The Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC) has described the implementation of the Action for Voice, Influence and Inclusive Development (AVID II) Project as a success, citing significant improvements in citizen participation and community-led advocacy across beneficiary communities in the Mfantseman Municipality.

The AVID II Project, funded by the STAR-Ghana Foundation and implemented by ISODEC, officially ended on June 30, 2026, after being carried out in the beneficiary areas of New Abirem and the Mfantseman Municipality.

Speaking during a project assessment and learning session in Saltpond, Michael Tettey, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at ISODEC, said the initiative was designed to strengthen citizens' capacity to engage public institutions and demand improved service delivery through structured advocacy and community participation.

Tettey said ISODEC established and trained groups of active citizens known as Accountability Labs (ALs), equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to serve as community champions. He explained that the groups were tasked with leading advocacy efforts on local development issues and engaging duty bearers to address the needs of their communities.

The Accountability Labs were drawn from communities including Anokye, Ewoyaa, Abonkor, Kyeakor Krampakrom, Krofu, Ansaadze and Afrangjuah in the Mfantseman Municipality.

He explained that the project adopted the Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) methodology, which enabled community members to identify and prioritise their own development challenges while developing long-term visions for their communities.

According to him, capacity-building workshops and stakeholder engagement sessions also enhanced citizens' understanding of governance processes and accountability mechanisms.

Tettey said the assessment session was organised to evaluate how effectively members of the Accountability Labs had applied the knowledge and skills acquired during the project.

"Now that the project is ending, we wanted to assess whether it has actually made an impact and whether the knowledge passed on to the Accountability Labs has been applied in their communities.

"From what they shared and the evidence they presented, we realised that the project has largely been successful. They have acquired the knowledge, they have been empowered, and they now know where to channel their grievances.

"A classic example is access to water. Because of the knowledge and skills they acquired, they were able to advocate for the relevant authorities to provide water to their community, and they are now receiving water free of charge, which was not the case before," he said.

Tettey noted that testimonies and evidence presented during the assessment demonstrated that the project had made a meaningful impact. Community members reported increased confidence in engaging public authorities, a better understanding of grievance redress mechanisms, and improved capacity to advocate for better public services.

One of the key achievements highlighted was improved access to potable water in one of the beneficiary communities. Members of the Accountability Labs explained that, by applying the advocacy and engagement skills acquired through the project, they successfully engaged the relevant authorities, leading to the provision of free water to residents. The community had previously struggled with limited access to safe drinking water.

Participants from other communities also shared experiences of engaging local authorities on development issues, noting that they now understand the appropriate channels for raising concerns and working with district authorities and other stakeholders to find solutions.

The Assistant Development Planning Officer at the Mfantseman Municipal Assembly, Julius Sakyi, commended ISODEC for empowering citizens, particularly young people, to become active participants in local governance.

He said the project had strengthened accountability and fostered closer collaboration between communities and public service providers.

ISODEC expressed optimism that additional funding would be secured to support a third phase of the project, with the aim of sustaining and expanding the gains achieved under the AVID II initiative.