SADA Moves to improve social protection in the NSEZ
MoGCSP REPORT SADA Zone Round Table Forum on Social Protection Held on 10th December,2014 Tamale With the support of Contents List of Acronyms and Abbreviations ............................................................................................................ 3 Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................................... 5 1.0. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 6 2.0. Opening Session..................................................................................................................................... 7 2.1. Statement by Board Chair of SADA .................................................................................................. 7 2.2. Statement by Director of MoGCSP ................................................................................................... 7 2.3. Statement by UNICEF ....................................................................................................................... 7 2.4. Statement by UNDP ........................................................................................................................... 7 2.5. Address by Hon. Regional Minister for Northern Region ................................................................. 8 3.0. Key Presentations................................................................................................................................... 8 3.1. Presentation on emerging developments in social protection in Ghana............................................. 8 3.2. Presentation on the Labour Intensive Public Works (LIPW)........................................................... 10 3.3. Presentation on the Expanded LEAP ............................................................................................... 11 3.4. Update on mapping out the social sector in the SADA zone ........................................................... 11 3.5. Comments/ Questions and Contributions on Technical Presentations............................................. 12 3.5.1. Questions on Technical Presentations....................................................................................... 12 3.5.2. Answers provided to questions posed on Technical Presentations ........................................... 12 4.0. Panel sessions....................................................................................................................................... 13 4.1. Role of the RCCs in coordinating social sector................................................................................. 13 4.2. The objectives of the Ghana National Targeting System................................................................. 14 4.3. The Role of SADA in coordinating social sector............................................................................. 14 5.0. Group Work and Plenary sessions ....................................................................................................... 16 5.1. Feedback from Education Group ..................................................................................................... 16 5.1.1. Three top most constraints in Education within the SADA Zone ............................................. 16 5.1.2. Recommendations for resolving constraints in Education in the SADA zone.......................... 16 5.1.3. Role of SADA and Development Partners in resolving Education Constraints ....................... 16 5.2. Feedback from Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Group ................................................................... 16 5.2.1. Three top most constraints in Disaster Risk Reduction within the SADA Zone ...................... 16 5.2.2. Participants recommendations for resolving constraints in DRR in the SADA zone ............... 17 5.2.3. Role of SADA and Development Partners in resolving DRR Constraints ............................... 17 5.3. Feedback from Health and Nutrition Group .................................................................................... 17 1 5.3.1. Three top most constraints in Health and Nutrition within the SADA zone ............................. 17 5.3.2. Recommendations for dealing with Health & Nutrition constraints in the SADA zone .......... 17 5.3.3. Role of SADA and DPs in resolving Health and Nutrition Constraints ................................... 17 5.4. Feedback from Water and Sanitation Group.................................................................................... 17 5.4.1. Three top most constraints in Water and Sanitation within the SADA zone ................................ 17 5.4.2. Recommendations for resolving constraints in Water and Sanitation ...................................... 17 5.4.3. Role of SADA and DPs in resolving Water & Sanitation Constraints ..................................... 18 5.5. Feedback from Social Protection Group .......................................................................................... 18 5.5.1. Three top most constraints in Social Protection within the SADA zone .................................. 18 5.5.2. Recommendations for resolving constraints in Social Protection in the SADA zone .............. 18 5.5.3. Role of SADA and DPs in resolving Social Protection constraints .......................................... 18 6.0. Key Recommendations ........................................................................................................................ 18 7.0. Closing ................................................................................................................................................. 20 8.0. Annexes................................................................................................................................................ 21 8.1. Round table forum programme ........................................................................................................ 21 8.2. List of Participants ........................................................................................................................... 