PENPLUSBYTES LAUNCHES ADA GRASSROOT OPEN GOVERNMENT PROJECT

Transparency, accountability and civic participation are necessary conditions to ensure that public resources especially at the grassroots are used efficiently. These conditions helps to ensure that public policies are not only designed in the best interest of citizens but ensure governments work for their benefit. For, this to be realized, Penplusbytes with funding from Making All Voices Count (MAVC) is launching the “Grassroots Open Government Using New Digital Tools” project.

The project which aims to enhance communication and information sharing between citizens and the local government will be launched on the 26th of August 2015 in Dorgwam – Ada, in the Ada East District Assembly of the Greater Accra Region of Ghana at 9:00am.

According to Jerry Sam, the Director of Projects at Penplusbytes, The “Grassroots Open Government Using New Digital Tools” project is being implemented in in two MMDAs namely: the Ada East District in the Greater Accra Region and the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly in the Northern Region, seeks to promote transparency and accountability at the community level in Ghana and it is expected to promote effective, responsive and responsible governance, and better public service delivery.”

The project focuses on simplifying the development plan and budgets of the selected District Assemblies and highlight service delivery in the areas of health, sanitation and education. Through a collaborative and integrated approach, the project makes use of an integrated set of tested tools namely: an interactive online platform integrated with mobile app, SMS; traditional media, and an information and knowledge management tool.

“A Key expected outcome of the project is to deliver an Improved and well informed government actors on the nature, depth and quality of information demanded by citizens, using appropriate technology to achieve better communication and monitoring between them.” Jerry Sam added.

On her part, Gontse Legong, Programme Officer at MAVC, says, the “Grassroots Open Government Using New Digital Tools” will ensure citizens at the local level have a voice in how resources allocated for development are prudently utilised to eradicate poverty and stimulate wealth creation using both new digital tools and face-to-face interventions such as public forums and community radio.”

The launch is expected bring together members of parliament, assembly members, community members, opinion leaders, community based organisations (CBOs) and stakeholders in health, sanitation and education from the Ada East District Assembly in the Greater Accra Region, Ghana.

A relaunch of the project is scheduled to take place in Tamale on 10th of September, 2015.

Penplusbytes is a not-for-profit organization that seeks to empower the media through the use of Information and Communications Technology to advance journalism in the coverage of governance and accountability, new media and innovations, and mining, oil and gas.

Making All Voices Count 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.

For more details: Send a quick mail to info@penplusbytes.org

The Future of News- Survival Strategies & Ideas for Newsrooms

Penplusbytes a leader in New Media and Innovations is hosting for the first time in Accra - The future of News, a ground breaking event with leading thought leaders on the future of Journalism. The event will look at the trends, tools and insights transforming not only how news are produced but also consumed.
Digital publishing has compressed the timescales for journalists and newspaper production staff. The emergence of self-publishing platforms has reduced the barrier and cost of publishing to virtually nothing, thus threatening the very livelihoods of people tied to print and traditional forms of broadcasting.
The growth of easy digital publishing technology brings with it new dilemmas for journalists. Journalists now need to find ways to become news producing-broadcasting-photographic machines who have the right measure of daring, insight and technological aptitude to deliver news that is relevant.
The situation is not helped with dwindling revenue from traditional media business model, coupled with newspapers with long years of publishing dying overnight. Journalism as we know it has changed.

• What is the future of the media?
• Are Journalists relevant?
• How will the news for the future look like ?
• How do newsroom cope with impossible "always on" deadlines?
• How will news be consumed in the future?
• Are online paid content days over?
• What skills set are required to survive in the newsroom of the future?
• What Opportunities exist for merging content with new digital technologies?

This unprecedented lively conversation will provide unparalleled insights, prediction and  map out options for the news industry players and relevant stakeholders about how to strategised for the rapid changing face of news in order for news organisation to survive and grow.
The future of news event will bring the brightest brains in the world such Dan Gillmor, an internationally recognized author and leader in new media and citizen-based journalism, whose pioneering book  “We the media: The rise of citizen journalists”  according to Financial Times  has become something of a bible for those who believe the online medium will change journalism for the better. Ethan Zuckerman is world acclaimed  media scholar, blogger, and Internet activist. He is the director of the MIT Center for Civic Media, co-Founder of Global Voices and the author most recently of Rewire: Digital Cosmopolitans in the Age of Connection, which won the Zócalo Book Prize;  Ing. Kenneth Ashigbey, is the Managing Director of Graphic Communications Group Ltd, Ghana’s leading media organization and Nnenna Nwakanma, a free and open source software expert and leading advocate for affordable Internet in Africa.