Penplusbytes to host CSOs and government agencies on social protection in Ghana

Poor governance, weak institutions, systemic corruption, and inadequate budgetary allocation make access to health and education services in Ghana a critical problem especially for vulnerable groups. In a bid to build an informed citizenry who are equipped with the appropriate digital tools to demand better service delivery within the framework of political and social accountability, Penplusbytes, is organizing a one-day Social Accountability & Economic Justice Clearing Platform forum scheduled for 23^rd August 2022 at the AITI-Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence at Ridge, Accra.

The forum forms part of the implementation of Penplusbytes’ 2-year “HERE (Health, Education, Resource Equity) and Now” Project, which seeks to equip ordinary citizens with usable information via the #ShortChanged mobile app mashed-up with social media to promote their purposeful participation in demanding accountability and responsiveness from decision makers for effective public service delivery. The project is being implemented in Ghana and Mali in partnership with ID-Sahel in Mali and funded by the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA).

This forum is aimed at increasing the contribution of civil society in promoting accountability by state and public service providers through mandated representation and advocacy on health and education issues which are of great concern to citizens and has an impact on their social lives.

The forum will provide the opportunity for social accountability actors to come out with common issues for a concerted advocacy on better service delivery in the selected social intervention policies by government.

According to Mr. Jerry Sam, the Executive Director of Penplusbytes, “the stakeholder Clearing Platform on Social Accountability will discuss the existing social accountability approaches and their associated advantages and challenges as well as the role of ICT tools in facilitating social accountability.”

“Key outcomes of the meeting include sensitization of stakeholders on the level of implementation of the selected policies, finding solutions to challenges and gaps identified in the implementation of social protection policies in Ghana and garnering support in the drive to ensure there is value for money in the implementation of the various policies”, Mr. Sam added.

The event will bring together Ministries, Agencies, Departments, and other civil society organizations in the social accountability space.