23 2 List of Acronyms and Abbreviations DA District Assembly DFID Department for International Development DP Development Partner DRR Disaster Risk Reduction GDP Gross Domestic Product GIS Geograhic Information System GLSS Ghana Living Standards Survey GNTS Ghana National Targeting System GoG Government of Ghana GSFP Ghana School Feeding Programme GSOP Ghana Social Opportunities Programme HON Honourable LEAP Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty LESDEP Local Enterprise and Skills Development Programme LGRD Local Government and Rural Development LIPW Labour Intensive Public Work MDAs Ministries Departments and Agencies M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MMDAs Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies MOFA Ministry of Food and Agriculture MoGCSP Ministry of Gender Children and Social Protection MVP Millennium Villages Project NGO Non-Governmental Organisation NHIA National Health Insurance Authority 3 NHIS National Health Insurance Scheme NSEZ Northern Savannah Ecological Zone NSPS National Strategy for Social Protection OVC Orphan and Vulnerable Children RCC Regional Coordination Council RPCU Regional Planning and Coordinating Unit SADA Savannah Accelerated Development Authority SP Social Protection UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNICEF United Nations International Children Emergency Fund USAID United States Agency for International Development WFP World Food Programme 4 Executive Summary The Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) was established by an ACT of Ghana‟s Parliament in 2010. SADA as a regional development Authority is to provide strategic planning guidance, mobilize resources and coordinate development in the SADA regions which encompasses five regions and sixty three Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in Ghana. The SADA zone though endowed with many resources still records the highest rates of poverty in the country. In response to the high incidence of poverty in the SADA zone, government and development partners have initiated a number of social interventions in the zone. The focus of these social interventions is to meet the basic needs requirements of the most vulnerable population in the zone and also improve their capacity to be more productive. However, these well-intended objectives of government and development partners, have not achieved the required results due to duplication and fragmentation of programmes resulting in minimal impact on beneficiaries. It is to address these concerns of duplication and fragmentation of social interventions that the one day round table forum on social protection was convened. The conveners of the forum were SADA and the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) , in partnership with UNICEF and UNDP. The key objectives outlined for the forum included the following: i. To review the on-going social protection programmes within the NSEZ with a view to scaling up and integrating these programmes for increased impact on the vulnerable; To review existing coordination mechanisms for the social sector in the NSEZ with a view to improving programmes impact; ii. iii. To gain a better understanding of the Ghana National Targeting System and how stakeholders from the NSEZ could contribute to its development. The forum was well attended by key development partners, ministries, departments and agencies involved in the provisioning of social services in the SADA zone. At the end of the round the participants made the following recommendations for improving the delivery of social services to the people within the SADA: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Mapping of social sectors to promote synergies and avoid duplications; Development of consolidated work plans for each of the key social sectors; Formation and strengthening of sectoral working groups to promote networking; Strengthening the capacity of the RCCs and DAs in planning, M&E and learning; Establishment of a Disaster Fund to take care of disasters and emergencies; Formation and strengthening of Regional and District Social Protection Committees. 5 1.0. Introduction The Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) was established by an ACT of Ghana‟s Parliament in 2010. SADA as a regional development Authority is to provide strategic planning guidance, mobilize resources and coordinate development in the SADA regions which encompasses five regions and sixty three Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in Ghana. The SADA zone though endowed with many resources still records the highest rates of poverty in the country. The Ghana Living Standards Survey Six (GLSS6) report shows a reduction in the National poverty incidence from 31.9 per cent in 2005/6 to 24.2 per cent for 2012/13 and that of extreme poverty from 16.5 per cent in 2005/6 to 8.4 per cent for 2012/13. However, there exist wide disparities among the various administrative regions of the country with the three northern regions, which comprise mainly the savannah areas still registering high rates of poverty. The GLSS6 report indicates that more than four in every ten persons are poor in Upper East (44.4%), increasing to one in every two in the Northern region (50.4%) and seven out of every ten in Upper West (70.7%). In response to the high incidence of poverty in the SADA zone, government and development partners have initiated a number of social interventions in the zone. The focus of these social interventions is to meet the basic needs requirements of the most vulnerable population in the zone and also improve their capacity to be more productive. However, these well-intended objectives of government and development partners, have not achieved the required results due to duplication and fragmentation of programmes resulting in minimal impact on beneficiaries. It is to address these concerns of duplication and fragmentation of social interventions that the one day round table forum on social protection was convened. The conveners of the forum were SADA and the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) , in partnership with UNICEF and UNDP. The key objectives outlined for the forum included the following: iv. v. vi. To review the on-going social protection programmes within the NSEZ with a view to scaling up and integrating these programmes for increased impact on the vulnerable; To review existing coordination mechanisms for the social sector in the NSEZ with a view to improving programmes impact; To gain a better understanding of the Ghana National Targeting System and how stakeholders from the NSEZ could contribute to its development. The forum was well attended by key development partners, ministries, departments and agencies involved in the provisioning of social services in the SADA zone. This report therefore highlights the key issues and recommendations of participants at the forum. 6 2.0. Opening Session The opening session of the forum included brief remarks from SADA, MoGCSP, UNICEF and UNDP. The key points of their remarks are captured below: 2.1. Statement by Board Chair of SADA The Board Chair of SADA, Mrs Angelina Mornah Domakyaareh in her introductory remarks expressed her gratitude to UNCEF, UNDP, MoGCSP and all participants for finding the time to participate in the first SADA/MoGCSP forum on social protection in the SADA zone. She indicated that the SADA zone is still the highest contributor to poverty in Ghana and stressed on the need for collaboration, partnerships and judicious use of resources to address the poverty situation in the zone. She noted that, SADA as per its mandate provides a good vehicle for planning, coordinating, monitoring and evaluating social interventions in the zone. She assured participants that, SADA will play its leadership role in the zone and called for the cooperation and collaboration from the development partners, MMDAs in the SADA zone and Minstries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to ensure the resources of the region are used for the development of the zone and Ghana. 