The Addressing inequality through pro poor Budget Advocacy (AIPBA) Project was implemented by SEND GHANA in partnership with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Ministry of Finance; and other relevant policy makers as part of the collective effort in reducing poverty in pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 10 targets.
This project aligned with both SEND GHANA’s strategic goals of addressing inequalities through budget advocacy and partnership building and Ford Foundation’s aim of promoting equitable resources to reduce inequality through constructive engagement between citizens and government.
With a total funding support of $220,000 from FORD FOUNDATION, the project rolled out and implemented set of interventions, key amongst them include organizing public sensitization on national and sector budget processes, state of inequality and social protection programing for the poorest and vulnerable groups and communities; building and strengthening capacity of citizens groups on pro poor budget advocacy and analysis and mobilising Communities and CSOs to advocate for increased budgetary allocation for social protection programmes.
These interventions sought to address some key identified challenges that characterise the implementation of most Ghana’s pro poor programmes such as weak and limited participation of citizens in the district and national budgets process.
Key Results/Achievements
- Increased citizens knowledge on social protection policy, inequality and LEAP program (A total of 1,456 citizens comprising 372 males and 1,084 reached through community sensitizations. An estimated number of 2,515,000 reached through public sensitizations on social protection budgets via 5 community radio stations in Greater Accra and the Upper West Regions).
The project has enhanced civic and government engagements on transparency and accountability through annually national multi stakeholder conferences on social protection and inequality financing.
- Increased Government responsiveness as a result of consistent Advocacy: Government has expanded coverage of LEAP Programme from 147,000 households in 2017 to 213,000 households in 2018 representing a 45% increase.
- Increased budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGC&SP) from 0.21% in 2018 to 1.3% in 2019.
- Government has also responded to citizens’ demands to address challenges faced by LEAP Beneficiaries in accessing grants, by collaborating with the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement System (GHIPPS) to increase the number of pay points across the country.
- The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has responded to 90% of citizens inputs submitted to the ministry for consideration in the 2019 national budget.
- 66 members of the District citizens Monitoring Committees increased to influence implementation of social protection programs at the local level especially LEAP.
- The project facilitated citizens’ participation in the budget process and promoted the interest of the poor and vulnerable groups’ on the budget process.
Formal closure: The Addressing Inequality through Pro poor Budget Advocacy (AIPBA) project came to a formal close in January, 2019 after three successive and separate national dialogues with civil society, Department of social welfare and the media; the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection; and the Parliament of Ghana in December, 2018.
Figure 1: MoF Highlighting gov’t policies on Social Protection at a forum to collate citizens’ views into the 2018 budget in Wa
Figure 2: presentation of LEAP research report during a Parliamentary dialogue in Accra
