Search Results for: Ghana

November 4, 2024: Dinte Tayiru Sule, a 2024 U.S. State Department “Global Anti-Racism Champion”. The national elections in Ghana in 2008 were seen by two young friends in Tumu, a town in the Upper West region of the country, as a profound challenge. Dinte Tayiru Sule and Kingsley Kanton knew that the elections in the Upper West Region, with its population of more than 900,000 had to be independently monitored, that citizens needed to be well informed about voting and that they needed to trust the results. The two friends turned to the Partnership for Transparency Fund to work with them, securing funding to strengthen their monitoring efforts, and obtain technical advice as they planned their campaign, which deployed around 200 election monitors covering all of the polling stations in the Sisaala East and West Constituencies in the Upper West Region. Sule and Kingsley registered SAVE Ghana as a civil society organization that year. Their monitoring in the first round of the elections stimulated significantly increased public interest, leading to a substantial rise in the number of citizens going to vote in the second round, run-off election. HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 Sule and Kingsley started SAVE Ghana 20 years ago, when they were both in their 20s. They had both worked in the public sector and were convinced that more transparent and accountable public institutions would better serve citizens, especially the poorest citizens. In their first four years they pursued a range of different projects, and none was more urgent as they started their work than providing information to the public on many aspects of the HIV/AIDS epidemic that was raging at the time. Incidentally, that experience would prove valuable when many years later they addressed the COVID-19 pandemic. Sule explains that citizens needed to understand what COVID-19 was, they needed to understand how best they could protect themselves, and what public services were available to them – and obtain those services honestly and efficiently. Working again with PTF, SAVE Ghana ran a successful campaign, encouraging the public to directly call on public health services, and so mobilizing public pressure to achieve the key objectives. They ran a popular public information campaign via a weekly radio program, entitled: “The People Should Know” with the objective of widely disseminating information on the COVID pandemic, and inviting public officials to answer Tumu residents’ questions via a prepaid phone-in program. Working with PTF Says Sule: “PTF gave us technical advice as we moved ahead with our COVID campaign, which was probably more important than the money we received. PTF has a unique group of internationally experienced experts who have been able to work with us as real partners, helping us to strengthen our plans, and, in fact, co-creating projects. Then, PTF engages with us and other long-time African partner CSO’s after the projects have been completed so we can share the knowledge that has been learned – very few other international organizations do this.” Today, SAVE Ghana has 17 full-time staff and about 10 volunteer student interns. The organization has remained locally based and focused on Tumu, in the Northern region of Ghana. It […]

October 27, 2024: The U.S. Department of State honors Dintie Sule Tayiru as a 2024 Global Anti-Racism Champion. PTF has had a 16 year partnership with SAVE Ghana, the civil society organization headed by Mr. Tayiru. PTF and PTF Europe have been proud supporters of the successful projects that they have partnered with SAVE Ghana. The State Department said: “Mr. Tayiru is being honored for advancing the human rights of marginalized groups and promoting inclusive governance and equity for Fulbe communities.” Sule commended the US Department of State for acknowledging SAVE-Ghana, a CSO operating in Tumu, a remote community in the extreme North of Ghana, by saying: “These rewards are given to organizations in Accra, Dakar, or Lagos, but usually international organizations never reach remote communities like Tumu, where communities are addressing the most basic problems of societal integration.” Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said at the award ceremony in Washington DC on October 21, 2024, “As executive director of SAVE-Ghana, Dintie Sule Tayiru promotes the inclusion of the Fulbe people, a marginalized ethnic group in Ghana.  Because of this remarkable work, many Fulbe now have access to basic services like clean water; they’ve been able to register to vote for the very first time.  With greater representation, they can more effectively advocate for greater access to public services.” The State Department noted: “Mr. Tayiru has worked tirelessly as Executive Director of SAVE-Ghana… His work with local and regional actors has led to significant reforms, including participatory access to local governance structures, lower cattle tax rates and mediation efforts between Fulbe and non-Fulbe communities. He is dedicated to continuing his work to address structural policy issues that prevent marginalized peoples from enjoying basic human rights and accessing essential services. He holds a Master of Philosophy in Social Policy and Service Management. Mr. Tayiru is being honored for advancing the human rights of marginalized groups and promoting inclusive governance and equity for Fulbe communities.”

The use of innovative approaches and constructive engagement resulted in demonstrable improvements to education service delivery in the Upper West Region of Ghana within the context of a social accountability project, according to the project managers.