2.2. Statement by Director of MoGCSP Mr. Mawutor Ablor, the Director for Social Protection at the MoGCSP, who represented the Minister for MoGCSP at the forum, indicated that he was happy with the collaboration between SADA and his Ministry. He said many of the Ministry‟s social protection programmes were being rolled out in the SADA regions hence the need to collaborate closely with SADA. He gave his assurance that the MoGCSP will play its role in ensuring that the key recommendations from this social protection forum are implemented. 2.3. Statement by UNICEF Madam Susan Namondo Ngongi, Country Director for UNICEF in Ghana indicated that her organisation was happy to be part of this important forum. She said social protection is key to the economic transformation of Ghana and that resources channelled into social protection programmes should be seen as major investments in the economy and not merely acts of charity. She cited Brazil as a country where investments in social protection interventions have played a key role in propelling economic growth and development for their people. She said UNICEF was committed to working with SADA to improve the living conditions of the people in the SADA zone and wished all participants fruitful deliberations. 2.4. Statement by UNDP Madam Radhika Lal Economic Advisor for UNDP in Ghana indicated that social protection is obviously a human rights issue which must be mainstreamed into development initiatives to reduce inequality and poverty in the SADA zone. She lauded SADA and MoGCSP for taking the lead in organizing a forum of this nature to foster collaboration and enhance the delivery of social protection programmes in the SADA zone. She also recognized SADA as the appropriate agency to coordinate, facilitate and influence national policies, programmes and interventions on social protection for improving the lives of the people in the SADA zone. She pledged the 7 support of UNDP to SADA as it takes the lead to influence and coordinate interventions in the zone. 2.5. Address by Hon. Regional Minister for Northern Region The Northern Regional Minister, Hon. Alhaji Limuna Mohammed Muniru, welcomed participants to the forum with the anticipation that its outcome will inure to the benefit of the people of the SADA zone. He also expressed his gratitude to SADA and all the partners behind the round table forum for his invitation to address participants. The Minister, in his address bemoaned the increasing poverty situation in the SADA zone in spite of the numerous social programmes being implemented by government, NGOs and development partners in the zone. He called on the development partners, government ministries, departments and agencies, private sector and civil society organizations at the forum to interrogate the underlying causes of the chronic poverty in the SADA zone. He indicated that participants should eschew the usual theorization at workshops like this and rather focus on practical solutions for addressing the root causes of poverty in the zone. He outlined the following as his expectations from the forum: 1. Review the effectiveness of these programmes in targeting the vulnerable members of the SADA regions; 2. Identify possible result-oriented social programmes for scale-up; 3. Agree on follow-up actions for improving access to social services for the people of the SADA regions. In conclusion, the Hon. Minister indicated he was particularly happy that SADA has used its central role and mandate to organize this maiden round table forum on social protection and only hoped that it will not be the end. He wished the facilitators and participants fruitful deliberations. 3.0. Key Presentations Three key presentations were made at the forum by experts drawn from the MoGCSP and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. This session was moderated by Mr. Peter Ragno, Social Protection Specialist of UNICEF, Ghana. The highlights of these presentations are indicated below: 3.1. Presentation on emerging developments in social protection in Ghana The presenter, Mr Mawutor Ablo, Director for Social Protection at the MoGCSP in his introductory remarks, indicated that whilst Ghana continues to experience significant economic growth, with Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ranging from 4.0% to 15.0% between 2005 and 2013, not much of it has reflected in the lives of the extreme poor in the country. He said Ghana is becoming an increasingly unequal country where the benefits of economic growth and poverty reduction are not equally distributed across the nation, across gender and across economic quintiles. Inequalities, especially between rural and urban dwellers persist and regional 8 inequalities are the most pronounced with well over 70% of households in the three northern regions having no toilet facility whatsoever. He indicated that it was as a result of the above concerns amongst others that triggered discussions around the possible roll-out of social protection programmes to address the structural constraints that tend to perpetuate chronic poverty through investments in human and physical assets to reduce the risk of future poverty. Mr. Mawutor, indicated that the roll-out of social protection programmes including the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP), National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Free School Uniforms/Free Exercise Books, Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP), Education Capitation Grant, Labour Intensive Public Works (LIPW), Local Enterprise and Skills Development Programme (LESDEP) are practical demonstrations from government and development partners at empowering the economically disadvantaged population of Ghana. He indicated that the MoGCSP was created in 2013 with a mandate to ensure effective and efficient coordination of Social Protection programmes in Ghana. He outlined the following as key achievements of the Ministry: Agreement on the definition of social protection and a social protection floor for Ghana; which includes a set of interventions (transfers and or services) by government or private or civil society that help individuals and households confront risk and adversity (including emergencies), ensuring a minimum standard of dignity and well-being throughout the life-cycle of a person. Agreement on an institutional framework for coordination of social protection programmes in Ghana at the National, Regional, District and Community levels. This includes the following: Inter-Ministerial Social Protection Steering Committee. Inter Sectoral Social Protection Technical Committee. Social Protection Sector working group; Regional Social Protection Monitoring Teams; District Social Protection Committees; and Community Social Protection Committees The establishment of the Ghana National Targeting System (GNTS). This will provide a Single Registry Data Base of poor households known as the Ghana National Household Registry. This will ensure effective prioritization and selection of households living in vulnerable conditions. According to him the above were approved by Cabinet on 19th June 2014 He noted that, in spite of the successes chalked in the social protection front, there were still a number of challenges facing the sector including limited resources to implement the coordination framework as approved by Cabinet. 