Research shows that Ghana loses $3billion each year to corruption. With the plethora of bills and laws enacted to deal with corruption, Ghana would be unparalleled among other African nations if each and every programme or policies promised in tackling corruption would be implemented. However, this is not the reality as reflected in the adverse position Ghana occupies in the corruption perception index.
Ghana’s high corruption index makes the menace an important part of the government’s success indicators and will be a point for accountability with citizens in the coming months and years.
Based on this, Penplusbytes with support from STAAC (Strengthening Transparency and Accountability Against Corruption) is implementing the 2-year METOGU! (Keeping the pressure on) project aimed at creating awareness amongst citizens on government interventions to fight corruption and creating pathways for citizens to hold government to account to deliver on their promises.
The project will use an adapted community scorecard mixed with survey and online data collection tools to gauge citizens’ perception of government’s anti-corruption interventions in four selected regions in Ghana (Ashanti, Greater Accra, Volta and Western regions).
Ahead of these engagements, which primarily comprises the administration of a scorecard to measure government’s progress in delivering its anti-corruption promises and a community survey, Penplusbytes is training key focal persons from project districts to be moderators who would assist in collecting the data.
On 1st February 2018, the project team is in the Ashanti regional capital of Kumasi to train 10 moderators from the project districts. This will be followed up with trainings in Western region Greater Accra and Volta regions on the 5th, 7th and 9th of February respectively.
According to the Executive Director of Penplusbytes, Kwami Ahiabenu II, “these trainings are aimed at equipping moderators with the necessary skills required in administering the community scorecard. They would also be taken through the moderator’s guidebook developed by Penplusbytes which outlines the dos and don’ts of their task.”
In addition to the training, there would be a field pre-testing of the questionnaire and the community scorecard to help moderators acquaint themselves with the fieldwork.
A moderator from the Asante Akim Central District, excited about being part of the project, said “we have been looking forward to doing something in the fight against corruption and this is very timely. Our communities must speak up against corruption now.”
The Metogu! Project is expected to support citizen’s engagement with government and make government accountable to its pledges made during campaign period.
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About
Penplusbytes is a not-for-profit organization driving change through innovations in three key areas: using new digital technologies to enable good governance and accountability, new media and innovations, and driving oversight for effective utilisation of mining, oil and gas revenue and resources.
