Penplusbytes Participates in One–day Learning Event on Technology and Governance in Ghana

Having successfully partnered with Making All Voices Count (MAVC) in delivering some diverse and innovative projects over the years, Penplusbytes will participate in a day’s learning and inspiration event on 24^th January 2017 at Cleaver House in Accra.

This event, focusing on “Technology for Inclusive, Transparent and Responsive Governance in Ghana,” is expected to bring together a wide range of participants, including MAVC grantees – present and past, potential grantees, and experts in transparency, accountability, and technology to review and learn from the current state of evidence and experience in research and practice, and to identify priority areas for future learning.

Making All Voices Count (MAVC) is a global citizen engagement and accountable governance programme funded by USAID, DFID, Sida and the Omidyar Network which contributes to fighting corruption and empowering citizens. Its aim is to harness the transformative potential of unusual partnerships and innovative applications of communication technology to contribute to fundamental change in the relationship citizens have with the State.

Ghana remains one of MAVC’s focal countries, making over 15 grants with various projects and grantees including “Oil Journey – Following the money from oil revenue to development” currently being implemented by Infosol Technologies Limited.

In 2016, Penplusbytes, with support from MAVC, rolled out the “Grassroots Open Government Using New Digital Technologies” project to enhance communication and information sharing between citizens and the local government in two districts in Ghana (Tamale Metropolitan Assembly in the Northern Region and Dangbe (Ada) East District Assembly in the Greater Accra Region) on issues of public service delivery especially in health, education and sanitation using a collaborative and integrated approach that included digital tools and face-to-face interventions such as public forums and community radio.

Penplusbytes is therefore expected to share its own intelligent summary of some of its projects under this theme including key successes, challenges, lessons, learning and partnership opportunities. “We will use the platform provided to reflect on and share our own experiences and interact with the knowledge and experiences of other researchers and practitioners working on issues of governance and technology,” says Jerry Sam, Director of Programmes at Penplusbytes.

This Learning and Inspiration Event forms part of MAVC’s own research and learning process which has, in the past, included review of literature and experiential evidence and a facilitated e-Dialogue. The one-day event will also enable participants to develop new relationships with others working on these issues, and offer space for reflection on the evidence that exists as they embark on new initiatives supported by MAVC.

ABOUT

Penplusbytes is a not-for-profit organization driving change through innovations in three key areas: using new digital technologies to enable good governance and accountability, new media and innovations, and driving oversight for effective utilisation of mining, oil and gas revenue and resources.

Making All Voices Count (MAVC) is an international initiative that contributes towards effective governance and accountability by enabling citizen engagement and open, responsive government in 12 countries in Africa and Asia.

Penplusbytes Connects with Ashaiman Citizens to their Assembly using New Digital Tools

Penplusbytes, with support from the Canadian Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) will on Thursday January 19^th, 2017, engage citizens, local representatives, Civil Society Organisations and the media in a one-day forum at Ashaiman in Accra. 

The forum forms part of a number of activities under the implementation scheme of the “Enhancing Grassroots Civic Participation in Governance Using New Digital Tools” project which aims at using online and offline platforms such as this to reverse the exclusion of citizens in the local governance process.

Penplusbytes officially launched this innovative project last year in the Ashaiman Municipality to empower citizens through digital tools to effectively participate in the local government decision making processes and promote better public service delivery especially in health and education.

While Ghana is lauded for its electoral successes, citizens’ participation in the formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of government policies and programs have remained generally weak due either to the limited or complete lack of attention in mobilizing citizens for this end or the lack of requisite knowledge and skills to carry out same. These, according to Jerry Sam, Programmes Director at Penplusbytes, has “culminated into poor public service delivery.” 

He said, “Penplusbytes is presently utilizing, under this project, some innovative and integrative mechanisms to close the existing loophole and institutional capacity gaps by transforming the relationship between state and non-state actors at the local level.” 

Thus, this citizens’ forum will provide an avenue for awareness creation amongst citizens on issues such as allocated budgets and development plans which would arm them with the requisite knowledge about the Ashaiman Municipality and thereby contribute meaningfully to the effective management of their resources for the benefit of all.

About
Penplusbytes is a not-for-profit organization driving change through innovations in three key areas: using new digital technologies to enable good governance and accountability, new media and innovations, and driving oversight for effective utilisation of mining, oil and gas revenue and resources.
The Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) provides direct funding assistance to local non-governmental organizations and, in exceptional cases, international NGOs and government institutions, for small projects addressing gender equality and women empowerment, democratic governance, climate change and environmental sustainability, security and stability and other issues.