9 He also outlined some of the on-going or planned activities of the Ministry which included the following: The development of a National Social Protection Policy starting December 2014; Development and implementation of a sustainable financing mechanism; Development of a M & E Framework for Social Protection (SP) in the country; Development and operationalization of a Graduation model for SP; Operationalization of the GNTS and establishment of National Household Registry; The establishment and training of regional and district social protection committees; Review and update of a Communication and Advocacy Strategy on SP. He concluded on the note that the MoGCSP was happy to receive inputs on the above issues. 3.2. Presentation on the Labour Intensive Public Works (LIPW) The above presentation was done by Mr. Robert Austin, the National Coordinator for Ghana Social Opportunities Project (GSOP) under the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD). He provided a background on LIPW as a pilot project under the GSOP. He explained that the implementation of LIPW is in response to recommendations by the National Social Protection Strategy in 2007 (NSPS) which sought to move away from the over reliance on macroeconomic frameworks in addressing poverty to the implementation of social protection programmes as more effective and efficient tools for addressing inequality in the country. According to him the LIPW component which is being implemented under the GSOP is considered a good approach for providing short-term employment for the very poor in the rural areas who find it difficult to make enough to meet their household expenditure particularly during the agricultural off-season. He said the programme since its introduction has employed a significant number of the extreme poor in the execution of subprojects identified by various District Assemblies from their Medium Term Plans. Some of these projects range from the construction of dams, roads to tree planting using labour supplied by the poor in such communities. According to Mr Austin, more than 50% of funds voted under the programme go directly into the pockets of beneficiaries and this has improved their access to education, health and other services. He said a majority of these beneficiaries are from the SADA zone where inequality and poverty issues are more pronounced. Finally, he said LIPW just like any other project is faced with challenges which include the following: Inadequate funds; Limited duration of project (off- season nature of project); Low commitment by District Assemblies in co-funding some sub-projects 10 He extended an invitation to SADA to collaborate with GSOP to sustain the programme. 3.3. Presentation on the Expanded LEAP This presentation was made by Mr. Williams Niyuni, from the Department of Social Welfare. According to Mr. Niyuni, LEAP is both a conditional and unconditional cash transfer programme which targets the poorest and most vulnerable groups in Ghana, and provides them with a springboard to „LEAP‟ out of poverty. He said the broad objective of LEAP is to reduce poverty by increasing consumption and promoting access to services and opportunities among the extreme poor and vulnerable. He indicated that the key beneficiaries included: Orphan and Vulnerable Children (OVC) and their caregivers; the elderly who are 65years and above without any means of support and persons with severe disabilities without productive capacity. According to Mr. Niyuni, the programme as at October 2014 was benefiting 77,006 households in 103 districts. These beneficiaries receive cash transfers every two months and the amounts range from 48 to 90 Ghana Cedis depending on the number of beneficiaries in the household. Mr. Niyuni stated that in terms of impact, the LEAP evaluation reports indicate that the project has impacted positively on the lives of the poorest households in society especially those in the SADA zone. The impact according to him cuts across sectors such as education, health, agriculture production, and local economic activities. He also noted that about 90% of LEAP beneficiaries have been registered and linked to various NHIS nation-wide whiles there is also the potential to generate additional GH¢2.5 for every GH¢1 injected into the economy under the programme. He noted that over the years, the LEAP project implementation has improved due to the use of a Common Targeting Mechanism (CTM) and Proxy Means Test Questionnaires for targeting beneficiaries; robust Management Information Systems for tracking cash transfers; use of electronic modes of payments; specialists support from DFID and UNICEF and increase in Government of Ghana (GoG) funding of the programme from GH¢2Million in 2007 to GH¢38Million in 2014. He indicated that there was an on-going collaboration with UNICEF (with USAID funds) to implement “LEAP 1000” which has a strong nutritional component in ten selected districts in the Northern and Upper East Regions. 3.4. Update on mapping out the social sector in the SADA zone This presentation was done by Dr. Alex Braimah of University of Ghana. This session was moderated by Madam Radhika Lal of UNDP, Ghana. 11 The presentation was brief and basically centered on what the mapping exercise entails, how organisations could contribute, expected benefits and nature of the end product. Dr. Braimah explained that the exercise is expected to map out all existing infrastructure, gaps/deficits and actors in all sectors including the social sectors in the SADA zone. He encouraged the participating institutions to contribute to the mapping in the following ways: By providing information on their areas of operation; Type of interventions; Who their programmes target Conditions for accessing their services Information of cost and funding of their interventions; Any other relevant information. He indicated that the mapping will be beneficial to users in the following ways: It will allows you to know who needs your service; It will indicate how users could contact you for your service; It will serve as a marketing platform for your organization; It will make it possible for you to know who else is doing what; It will promote collaboration with others. According to him, the information gathered from the exercise will be processed into maps and other forms which will be stored in a user-friendly platform for easy access by all. He also used the forum to circulate templates to participating organizations to populate the kinds of data they had about their organizations. 