Nine member working team on Open Governance for STMA inaugurated

A nine-member working team has been formed to help the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly to prepare the 2018-2020 Open Governance Partnership Sub-National Action Plan.

The plan seeks to ensure greater accountability, transparency and participation in the local governance process.

The Open Governance Project (OGP) a programme by the United States of America government with membership from 96 countries across the globe seek to build the capacities of assemblies, civil society organizations to make them more responsive to the needs of the citizenry.

The project works in four thematic areas: Transparency, Accountability, participation and Information, communication and innovation infrastructure with the overall objective of raising the standard and the quality of lives of the citizenry.

In the STMA, Berea Social Foundation, STMA-CSUF and the Friends of the Nation are the implementing Civil Society Organizations for the project with the STMA providing human capital support.

Mr Donkris Mevuta, Executive Director of the Friends of the Nation said the project had a lot to offer in the governance system and improving service delivery to harnessing the living standards of people.

He, therefore, called on the working team to develop commitment strategies that would help to maximize benefits in a socially responsive manner.

Ms Brittany Lane, OGP Support Unit Staff giving an overview of the OGP local Programme stressed the need for about three to five commitment areas, expertise views and engagement of more stakeholders especially in working on the thematic areas.

She entreated the team to also focus on the co-creation and co-ownership and ensure that there was feedback on decisions.

Mr Isaac Aidoo, Development Planner with the STMA and the OGP contact person in the Metropolis was grateful to OGP international for choosing the STMA to assist in improving service delivery in the twin-city.

In the STMA, Accountability to the people, transparency, Innovation and Technology are steps taken to increase citizen participation in the local governance process.

The working team was tasked with the responsibility to review the 2017 action plan, development engagement strategies, submit 2018 plan and help in the implementation of the 2018 to 2020 OGP plan.