USAID Performance Accountability Activity launched in Ho
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has launched a five-year Performance Accountability Activity (PAA) project in the Volta Region.
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PAA
The PAA supports local organisations, women and youth groups, traditional and religious leaders to advocate improved public service delivery from government officials.
It also equips service providers to be more responsive to citizens’ demand for quality essential services, particularly in the areas of basic education, health, water, sanitation, agriculture and fisheries.
Further, the PAA seeks to build the capacity of the GoG partners, specifically the 70 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), to understand, practice and implement behaviour-led and institutional strengthening interventions.
The project is being implemented by Democracy International (DI) in collaboration with the GoG partners, including the Global Action for Women and Empowerment (GLOWA) and the Africa Disability Institute (ADI).
Meanwhile, the PAA focuses on immediate and lasting impacts through an inclusive, sustainable, collaborative and behaviour-led approach. The beneficiary communities are in the Ketu South and Keta municipalities, Adaklu, Ho West, South Tongu and Agotime-Ziope districts.
Chief director
Speaking at the launch in Ho last Monday, the Chief Director of the Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC), Augustus Awity, said the project was gratifying because of its targeted interventions.
For instance, he said the priority attention the project would pay to the quality of fisheries services along coastal communities would enhance their primary source of income, which invariably is fishing.
Mr Awity gave the assurance that the VRCC would continue to collaborate with municipal and district assemblies, as well as relevant departments and agencies to contribute vigorously to the success of the PAA.
The PAA Deputy Chief of Party, Linda Ofori-Kwafo, said the DI had been entrusted with funding support from Americans to work with the GoG through the various ministries, agencies and MMDAs to provide quality local public service accountability to citizens.
Pursuant to that, she said the PAA’s behavioural approach targeted the root causes of issues such as values, attitudes, motivation and social identities of both service providers and citizens.
A Queenmother from Ho-Ahoe, Mama Kuma II, who presided, said the project was most appropriate in its timing.