Strengthening Stakeholder Engagement and Improved Governance in the COVID 19 Response in Ghana’s Upper West RegionDOWNLOAD CONCEPT NOTE The Government of Ghana has mobilized a lot of resources, both financial and physical, to address the coronavirus pandemic. For example, the World Bank is providing $100 million in as short, medium and long-term support to assist the country in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, including  $35 million in emergency support to help prevent, detect, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic through the Ghana Emergency Preparedness and Response Program (EPRP). In spite of these investments, health facilities are complaining of a blatant lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and there is little education about the pandemic. The supply chain of PPEs and other funds received by the government are not transparent and there is a high risk of corruption based on experience with other instances of health problems and recent disaster response and relief. It is obvious Ghana’s government alone cannot bring the situation under control in the coming months, in spite of the many resources available. CSOs are a valuable addition to public services to demonstrate, document and disseminate to the appropriate authorities an example of effective use of resources to alleviate the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic. In view of this background, PTF is supporting longtime partner, SAVE-Ghana, to design and test an approach to implement the Strengthening Stakeholder Engagement and Improved Governance in the COVID 19 Response in Ghana’s Upper West Region, with the overall aim of contributing to increased efficiency and effectiveness in the management of COVID 19 funds and resources. The program is: 1) supporting Ghana Health Services (GHS) to provide information on COVID 19 preventive measures, procurements and distribution of supplies; 2) monitoring of public expenditures on COVID 19; and 3) engaging with authorities to provide feedback to improve COVID 19 response program implementation. The initiative is initially targeting the Sisaala East district and the Sisaala West districts of the upper west region of Ghana, with a cumulative population of 160,000, over a six month period. Due to the deprived nature of the districts, information about resource allocation for a COVID 19 response is lacking among citizen groups who are supposed to be the prime target groups, thus serving as a breeding ground both for the virus and for government officials to abuse the system.

Internally Generated Funds (IGFs) refer to any resources mobilized locally to meet local development objectives and improve the quality of life for citizens in Ghana. The funds derive from different sources, among them, rates, lands, fees and licenses. The collection and management falls within the political responsibility of district assemblies (DA) …

To tackle Ghana’s backlog in guaranteeing universal primary education, the Government, in 2005, decided to abolish the system of school fees previously in place to finance basic schools. Instead, it established a system of capitation grants, a yearly allocation per student per school, geared toward transparently funding all classroom activities, including providing for salaries and administrative costs. Yet, the administration in charge continued to badly manage and weakly control the funds alotted, leading to substantial waste of public resources and substandard education outcomes.

Internally Generated Funds (IGFs) refer to any resources mobilized locally to meet local development objectives and improve the quality of life for citizens in Ghana. The funds derive from different sources, among them, rates, lands, fees and licenses. The collection and management falls within the political responsibility of district assemblies (DA).

Rachel Ansley reports on the “PTF Africa Civil Society Forum on Shrinking Civic Space” that brought together CSO representatives from Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Togo, Uganda and Zambia, as well as regional organizations. November 5, 2024: Civil society organizations (CSOs) in an increasing number of countries face interrelated and increasingly complex challenges that are contributing to the gradual but persistent shrinking of civic space. These conditions affect the ability of civil society and individuals to participate meaningfully in national and local affairs. This is certainly the case across the African continent, where PTF’s CSO partners (and other CSOs) are working to highlight this crisis and show why shrinking civic space matters, as well as the role CSOs have to play in countering this challenge. On a daily basis, CSOs face diverse constraints on their efforts to promote transparent and accountable governance, as they reflected candidly at a recent PTF forum. These include policy and legislative barriers, arbitrary regulations, politically inspired personal harassment and threats, and even physical violence. However, they also shared their diverse approaches to facing and mitigating these challenges, including the importance of constructive engagement with governments to emphasize the added value of CSOs in service delivery, for example. Global & African Trends Shrinking civic space in Africa is part of a broader global trend of democratic recessions. According to the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL), 83% of legal measures in 84 countries over the past 5 years have been restrictive, and only 17% enabling. (ICNL 2024) This is evidence of the growing trend of governments looking to clamp down and stifle voices critical of them and against corruption, particularly civil society. Trends in Africa echo this global trajectory. Addressing the phenomenon of shrinking civic space requires a keen understanding of the mechanisms at work to restrict the work of civil society, how they manifest in the lives of civil society actors individually and collectively, and the role of CSOs themselves in a whole-of-society approach to find remedies. “In line with what we see with a growing trend of authoritarianism, governments are looking for ways to clamp down and stifle voices.” – Florence Nakazibwe, ICNL These questions formed the core of a recent PTF Africa Civil Society Forum on Shrinking Civic Space centered on conversation and co-creation among peer organizations and like-minded colleagues.  The forum, split into two sessions, covered the primary challenges and issues facing CSOs in their efforts to provide essential services in their communities and promote transparent and accountable governance, as well as solutions either implemented by participants or suggested based on best practice. As seen in many African countries, shrinking civic space primarily results from the range of methods and measures used by governments—both authoritarian and democratic—to constrain the activities of CSOs and limit their influence. According to Florence Nakazibwe at ICNL, who delivered a presentation during the first session of the Forum, “In line with what we see with a growing trend of authoritarianism, governments are looking for ways to clamp down and stifle voices.” Direct efforts and measures to crack down on civil society include […]

