Citizenry asked to monitor projects in c’nities

Projects Coordinator at Care Net Ghana, Eric Dorfe, has asked the citizenry to show interest in projects executed by Metropolitan Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in various communities and deepen monitoring them.

“When beneficiary communities develop interest in projects and continue to track them, it will ensure transparency, accountability and rapid socio-economic growth and development,” he said.

Mr Dorfe, who was speaking at a day’s training for 75 Community Development Monitors (CDMs) at Kpetoe in the Agotime-Ziope District of the Volta Region, noted that it would ensure the projects were delivered qualitatively and within the stipulated time frame.

They were selected from 15 communities within MMDAs comprising women, the youth, opinion and religious leaders and persons with disabilities, with the training organised by Care Net Ghana in collaboration with the Agotime-Ziope District Assembly, which formed part of Strengthening Accountability Mechanisms (SAM) project.

It aimed at improving the knowledge of CDMs in the assembly’s planning processes, legal framework for the citizenry participation in local governance, and processes for monitoring projects and engaging assemblies to get concerns addressed.

Mr Dorfe explained that the training was necessary for continuity of SAM’s work when it folded up in September, as it helped to improve transparency and accountability of beneficiary assemblies in capital projects delivery.

 Selase Davis, Project Officer, Care Net Ghana, called on assemblies to endeavour to use available communication channels to frequently engage communities to whip up interest in communities in their work and to offer them needed support and assistance.

“I implore CDMs to conduct yourselves impeccably so you can secure acceptance of all in discharge of your duties, channel concerns through appropriate channels for effective and efficient redress and put knowledge and skills acquired at training to good use for desired objective achieved,” he stressed.

Some of the CDMs described the training as helpful since it will have positive impact on communities, and commended organisers and promised to inculcate knowledge and skills acquired to others to promote rapid growth and development of communities and assemblies.

SAM is a six-year social accountability project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and is being implemented in 100 MMDAs by consortium, comprising CARE, OXFAM, and ISODEC in collaboration with 25 other civil society organisations and assemblies. -GNA