Citizen Monitoring for WASH Infrastructure Improvements
Summary
In Ghana, sustaining WASH infrastructure poses a challenge despite significant investments, with issues including delayed resource allocation and weak transparency in project delivery. To address this, SEND GHANA partnered with AFORD, supported by Integrity Action, to implement the Monitoring for Financial Savings (M4FS) project.
Citizen groups were trained to monitor WASH projects using the DevCheck mobile app. Positive outcomes were observed, such as improved teacher attendance and upgraded WASH facilities. However, challenges like internet connectivity issues and damaged phones were encountered among citizen monitors. Nonetheless, the project demonstrates the potential of citizen monitoring approaches to improve services and infrastructure.
Ensuring long-term sustainability of WASH infrastructure is a challenge in Ghana, however, significant investments in infrastructure have rarely translated to sustained access and use of services and achievement of improved health outcomes (USAID, n.d.). Across Ghana, specifically the Northern and Savannah Regions, there are a number of issues that have emerged and require attention, including the delay in the release/transfer of resources from the national government, weak involvement of district and regional level actors in implementing national level projects, and weak transparency in project delivery. Moreover, there is a lack of information on what the infrastructure improvements mean in financial terms. Put differently, how much public money is saved when a particular service or project is improved through monitoring? (SEND GHANA, n.d.)
Intervention
With financial support provided by Integrity Action, an international NGO that works with citizens to monitor the delivery of vita projects and services that aims to build relationships and trust between citizens and the people who serve them to better identify problems and solutions together (Integrity Action, n.d.), SEND GHANA entered into a two-year partnership agreement from April 2021 to March 2023, with a six month extension, with AFORD to play a mobilization, facilitation, and monitoring role in the implementation of the Monitoring for Financial Savings (M4FS) project in Northern and Savannah Regions (Savelugu, West Gonja, Yendi, Tolon, and Tamale Metropolitan districts).
Through the M4FS project, groups of citizens from five districts in the Northern and Savannah regions were enabled (i.e., received training on infrastructure monitoring and the use of innovative technology) to monitor the delivery of WASH infrastructure projects within their communities through the Development Check (DevCheck) mobile application. Citizens participate on a voluntary basis, but were provided with an Android mobile phone to support data collection, a monthly stipend, and logistical support as required. Under the partnership, Integrity Action hosts the mobile application with SEND GHANA and AFORD has back-end access to the data.
Under the M4FS project, citizen groups track the delivery of these infrastructure projects on a monthly basis through DevCheck and highlight potential and actual problems. Data collected include any infrastructure project delivery issues, community members’ engagement and satisfaction, and duty bearers’ responsiveness. Citizen monitors also engage in dialogues with key stakeholders, including government officials, contractors, and other duty bearers, and seek to have improvements made on how the projects are delivered.
Challenges
As flagged by the AFORD team, some citizen monitors with weak/unstable internet connections reported difficulties in accessing the DevCheck mobile application. Moreover, some phones were damaged and needed to be replaced, which required additional funds from AFORD.
Outcomes
Integrity Action, SEND GHANA and AFORD’s long experience of citizen monitoring approaches demonstrate that such approaches have the potential to improve services like WASH, education, health or infrastructure. Through this project, 40 citizens across five districts are using the skills obtained from their experiences participating in the project. A total of 15 infrastructure projects were monitored over the length of the project and quarterly review meetings were held with local community monitors to review monitoring activities and provide an opportunity for the citizen monitor to share their experiences, challenges, and lessons learned. Additionally, 30 monthly meetings were convened. Anecdotally, across the participating districts, teacher absenteeism has improved, WASH facilities have been upgraded, and previously stalled construction projects have been completed, among other benefits. At the end of September 2023, 94.4% of all problems identified from the monitoring of 15 projects were fixed.
References
Citizen Monitoring for WASH Infrastructure Improvements
Summary
In Ghana, sustaining WASH infrastructure poses a challenge despite significant investments, with issues including delayed resource allocation and weak transparency in project delivery. To address this, SEND GHANA partnered with AFORD, supported by Integrity Action, to implement the Monitoring for Financial Savings (M4FS) project.
