Governance & Rural Infrastructure Team – Engineers without Borders DED Sector Meeting – 21/01/2010

37 Chapters 30,000 Members Global Engineer Connect and Contribute Action & Advocacy 5 Teams 4 Countries Agriculture Rural Infrastructure Water & Sanitation Engineers without Borders

From the Field

District Planning Systems Vital link to providing effective infrastructure and service delivery to rural communities in Districts Parties responsible:  District Planning and Coordinating Unit (DPCU)  Regional Planning and Coordinating Unit (RPCU)

Experience Embedded in 8 DPCUs (since 2006) & NRPCU (since 2008)  Providing on-the-job support to senior District officers  Our goal: Help improve the functioning of District systems, specifically Planning systems, and share field-level insights with other stakeholders

District Planning - Theoretical

District Planning - Actual

RESULT Management and Distribution of Resources are not done as well as they could be!  Persons most in need are often not served  Projects & Programmes are not informed and coordinated

District Example 1 Example – Extract of community list of Central Gonja District (CWSA )

District Example 2 Example – Saboba District Enrolment rate vs. BECE (National standardized test results)

Our Work at the DPCU District Data / MTDP & AAP - FOAT requires Districts to have databanks, monitoring records, Progress Reports, MTDP / AAP - Our focus is on actual use of databanks, monitoring and analysis to inform planning & decision-making  Help develop analysis tools in the Districts to determine types and location of projects; tracking of progress  Coordinated data management & analysis workshop (with NORPREP) for all DPOs / DBOs in N/R  Organizing intensive training (summer) for District Data & Communication Officer

Our Work at the DPCU Communication - Help enhance District stakeholder participation and communication  Collaborated with ILGS / DED on Stakeholder workshops in Central Gonja and Saboba  For MTDP, helping Districts with preparation, implementation and follow-up of District Review mtgs & Public Hearings Leadership - Challenge management capacities of DCDs  Coordinated DCD fellowship in 2009  2010 will focus on relevant District topics (MTDP / AAP, FOAT, Development Partner collaborations)

Our Work at the RPCU Monitoring - Support the creation and maintenance of District monitoring systems  Development of monitoring database (to track and analyze DP projects / programmes, MTDP / AAP, District issues) Coordination - Working with the RPCU to coordinate Development Partner activities, programmes & projects  RPCU Mentorship Programme for new Districts  Development Partner Group  Google Calendar, Capacity Building database

Our Work Nationally Action Research - Working to bring district-level realities to decentralization policy and Development Partner programme decisions  3 Briefing Papers distributed and published in Journal of Local Government Studies (July 2009) i)“Capacity Development vs. Poverty Reduction” ii)“District Planning and Coordination” iii)“Disincentives of civil servants in Northern Ghana”  4 more papers soon to be completed i)Gender Desk Officer position ii)FOAT iii)Medium-Term Development Plan iv)District Officer motivation

Positive Examples DPCU - Saboba created a Water Prioritization tool Helped cite 40 of the most needy communities (depending on population, current water facilities, distance to water facility) Water Coverage has increased by appox. 10% - Currently limited to a few Districts and irregular use: Aim is for DPCUs to utilize data whenever making planning and project decisions  More focus (from DPs, FOAT, NDPC, RPCU) is needed on utilization of data for Districts

Positive Examples RPCU - Through monitoring in Dec 2009:  identified a project submission (for discretionary spending from a DP) from a District for a project that was already currently in construction  found another District made two project submissions outside their Medium-Term Development Plan - Currently surface-level: Aim is for RPCU to ensure projects target District needs & locations of concern and coordinating DPs / Districts effectively  More focus and resources need to be put into RPCU monitoring systems

Positive Examples RPCU - Through monitoring in Dec 2009:  identified a project submission (for discretionary spending from a DP) from a District for a project that was already currently in construction  found another District made two project submissions outside their Medium-Term Development Plan - Currently surface-level: Aim is for RPCU to ensure projects target District needs & locations of concern and coordinating DPs / Districts effectively  More focus and resources need to be put into RPCU monitoring systems

Back to the community

How to get involved? COMMUNICATION SUMMARY

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