  Rachel Ansley reports on the “PTF Africa Civil Society Forum on Shrinking Civic Space” that brought together CSO representatives from Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Togo, Uganda and Zambia, as well as regional organizations. November 5, 2024: Civil society organizations (CSOs) in an increasing number of countries face interrelated and increasingly complex challenges that are contributing to the gradual but persistent shrinking of civic space. These conditions affect the ability of civil society and individuals to participate meaningfully in national and local affairs. This is certainly the case across the African continent, where PTF’s CSO partners (and other CSOs) are working to highlight this crisis and show why shrinking civic space matters, as well as the role CSOs have to play in countering this challenge. On a daily basis, CSOs face diverse constraints on their efforts to promote transparent and accountable governance, as they reflected candidly at a recent PTF forum. These include policy and legislative barriers, arbitrary regulations, politically inspired personal harassment and threats, and even physical violence. However, they also shared their diverse approaches to facing and mitigating these challenges, including the importance of constructive engagement with governments to emphasize the added value of CSOs in service delivery, for example. Global & African Trends Shrinking civic space in Africa is part of a broader global trend of democratic recessions. According to the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL), 83% of legal measures in 84 countries over the past 5 years have been restrictive, and only 17% enabling. (ICNL 2024) This is evidence of the growing trend of governments looking to clamp down and stifle voices critical of them and against corruption, particularly civil society. Trends in Africa echo this global trajectory. Addressing the phenomenon of shrinking civic space requires a keen understanding of the mechanisms at work to restrict the work of civil society, how they manifest in the lives of civil society actors individually and collectively, and the role of CSOs themselves in a whole-of-society approach to find remedies. “In line with what we see with a growing trend of authoritarianism, governments are looking for ways to clamp down and stifle voices.” – Florence Nakazibwe, ICNL These questions formed the core of a recent PTF Africa Civil Society Forum on Shrinking Civic Space centered on conversation and co-creation among peer organizations and like-minded colleagues.  The forum, split into two sessions, covered the primary challenges and issues facing CSOs in their efforts to provide essential services in their communities and promote transparent and accountable governance, as well as solutions either implemented by participants or suggested based on best practice. As seen in many African countries, shrinking civic space primarily results from the range of methods and measures used by governments—both authoritarian and democratic—to constrain the activities of CSOs and limit their influence. According to Florence Nakazibwe at ICNL, who delivered a presentation during the first session of the Forum, “In line with what we see with a growing trend of authoritarianism, governments are looking for ways to clamp down and stifle voices.” Direct efforts and measures to crack down on civil society […]

Featured Publications Publications The Role of CSOs to Ensure Integrity in Climate Finance and Action This paper for the Second Symposium on Supranational Responses to Corruption explores how partnerships with local CSOs could help advance integrity on climate finance and action. Partnering with Civil Society for Citizen-Driven Country Engagement, Delivery, and Accountability in IDA- and IBRD-Financed Operations Report This report makes ten recommendations on how partnerships with citizens and civil society organizations can be deepened in IDA and IBRD engagement, financing, and accountability activities at the country level. PTF Tools and Approaches Report - 2001 to 2022 This report is a reference document containing the tools and approaches that have been used by PTF, the Asia and Europe affiliates, and the Africa Committee over the last two decades in a multitude of countries. Civil Society Monitoring in the Health Sector Hundreds of millions of people have to pay bribes when using public services. This situation has not improved for more than a decade. There is a strong case for rethinking the current anti-corruption approaches in which funding for anti-corruption and good governance programs is overwhelmingly allocated to government efforts (supply side) with relatively little given to non-state actors (demand side). Increasingly evidence has shown that civil society can make a meaningful difference in the furtherance of anti-corruption aims. Citizens Against Corruption: Report from the Frontline Over the last dozen years PTF has supported with money and expert advice more than 250 projects across the developing world to reduce corruption. Now, in a brand new book, Landell-Mills reviews the record: he highlights the civil society organizations that are making a real difference to secure basic human and civil rights for tens of thousands of poor people; he describes fascinating projects in Asia, Africa, Latin America and in Central & eastern Europe; and, he brings to the fore the key lessons that all engaged in the fight against corruption need to use to advance their work. CSO Engagement to Deliver the Agenda 2030 Anti-Corruption Targets: The Case for a Supranational Initiative Hundreds of millions of people have to pay bribes when using public services. This situation has not improved for more than a decade. There is a strong case for rethinking the current anti-corruption approaches in which funding for anti-corruption and good governance programs is overwhelmingly allocated to government efforts (supply side) with relatively little given to non-state actors (demand side). Increasingly evidence has grown that civil society can make a meaningful difference in the furtherance of anti-corruption aims. Guide for Monitoring Public Procurement: A Tool for Civil Society By overseeing the manner in which public money is used, civil society can significantly contribute to strengthening governance and building bridges between society and public authorities at all levels. International experience has shown that CSOs can play an active and important role in the direct monitoring of public procurement, thus contributing to increased transparency at all stages of the procurement cycle. They can demand accountability when public contracting authorities fail to observe the principles of transparency, integrity, and efficiency in the procurement process or are part of corrupt schemes by referring cases of [...]