Citizen groups were trained to monitor WASH projects using the DevCheck mobile app. Positive outcomes were observed, such as improved teacher attendance and upgraded WASH facilities. However, challenges like internet connectivity issues and damaged phones were encountered among citizen monitors. Nonetheless, the project demonstrates the potential of citizen monitoring approaches to improve services and infrastructure.
Ensuring long-term sustainability of WASH infrastructure is a challenge in Ghana, however, significant investments in infrastructure have rarely translated to sustained access and use of services and achievement of improved health outcomes (USAID, n.d.). Across Ghana, specifically the Northern and Savannah Regions, there are a number of issues that have emerged and require attention, including the delay in the release/transfer of resources from the national government, weak involvement of district and regional level actors in implementing national level projects, and weak transparency in project delivery. Moreover, there is a lack of information on what the infrastructure improvements mean in financial terms. Put differently, how much public money is saved when a particular service or project is improved through monitoring? (SEND GHANA, n.d.)
Issue
Intervention
With financial support provided by Integrity Action, an international NGO that works with citizens to monitor the delivery of vita projects and services that aims to build relationships and trust between citizens and the people who serve them to better identify problems and solutions together (Integrity Action, n.d.), SEND GHANA entered into a two-year partnership agreement from April 2021 to March 2023, with a six month extension, with AFORD to play a mobilization, facilitation, and monitoring role in the implementation of the Monitoring for Financial Savings (M4FS) project in Northern and Savannah Regions (Savelugu, West Gonja, Yendi, Tolon, and Tamale Metropolitan districts).
Through the M4FS project, groups of citizens from five districts in the Northern and Savannah regions were enabled (i.e., received training on infrastructure monitoring and the use of innovative technology) to monitor the delivery of WASH infrastructure projects within their communities through the Development Check (DevCheck) mobile application. Citizens participate on a voluntary basis, but were provided with an Android mobile phone to support data collection, a monthly stipend, and logistical support as required. Under the partnership, Integrity Action hosts the mobile application with SEND GHANA and AFORD has back-end access to the data.
Under the M4FS project, citizen groups track the delivery of these infrastructure projects on a monthly basis through DevCheck and highlight potential and actual problems. Data collected include any infrastructure project delivery issues, community members’ engagement and satisfaction, and duty bearers’ responsiveness. Citizen monitors also engage in dialogues with key stakeholders, including government officials, contractors, and other duty bearers, and seek to have improvements made on how the projects are delivered.
Challenges
As flagged by the AFORD team, some citizen monitors with weak/unstable internet connections reported difficulties in accessing the DevCheck mobile application. Moreover, some phones were damaged and needed to be replaced, which required additional funds from AFORD.
Outcomes
Integrity Action, SEND GHANA and AFORD’s long experience of citizen monitoring approaches demonstrate that such approaches have the potential to improve services like WASH, education, health or infrastructure. Through this project, 40 citizens across five districts are using the skills obtained from their experiences participating in the project. A total of 15 infrastructure projects were monitored over the length of the project and quarterly review meetings were held with local community monitors to review monitoring activities and provide an opportunity for the citizen monitor to share their experiences, challenges, and lessons learned. Additionally, 30 monthly meetings were convened. Anecdotally, across the participating districts, teacher absenteeism has improved, WASH facilities have been upgraded, and previously stalled construction projects have been completed, among other benefits. At the end of September 2023, 94.4% of all problems identified from the monitoring of 15 projects were fixed.
Issues |
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Water Governance and Policy |
Solutions |
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Water Data, Monitoring & ICT Solutions |
References
SEND GHANA. SEND West Africa - Ghana | SEND Ghana – Working to promote good governance and equality of men and women in Ghana. (n.d.). https://sendwestafrica.org/nu/gh
USAID. (n.d.). Ghana Water Access, sanitation and hygiene. Global Waters. https://www.globalwaters.org/HowWeWork/Activities/ghana-water-access-sanitation-and-hygiene
What we do. Integrity Action. (n.d.). https://www.integrityaction.org/what-we-do/