BudgIT Ghana empowers communities with accountability tool, Tracka: Dzodze and Nkwanta-Brewaniase take the lead

BudgIT Ghana, a civic-tech group driving accountability, transparency, and active citizenship for equitable governance, continued its mission with impactful community engagements in Dzodze, Volta Region, and Nkwanta-Brewaniase, Oti Region.

This, follows the launch of an accountability tool called TRACKA, an online platform where citizens can track and report on government-funded initiatives in their communities to promote and ensure efficient public service delivery, these engagements, which are a part of the Hewlett Foundation-supported Empowering Active Citizens with Tools of Accountability initiative, underscored the importance of civic participation, community leadership, and grassroots advocacy in driving national development.

In Dzodze, residents from different socioeconomic backgrounds, including youth, women, men, students, and business owners, convened for a town hall meeting focused on community leadership mand civic participation.

BudgIT Ghana introduced Tracka, its flagship public project tracking tool, which empowers citizens to monitor government projects and demand transparency. The session was highly interactive, with participants asking pertinent questions and making recommendations to the government and other stakeholders. Discussions revealed a society willing to hold leaders accountable and decide its future trajectory.

In Nkwanta-Brewaniase, the conversation took an urgent tone as residents shared troubling accounts of governance gaps. During the Tracka presentation, participants disclosed an incomplete boys’ dormitory project in their community, where alarmingly, they had been pressured to sign paperwork falsely confirming the project’s completion.

This disclosure sparked a heated debate about systemic accountability lapses, with citizens urging BudgIT to spotlight their challenges, which include poor road networks and near-total telecommunication dead zones that cripple daily life and commerce.

Continuing their mission, the team extended their efforts to Nkawkaw in the Eastern Region, empowering residents to actively monitor government projects and advocate for accountability.

The session tackled issues such as uncompleted infrastructure and provided participants with practical tools to track and report public initiatives, fostering greater transparency and civic engagement.

In the coming weeks, BudgIT Ghana will be in Tamale in the Northern Region to execute similar activities under the project. These engagements illustrate the importance of civic education in empowering Ghanaians to advocate for their rights and demand better and more efficient public service delivery.

BudgIT Ghana provides communities with service delivery monitoring tools such as Tracka, creating an environment for transparency and giving underserved and underrepresented groups a voice. These calls to action from the communities and pleas to address uncompleted projects, infrastructural Deficits and fraudulent practices highlight the need to ensure that public resources are managed and used efficiently and equitably.

BudgIT Ghana remains committed to bridging the information and engagement gap between citizens and government by amplifying grassroots voices and promoting a culture of accountability.

These forums and discussions demonstrate the transformative potential of informed and active citizenship in building a more equitable and transparent society.

By: BudgIT Ghana No. 10 Golf Hills Street, Achimota