3.5. Comments/ Questions and Contributions on Technical Presentations During the questions and answers session, participants raised a number of concerns which were addressed by the resource persons. The key issues raised and the answers provided are indicated below: 3.5.1. Questions on Technical Presentations Participants wanted clarifications on the following issues: i. Explanation on the role of SADA in the approved institutional governance framework presented by the MoGCSP to cabinet for approval:; ii. The possibility of other organisations collaborating with the Ministry of LGRD under the LIPW programme; iii. Clarification on the impact of LEAP on education; iv. Strategies for ensuring the effectiveness of the social protection programmes; v. Clarification on whether LEAP was interested in increasing the number of beneficiaries or on the impact of the programme. 3.5.2. Answers provided to questions posed on Technical Presentations The resource persons provided the following answers to the questions posed by the participants 12 i. Mr. Mawutor indicated that his Ministry will collaborate with SADA to ensure the regional and district social protection committees are formed and operating effectively; ii. Mr. Austin on his part indicated that there was opportunities for collaborating with other organisations on the LIPW programme. He encouraged participating organisations to contact the regional coordinators of the LIPW programme in the regions to explore these collaborations; iii. Mr. Niyuni said through the cash transfers, poor households are able to purchase school uniforms and basic learning materials for their children to stay in school; iv. The resource persons indicated that the key strategies they are using to improve social protection programmes delivery include: the of common targeting mechanisms; use of electronic payment systems; and the deployment of the agreed framework for institutional governance of social protection programmes; v. The resource persons also indicated that in as much as the number of beneficiaries was important, the managers of the social protection programmes are very much interested in the pact of the programmes as well. It is in this vain that rigorous monitoring and evaluation systems have been put in place to tract the impact of the programmes. 4.0. Panel sessions The round table forum also had a panel of discussants sharing their perspectives on the following topics: The Ghana National Targeting System; the role of Regional Coordinating Councils (RCC) in coordinating the social sector as well as that of SADA. This session was moderated by Madam Clare Dube of UNICEF. The highlights of these discussions are presented below: 4.1. Role of the RCCs in coordinating social sector Alhaji Abdul-Karim Adam, Northern Region Economic Planning Officer shared his perspective on the above topic. Alhaji Karim indicated that the RCCs are responsible for coordinating, monitoring and evaluating all development activities. They are also responsible for harmonizing the development plans of MMDAs and also the monitoring of the use of funds disbursed to them. Alhaji Karim indicated that given the importance of social services in promoting the wellbeing and economic growth in the regions, all RCCs have made it a point to monitor the level of investments in this sector and the quality of service delivery. He indicated that through platforms such as the Regional Planning Coordinating Units (RPCUs) meetings; Development Partners (DPs) meetings and the mapping of development interventions, the RCCs are able to play their mandatory roles. He however, indicated that the RCCs have a number of challenges related to their role in planning and monitoring the social sector. These include: The lack of funds to hold regular RPCUs and DPs meetings; 13 The lack of information on the work of some DPs and NGOs operating in the regions. He also indicated that the establishment of a regional development authority like SADA presents an opportunity for addressing some of the challenges listed above. According to him, SADA could support the work of the RCCs to improve the social sector in the following ways: • • • • • • • SADA participating in the RCCS and DPs meetings; SADA involving the RCCs in the role-out of social interventions; SADA facilitating meetings of stakeholders to review the social sector; SADA collaborating with the RCCs to map out development interventions; SADA supporting the training of RCC staff in GIS mapping; SADA supporting the RCCs to establish Data documentation Centres; SADA supporting the RCCs to monitor and evaluate programmes / projects. In reaction to the concern from a participant related to the proliferation of NGOs in the regions and districts without the consent of the RCCs and DAs, Alhaji Karim indicated that the mapping of development partners and formation of regional and district social protection committees will help in streamlining the activities of NGOs in the Regions and Districts.. 4.2. The objectives of the Ghana National Targeting System Mr. Mawutor, from the MoGCSP shared his perspective on the importance of the GNTS. He said the overarching objective of the GNTS was to improve the targeting of beneficiaries for social protection programmes and to address the common criticism that social protection programmes meant for the vulnerable in the society often end up benefiting people outside this bracket. According to him, the GNTS will ensure that a common targeting system will be used to identify, prioritize and select households living in vulnerable conditions. This will ensure that the resources allocated to the different social programmes reach the people with the greatest need. According to him the CTS to be employed will use multiple dimensions that affect welfare such as education, household demographics, occupation, housing conditions, assets, and access to basic services. Broadly it will be a cost-efficient way of using multiple variables to target the vulnerable population of Ghana. He mentioned that plans were far advanced for the roll-out of the GNTS which will begin with a pilot programme in the Upper West Region of Ghana. He said a participatory approach will be used in developing the GNTS and encouraged all stakeholders to contribute to the process. 4.3. The Role of SADA in coordinating social sector The presenter Mr. Chrys Anab indicated that SADA as a regional development authority covering sixty three MMDAs has a role to play in the effective delivery of social services within the SADA zone. 14 He indicated that as per the SADA mandate, the authority is positioning its self to improve the coordination, effectiveness and efficiency of social services in the SADA regions: According to him key initiatives planned by SADA for 2015 include the following: 1. Comprehensive mapping of the social sector to among other things; identify existing social infrastructure, gaps/deficits and actors in the social sector. He indicated that a consultant has already been engaged on this exercise with technical and financial support from UNDP and the World Bank; 2. Development of a baseline for the SADA region. This is absolutely important in monitoring progress and future impact of the various social interventions in the sector; 3. Researching into appropriate coordination model to operationalize the Authority`s coordination mandate under ACT 805 especially