Programme description

Title: Local Governance and Poverty Reduction Support Programme
Commissioned by: Bundesministerium für Wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ)
Country: Ghana
Lead executing agency: Ministry for Local Government, Rural Development and Environment
Overall term: October 2003 to September 2011

Context

While decentralization reforms in Ghana are well advanced formally, their implementation faces several substantial challenges: the legal  framework so far is inconsistent and sub-national authorities have not yet the capacity to provide the functions and services transferred to them. This has negative affects on the implementation of the Ghanaian poverty reduction strategy, which emphasises the role of the state and non-state actors at the local level.

Objective

District authorities support sustainable development in line with the decentralization policy and the national poverty reduction strategy. They formulate and implement poverty-oriented district development plans, implement sustainable maintenance systems for local infrastructures, apply transparent budget management procedures, and provide opportunities to the communities to participate in local decision-making. 

Approach

The programme supports state and non-state actors by jointly developing instruments and methods which ensure poverty-oriented and participatory decision-making processes in the districts. Examples include the „Poverty Profiling, Mapping and Pro-Poor Planning“ methodology which allows to assess the poverty situation in a district, and the establishment of district databases in order to improve the availability of social and economic data. The programme aids districts in the establishment of operatios and maintenance (O&M) systems for local infrastructures (such as markets and lorry parks).

Results achieved so far

The planning instruments developed by the programme have been incorporated in the planning guidelines of the National Planning Commission (NDPC) for the 2006 - 2010 medium-term development plans of the districts. The district databases have contributed to a significant increase of districts' own revenues. In Asunafo South District, total property tax collection for 2005 amounted to Ghanain Cedis 17.5 million. However, as of August 2006, Cedis 25 million had been collected. Of this amount Cedis 17.7 million was collected between July and August alone, after the District Database System became operational.

Downloads

• Ghana Local Governance Act 1993
  A Comparative Analysis in the Context of the Review of the Act, October 2006.
  Dr. Gabriele Ferrazzi; GTZ Local Governance and Poverty Reduction Support Programme (LGPRS) 
  en-Ghana-Local-Governance-Act-Comparative-Analysis-2006.pdf, 0,66 MB (english)