Background

USAID supports activities aimed at increasing citizen participation in local government. These activities strengthen citizens' abilities to ensure oversight of their local government. At the same time, USAID promotes activities that aid Parliament to provide oversight of the executive branch of government. These efforts are critical for an effective legislature, true decentralization, and reinforcement of Ghana's democratic institutions.

USAID/Ghana Democracy and Governance activities include:

Strengthening local government and decentralization: USAID focuses on strengthening local government capacity to seek and respond to citizen input. This includes training local government officials and citizen groups, and support for town hall meetings and other techniques that open government up to the people. The program includes increasing local revenue generation to enable local government respond to citizens' needs.

Supporting legislative function and process: USAID supports Ghana's efforts to improve legislative procedures; increase Parliament's access to civic input and research; and strengthen Parliament's capacity to review the national budget and debate public finance. This improves Parliament's oversight of the executive arm of government, particularly where budget process is concerned.

The Ghana Responsible Mining Alliance: The alliance unifies the resources of Gold Fields Ghana, Newmont Ghana Gold Limited and USAID to build prosperous, healthy and lasting communities in the mining areas of Asutifi and Wassa West districts, and to develop a roadmap for responsible mining.

Promoting and supporting anti-corruption reform: USAID is supporting Ghana's efforts to strengthen asset declaration of public officers, facilitating the building of public support for new conflict of interest guidelines, and promoting efforts to increase information sharing among accountability institutions.

Promoting and protecting the rights of people with disabilities: USAID is building the capacity of local disabled people's organizations, increasing political participation of people with disabilities, and protecting the rights of people with disabilities to encourage their inclusion in national development. USAID is also supporting the implementation of the Disabilities Act.

Key achievements of Democracy and Governance program through 2007:

• USAID trained civil society organizations to advocate for constituents' needs, helping to increase bills passed with civic input from 40 percent in 2006 to 65 percent in 2007.
  
  
• USAID supported efforts to eliminate administrative barriers preventing the submission of bills to Parliament, resulting in the entry of the Muslim marriages bill, Ghana's first bill submitted by a private citizen.
  
  
• USAID supported 14 public forums reaching more than 1,000 people and bringing Members of Parliament and the public together to discuss important national issues such as a teachers' strike.
  
  
• USAID supported training of local groups to engage local government, helping 14 out of 25 districts to seek greater citizen input in decision making. This resulted in stronger relationships between the local governments, citizen groups and business associations. It has also created opportunities for greater resource mobilization.
  
  
• USAID developed and distributed 1,500 copies of an abridged version of the disability act in English, five local languages, and braille, which 95 percent of workshop participants found very useful.
  
  
• USAID has enlisted 34 community service organizations to engage nationally in promoting political participation of people with disabilities and generated seven advocacy campaigns on disabled issues.