Tamale: A two-day regional convening of partners and associates under the 'I Am Aware' (IAA) Project has been held in Tamale to strengthen advocacy for inclusive governance and improved data use. The event aimed to enhance participants' knowledge in data literacy and inclusive policy design to address systemic inequalities affecting marginalised groups.
According to Ghana News Agency, the convening enabled participants to develop district monitoring plans, create district service maps, track district composite budgets, and design policy gap analysis matrices, as well as advocacy messages and tools. The event brought together Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Community-Based Organisations, media practitioners, and citizen groups from across the Northern Zone to strengthen their capacity to monitor public projects and influence policy for equitable development.
The convening was organised by the Ghana Center for Democratic Development in partnership with the Africa Centre for Governance Studies and supported locally by Simba Ghana with funding from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. The event was held on the theme: 'From Evidence to Influence.'
Mr Mohammed Awal, Project Lead at CDD-Ghana, stated that the convening was intended to enhance citizens' ability to monitor public projects for improved service delivery while promoting data literacy and pro-poor policy analysis. He noted that the initiative also sought to promote inclusive and coordinated advocacy, strengthen media engagement and accountability, facilitate regional learning and knowledge sharing, and encourage constructive engagement between citizens and duty-bearers.
Mr Awal explained that empowering citizens with the right tools and knowledge was critical to ensuring that public policies were responsive to the needs of all citizens, especially vulnerable and marginalised populations. Mr. Godwin Moffatt, Finance and Administrative Lead at ACGS, highlighted key accountability gaps affecting local governance, such as low citizen awareness of rights under the Local Government Act and weak coordination among CSOs. He also pointed out the limited use of available public data for advocacy and inadequate media coverage of local governance issues.
Mr Abdul Rahaman Abdul Mumin, Executive Director of Simba Ghana, emphasised the importance of the training for effective local governance. He said meaningful citizen participation required stakeholders to be well-equipped to track and monitor district budgets and development initiatives to ensure transparency and equitable use of resources.