with respect to the social services sector; 4. Identifying what social programmes to scale-up within the SADA zone. Efforts will be made to identify opportunities for collaborating with existing institutions to scale-up some social interventions including:LEAP, the Standford Clinics model, SADA MVP model, the Food for work model implemented by World Food Programme (WFP), Heifer International Livestock model, the market development model of DFID, the RING project model of USAID to mention but a few. 5. Strengthening institutional governance of the MMDAs within the SADA zone. Mr. Anab ended on the note that SADA was looking forward to working with the various partners to achieve the above priorities planned for the social sector. After his presentation, some of the participants wanted clarification on the responsibility of the RCC, MOFA and SADA especially in agricultural investments. Mr. Anab explained that the three organizations complement each other in their functions. He indicated that MoFA as a technical institution responsible for agricultural development in the country has expertise to advise investors on what crops to grow and in which parts of the country . The RCCs are equally important because the coordinate the development in the regions and are able to assist investors in the acquisition of land and access to other resources within the regions. SADA on the other hand operates at a higher level than the individual RCCs. SADA‟s role include facilitating and coordinating investments across the SADA zone which covers sixty three MMDAs. SADA serves as a bridge for facilitating investments across regions. Other participants wanted to know how SADA was mainstreaming issues of disability into its programmes. Mr. Anab explained that, SADA was an inclusive organization and has for instance made the agricultural input support programme accessible to persons with disabilities. 15 5.0. Group Work and Plenary sessions In order to solicit the views of participants on how to improve the social sector, participants were put into five working groups to discusses key constraints facing the sector; recommend ways for improving delivery in the sector and how SADA and other DPs could contribute to addressing the challenges identified for the sector. This session was moderated by Dr. Abebe Hankore of WFP, Ghana. The feedbacks from the working groups are presented below: 5.1. Feedback from Education Group 5.1.1. Three top most constraints in Education within the SADA Zone a. Ineffectiveness of governance structures notably (District Education Oversight Committees; School Management Committees and Parent-Teacher-Associations); b. Inadequate trained teachers and teaching Learning Materials; c. Inadequate approved school facilities. 5.1.2. Recommendations for resolving constraints in Education in the SADA zone a. Strengthen governance structures through: Capacity building Setting performance targets Provision of logistics b. Address teacher shortage through: Training of more teachers; Review policy on distance learning; Rationalization of teachers; Scholarship and community level bonding of teachers. c. Building of more schools by DAs which are child friendly to address the problem of access 5.1.3. Role of SADA and Development Partners in resolving Education Constraints a. Supporting capacity building programmes for education governance structures; b. Supporting the expansion of the complementary education programme for children of deprived communities; c. Facilitating annual education planning sessions at the regional and district levels. 5.2. Feedback from Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Group 5.2.1. Three top most constraints in Disaster Risk Reduction within the SADA Zone a. Lack of genuine collaboration amongst actors in DRR e.g. fire & flood management etc; b. Inadequate funds and resources to implement intended activities; c. Political interference/lack of political will in DRR issues. 16 5.2.2. Participants recommendations for resolving constraints in DRR in the SADA zone a. Institute a legal framework for coordination & establishment of disaster fund; b. Involvement of communities in planning and implementation of DRR activities; c. MMDAs should be bold to implement what is right to reduce disasters. 5.2.3. Role of SADA and Development Partners in resolving DRR Constraints a. SADA and DPs should mobilize resources for DRR activities, especially a disaster fund; b. SADA and DPs should initiate capacity building programmes for key DRR institutions; c. SADA and DPs should support coordination activities in DRR. E.g. reviews, planning M&E etc. 5.3. Feedback from Health and Nutrition Group 5.3.1. Three top most constraints in Health and Nutrition within the SADA zone a. Duplication of programmes in the sector; b. Over concentration of DPs on capacity building with less focus on infrastructure and logistics requirements needs for the sector; c. Inadequate mechanisms for ensuring the sustainability of programmes. 5.3.2. Recommendations for dealing with Health & Nutrition constraints in the SADA zone a. Mapping out actors and programmes in the health & nutrition sectors in the SADA zone; b. Set up coordination mechanisms for the health & nutrition sectors in the SADA zone; c. Supporting the NHIA to improve on its services in the SADA zone. 5.3.3. Role of SADA and DPs in resolving Health and Nutrition Constraints a. SADA and DPs should initiate comprehensive mapping of the social sector in the SADA zone; b. SADA and DPs should facilitate development of consolidated annual work plans for the various social sectors; c. SADA and DPs should support the NHIA to improve its services in the SADA zone. 5.4. Feedback from Water and Sanitation Group 5.4.1. Three top most constraints in Water and Sanitation within the SADA zone a. Difficult geological zones that hinder easy access to ground water in the SADA zones (high fluoride); b. Poor attitudes towards sanitation management; c. Low investments from MMDAs in water and sanitation, making these sectors largely donor dependent. 5.4.2. Recommendations for resolving constraints in Water and Sanitation a. Address constraints in water management through: 17 Promotion of rain water harvesting techniques in the zone; Construction of dams and reservoirs in the flood prone areas for irrigation. b. Address constraints on sanitation through: Enforcement of sanitation by-laws by MMDAs; MMDAs supporting communities with basic equipment to carry out clean-up activities. c. Incentivizing private sector to invest in water and sanitation sectors in the SADA zone. 5.4.3. Role of SADA and DPs in resolving Water & Sanitation Constraints a. Support annual planning and review meetings for these sectors; b. Facilitate private sector investments in the water and sanitation sectors in the SADA zone; c. Support MMDAs in the SADA zone with requisite capacity to enforce WASH by-laws. 5.5. Feedback from Social Protection Group 5.5.1. Three top most constraints in Social Protection within the SADA zone a. Increasing poverty in the zone due to the negative effects of climate change; b. Negative Traditional Practices limiting opportunities for women and persons with disabilities; c. Few and fragmented social protection programmes in the SADA zone. 5.5.2. Recommendations for resolving constraints in Social Protection in the SADA zone a. Promotion of climate smart agriculture in the SADA zone ; b. Advocating for women to have access productive land; c. Integrating the various social protection programmes to improve their impact on the vulnerable. 