CARE Int’l launches GSAM project in Brong-Ahafo

Mr Justice Samuel Adjei, the Deputy Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, on Wednesday launched the Ghana’s Strengthening Accountability Mechanism (GSAM) Project in the Region.

The GSAM is a five-year project and would be implemented nationwide by CARE International, in collaboration with IBIS, and the Integrated Social Development Center (ISODEC), all Non-Governmental Organisations, at the cost of 9.3 million US Dollars.

With funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the project, which begins in November this year, is aimed at strengthening and deepening local governance in 13 Districts in Brong-Ahafo.

It can achieve this through helping to bridge the information and accountability gaps, especially at the local level, by increasing information flow to citizens on the planning and execution of capital development projects.

The beneficiary Districts in the region are Jaman South, Nkoranza South, Sene West, Tain, Asutifi North, Techiman North, Jaman North, Asunafo South, Kintampo South, Atebubu-Amantin, Sunyani West, Sene East and Banda.

Mr Adjei noted that the government had always shown great commitment toward efficient management of capital development, through transparent and accountable governance.

This, he said, is exemplified by the establishment of a project monitoring unit at the Presidency, which worked in partnership with independent project monitoring groups across the country to conduct due diligence in the execution and delivery of projects.

He expressed the hope that the new cooperation among USAID and consortium partners, would propel civil society organisations and the citizenry to demand transparency and accountability from the beneficiary assemblies and local contractors for enhanced quality of service.

Mr Adjei assured of unflinching supervisory and monitoring support from the Brong-Ahafo Regional Coordinating council to enable the project to achieve set goals and targets.

He expressed gratitude to the people of the United States of America through the USAID for being at the forefront of the struggle towards strengthening Ghana’s civil society for accelerated national development.

Mr Clement Nana Tandoh, the GSAM Project Director, explained that it was in line with pillar four of the Ghana Shared Growth Development Agenda, which outlined support for citizen-based monitoring and evaluation of public policies and programmes.

“Therefore, the project was formulated, on one hand, to make it possible for citizens to monitor, participate and provide feedback on the planning and execution of infrastructural projects of their district assemblies”, he said.

Mr Tandoh observed that the success of the project depended largely on how well citizens and civil society organisations would take ownership of the project and participate effectively.

He, however, appealed to especially, traditional rulers, assembly members and opinion leaders in the project implementing Districts to offer their support for its success.