00a0 \u00a0facilitate coordination of implementing partners, prevent duplication and promote synergy with other development interventions. To facilitate the activities of the DAC, SEND staff will provide members with quarterly reports and work plans. FOSTERING Programme Officer and District Planning Officer will co-chair the DAC meeting.\u00a0<\/p>\n Third, FOSTERING Hour Accountability will be hosted every quarter by the following community radio stations: \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Kanyeti Radio, East Gonja<\/p>\n Gbantambo FM, Nanumba North & South<\/p>\n Asaase FM, Kpandi<\/p>\n Kaakyi FM, Krachi-Nchumuru<\/p>\n Gaaki\/Radio Savannah, Tatale, Zabzugu<\/p>\n Labaari FM, Chereponi<\/p>\n Citizens \u00a0interested in \u00a0holding \u00a0SEND accountable \u00a0are expected to use the data pasted \u00a0on the \u00a0notice boards in \u00a0their communities and any \u00a0other information they might have about FOSTERING to query \u00a0SEND senior staff \u00a0during Accountability Hour. \u00a0SEND\u2019s Director for Livelihood and Food Security and FOSTERING\u2019s Programme Officer will participate in the radio discussion. \u00a0After each Accountability Hour, SEND will prepare a detailed report with action points to be submitted to the CAC. \u00a0The CAC will follow up to make sure that SEND and CUA address the action points.\u00a0<\/p>\n Fourth, the Project Steering Committee (PSC) has been established with 40 members presented in the table below.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \n \n
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