5.5.3. Role of SADA and DPs in resolving Social Protection constraints a. SADA and DPs should support the mapping of social protection programmes in the SADA zone; b. SADA and DPs should support the MoGCSP to form and operationalize regional and district social protection committees; c. SADA and DPs should support the MoGCSP to develop the National Social Protection Strategy and operationalize the GNTS. 6.0. Key Recommendations Participants at the social protection round table forum came out with the following recommendations for the consideration of the various stakeholders. a. Comprehensive mapping of the social sector in the SADA zone 18 The participants recommended that SADA should partner with DPs to conduct a comprehensive mapping of the social sector in the zone. They argued that the production of sector maps for the SADA zone will provide a solid basis for avoiding duplications in programme delivery and ensuring effective coordination of the activities of the various actors. The mapping will include key attributes such as: key actors in the sector; key interventions in the sector for addressing specific challenges; location and scale of projects and programmes; funding duration; infrastructure situation to mention but a few. Key sectors recommended by the participants for immediate mapping included the following: Education Health Nutrition Social protection Water and Sanitation Disasters b. Consolidation of annual work plans for social sector The participants also recommended that SADA should facilitate the annual planning processes for the zone to ensure the production of consolidated annual work plans for the various sectors. These consolidated work plans should capture planned activities and budgets of government and development partners for the SADA zone. This will ensure efficient use of resources and equitable development in the SADA zone. c. Strengthening of social sector working groups The participants recommended that, stakeholders in the SADA zone needed platforms to contribute to national policy dialogues (such as the development of the National Social Protection Policy, Ghana National Targeting System etc), net work and improve programmes monitoring and evaluation. They reckon that some of these working groups do exist in the SADA zone, but they were mostly non-functional; adhoc or of limited value to members. They therefore recommended the formation or strengthening of the following working groups within the SADA zone: Social protection working group Education working group Health working group Nutrition working group Disaster Risk Reduction working Group Water and Sanitation working group d. Development of a centralised information platform for social sector The participants also recommended that SADA should facilitate the creation and mantenance of a common platform for sharing information for the social sector for the 19 SADA zone. The data gathering processes will be decentralized but the management and sharing functions will be centralised. This will provide stakeholders with the required information for planning and networking. e. Building capacity of RCCs and DAs in Planning, M&E and Learning The participants from the RCCs and DAs who participated in the round table forum made specific requests to SADA and other DPs to help build the capacity of their institutions. They identified GIS mapping as one area they will require training. f. Establishment of a SADA zone Disaster Fund The participants recommended that given the vulnerability of the SADA zone to floods and droughts, which often displace many households, it will be helpful to have a dedicated fund for disasters and emergencies for the SADA zone. This fund will be available to address issues of disasters and emergencies when they do occur timeously. g. Formation of Regional and District Social Protection Committees The MoGCSP also requested partnership with SADA and DPs in the formation and operationalisation of the Regional and Districts Social Protection Committees for the SADA zone. The MoGCSP indicated that they will collaborate with SADA, DPs and the Local Government Service Secretariat (LGSS) to ensure this happens within the first quarter of 2015. 7.0. Closing The forum came to a close with a word of appreciation from the chair of SADA to UNICEF and UNDP for partnering with SADA to convene this important forum. She equally thanked the participants for their useful contributions and gave the assurance that SADA and her collaborators will act on the recommendations that were tabled at the forum. 20 8.0. Annexes 8.1. Round table forum programme 10TH DECEMBER, 2014, VENUE: UDS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRE, TAMALE 8:30am Arrival/Registration 9:00am Opening Ceremony Introduction of the High Table :( MC) Introduction of Chair: Chrys, SADA Chair: Charles Abugre, CEO, SADA Chairman‟s Remarks Statements by: 9:30am MoGCSP UNDP UNICEF Keynote Address Hon. Northern Regional Minister 10:00am Closing and Departure of Hon. Minister 10:15am Coffee Break 10:45am Social Protection for equity in development and protection in the face of risk and vulnerability There will be three presentations on this theme (i) Emerging developments in social protection in Ghana (ii) Understanding the dimensions of the expanded Leap (iii) Contributing to addressing youth unemployment in the SADA regions through LabourIntensive Public Works Presenters: (i) Mawutor Ablo, Director for Social Protection, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (ii) Robert Austin, National Coordinator, Ghana Social Opportunities Project, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (iii) William Niyuni, LEAP Deputy programme Manager Moderator: Abebe Hankore (WFP, Ghana) 21 11:30am Q&A 12: noon Delivering Social Protection and social services in the SADA zone Three panelists will share their perspectives on the following: Ghana National Household Registry ( Panelist from the World Bank) Reaching the most vulnerable through enhanced coordination ( Panelists from Regional Coordination Council and SADA) Moderator: Peter Ragno, (UNICEF, Ghana). 12: 30pm Q&A 1:00pm Lunch 2:00pm Promoting enhanced delivery and Access to Social Services Participants will work in one of the following groups: Group 1: Education Group; 2: Disaster Risk Reduction Group; 3: Health and Nutrition; 4: Water and Sanitation and; Group 5: Food Security and Social Protection Focus of group discussions: (i) Identify three constraints with regard to programmes and coordination across them in the sector (ii) Propose solutions to the constraints identified (iii) Identify key stakeholders who should be on-board with regard to strengthen networking and collaboration and with a view to resolving the constraints over time 2:40pm Plenary presentations and Feedback Moderator: Clare Dube (UNICEF, Ghana) 3:30pm Thoughts on mapping out the social services sectors- Dr. Alex Braimah-CERGIS Moderator: Radhika Lal (UNDP, Ghana) 3:45pm Q&A 4:15pm Summary of key conclusions by SADA 4:30pm Closing Remarks & Vote of Thanks 5:00pm Refreshment 22 8.2. List of Participants No. Name 1. Susan Ngongi 2. Radhika LaL Organization / Title Country Director, UNICEF Econ. Advisor, UNDP 3. Clara Dube CFO, Tamale, UNICEF 4. James Bever Mission Director, USAID 5. Andy Karas 6. Luigi Peter Ragno Dep. Missions Director, USAID SP Specialist, UNICEF 7. Mawutor Ablo SP Director, MoGCSP 8. Bidoma Dawuni PRO, RCC, NR 9. Paul Osei-Duffor PM, CDD 10. Magdalene Moshi Deputy CD, WFP 11. Abebe Hankore HSO, WFP 12. Gyamila AbdulRazak 13. B.H Osman PO,WFP 14. Ibrahim Tanko A PM, STAR-Ghana 15. Muntaka Hafiz National Facilitator,UN Reach REPO,RCC,NR 16. Abdul-Karim Adam 17. Nana Kofi Gyimah 18. Edward Akapire REPO, RPCU, Wa PO, NRPCU Country Rep, CFTC 19. Richard Amoah Senior Mgr, AFRIKIDS 20. Hamidu Haruna 21. Paul Wooma Reg, Director, Social Welfare, UER PO, NADMO 22. Abugbill M.A Reg Dir, Env. Health, UER 23. Gregory S. Naah Reg Dir, Social Welfare, 23 Contacts (phone no. & e-mail) Email: [email protected] Phone:0501323610 e-mail:[email protected] Phone:0244331908 e-mail:[email protected] Phone: e-mail: Phone:0244325984 e-mail:[email protected] Phone:0247679041 e-mail: [email protected] Phone:0208164210 e-mail:[email protected] Phone:0548984083 e-mail:[email protected] Phone:0243135458 e-mail:[email protected] Phone:0544320435 e-mail:[email protected] Phone:054011475 e-mail:[email protected] Phone:0244311288 e-mail:[email protected] Phone:0208384696 e-mail: Phone:0244547242 e-mail: Phone:0544316568 e-mail: Phone:0245377259 e-mail: Phone:0240120549 e-mail: Phone:0208493339 e-mail:[email protected] Phone:0202227602 e-mail:[email protected] Phone:0208890602 e-mail:[email protected] Phone:0206381927 e-mail:[email protected] Phone:0202348519 e-mail:[email protected] Phone:0203548376 24. Vivian Kaba Wa Asst Dir, GES, Bolga 25. Lena Alai Reg Dir, DoC, Ho 26. Philip Yinbil REPO, UER 27. Abdallah Kassim ED, RUMNET 28. Latifa Abobo Reg Dir, Dep of Chn, Wa 29. Emmanuel Adii CWSA, PESS, Bolga 30. Stephen OpokuTuffuor 31. Henry Bagah Reg Dir,CWSA, Sunyani 32. Georgina Abebrese-Ako 33. Ketu Dorothy Reg Dir, DoC,Bolga 34. Ansogletuo Simon Peter 35. Alhaji Bawah Seidu 36. Nana Osei Aseidu GES, Wa ( rep) 37. Mrs. Angelina M. Domakyeaareh 38. Robert Austin SADA, Board Chair 39. Anoky Akwasi Baafi 40. Edwin Gamadeku GHS, Sunyani (rep) 41. William Niyuni Dep Dir, DSW,Accra 42. George Yaw Ankanae 43. Yvonne W. Wonchua 44. Christopher Afenyo 45. Abena Acheampong 46. David Sumbo Reg Dir, Dept of Chn, B/A 47. Catherine Obosu CNO, GHS, VR 48. Theophilius De. Dir, GHS, Wa Reg Dir, Env. Health, Wa DSW,Bolga ( rep) Reg Coord, NADMO,Wa Reg Coord, NADMO, B/A Nat. Coord, GSOP Reg Dir, Dept of Chn, Ho Asst Dir, UE, RCC REPO, VRCC, Ho Country Dir, WUSC Team Leader, SADA MVP 24 e-mail:[email protected] Phone:0203844358 e-mail:[email protected] Phone:0244013704 e-mail:[email protected] Phone:0246409502 e-mail:[email protected] Phone:0244218898 e-mail:[email protected] Phone:0208421651 e-mail:[email protected] Phone:0244845879 e-mail:[email protected] Phone:0208384184 e-mail: Phone:0208398987 e-mail:[email protected] Phone:0208338522 e-mail:[email protected] Phone:0249385947 e-mail: Phone:0208721166 e-mail:[email protected] Phone: e-mail: Phone:0208081335 e-mail:[email protected] Phone:0244328773 e-mail: Phone:0244655211 e-mail:[email protected] Phone:0506188718 e-mail:[email protected] Phone:0244813645 e-mail:[email protected] Phone:0244586814 e-mail:[email protected] Phone:0209229230 e-mail:[email protected] Phone: 0208159053 e-mail:[email protected] Phone:0208187288 e-mail:[email protected] Phone:0204651138 e-mail:[email protected] Phone:0244894018 e-mail:[email protected] Phone:0277799035 e-mail:[email protected] Phone:0242110112 Owusu Ansah 49. Humphrey Brandt 50. Wuniah Sarah 51. Amponsah Abigail 52. Sulley Alhassan 53. Ziblim A. Shaibu 54. Theophilus Dokurugu 55. Abass Karim Nyo Dep. Dir, Env health, B/A Reg Dir, Dept of Women, Bolga Dep Dir, DoW, Wa NADMO, NR Deputy Coord. NYA, Reg. Director,NR NGND, Executive Sec.,NR 57. Mohammed Zakaria 58. Abass Ibrahim SADA, Coord. AM&FS,NR SEND GH, Prog. Manager,NR LESDEP, Credit Officer,NR LESDEP, Metro Co.,NR 59. Rex Japka NEHSO, REHO,NR 60. Mustapha Sanah Northern Ghana Aid, Executive Chair,NR CWSA,ESS 56. John Nkaw 61. Abdalla Goro 62. Ndo Grumanuel S. 63. Fred Nantogmah 64. Jonathan N. 65. Paul Osei. 66. Fred Kumi 67. Bako Issaka 68. Agnes A. Gandaa 69. Kandoh Macarius NHIA-NR,Reg. MIS Basic Needs Knowledge & Comm. Officer,NR CCFC, Program Officer CDD-Gh, Program Manager,NR NOGAID,Program Officer,NR ISODEC, Policy Analyst,NR ISODEC, Coord. NGP,NR 70. Mariama Mahama GIGDEV, Administrator,NR GES, HRMD for RDE 71. Bridget Parwar MOFA, RAO-WIAD,NR 72. Isaac Bayor WANEP-GHANA National Coord.,NR 25 e-mail:[email protected] Phone:0205114939 e-mail: Phone:0247155632 e-mail: Phone:0543321652 e-mail:[email protected] Phone: 0241257697 e-mail: Phone: 0244156278 Phone: 0207542913 e-mail: [email protected] Phone: e-mail:[email protected] Phone: 0549625001 e-mail: Phone: 0243241419 e-mail: [email protected] Phone:0243241552 e-mail: Phone: 024405304 e-mail: Phone: 0242535386 e-mail: [email protected] Phone: 0242943999 e-mail: Phone: 0243325904 e-mail: Phone: 0203035236 e-mail:[email protected] Phone: 0209988338 e-mail: [email protected] Phone: 0248935458 e-mail: Phone:0244434074 e-mail: Phone: 0503237839 e-mail: [email protected] Phone: 0244592143 e-mail: [email protected] Phone: 0263223222 e-mail: [email protected] Phone: 0208270114 e-mail: [email protected] Phone: 0246321144 e-mail: [email protected] Phone: 0243329423 e-mail: [email protected] 73. S. A. Sumed GWD,Centre Manger,NR 74. Francis Avura CARE, P O,NR 75. Nuhu Sulemana CARE, NR Livelihood & DRR Officer MOFA, NSAICU Coord. 76. Janet C. Adama 77. Prof Seidu Alhassan 78. Idris Sandey ICEIR, UDS, Director,NR 80. Vivian Adams DOC, Regional Director,NR Dept. Of Gender, Prog. Officer,NR WOSAG,Director,NR 81. Hardi Tijani RAINS, Director,NR 82. John Ankrah DSW, Director,NR 83. Chrys Anab Coordinator, Social Dev‟t & gender, SADA, Tamale Director, IDP, SADA, Tamale GIS specialist, Univ. of Ghana 79. Alhassan Bushira 84. Emmanuel Abeere-Inga 85. Alex braimah Owusu 26 Phone: 0246610439 e-mail: [email protected] Phone: 0208137503 e-mail: [email protected] Phone: 0248406305 e-mail: [email protected] Phone:0540798302 e-mail: Phone: 0244217888 e-mail: [email protected] Phone: 0208759538 e-mail: Phone: 0244538527 e-mail: [email protected] Phone: 0244087489 e-mail: [email protected] Phone: 0244571226 e-mail: [email protected] Phone: 0244216454 e-mail: [email protected] Phone:[email protected] e-mail:0244821024 Phone:0501329534 e-mail:[email protected] Phone:0540230420 e-mail:[email protected]
© Copyright 2024