By Hafsa Obeng
Accra, Aug. 10, GNA – The Catholic Relief Service (CSR), Ghana, has launched its local leadership strategy with the call on organisations to recognise the important roles of local partners in accelerating development.
Mr Daniel Mumuni, Country Director, CRS, said “we must recognise that local partners bring so much to the table, and so in order to accelerate development, and catalyse transformational change at scale, we cannot do it alone and we cannot do it as an international organisation.
“We need the government, civil society, local organisations, and above all, the capacity of leaders, who can demonstrate consistently that resources given to them are managed well for development,” he said.
Mr Munumi said the strategy was to give organisations , adding that “…it is just the start of another phase of our engagement with local partners and we look forward to moving together as a community that is positioning local organisations to lead the development debates and agenda.”
He said the biggest challenges that affected localisation included accountability and institutional capacity.
Mr Mumuni reiterated the commitment of CRS as an international organisation guided by the principles of neutrality and respect to recognising the capacities needed, and reflecting on continued support by providing not only resources, but the necessary accompaniment to ensure the development and success of local organisations.
“We believe that we have built a credible strategy that will stand the test of time, and that will ensure that not only CRS, but many other organisations will continue to see the value in working with local organisations.”
Madam Jemilatu Mashood, Localisation, Partnership and Capacity Building Adviser, CRS, said a committee was initially constituted to see to the drafting of the strategy after which a contextual analysis was conducted to inform the direction.
She said in developing the strategy, they looked at the national context of localisations by recognising that those local institutions were better placed to address the needs of the marginalised in the areas they worked.
Madam Mashood said in the strategy there were three approaches to use to achieve the common goal.
They are strengthening capacity in areas of financial management, HR, risk and procurement.
Madam Mary Awelena Addah, Executive Director, Ghana Integrity Initiative, inaugurated the nine member local leadership partner advisory group.
The members are Dr Joseph Ayembilla as Chairman, Ms Jawol Vera Magan, Very Rev. Father Clement Kwasi Adjei, Mr Awudu Yakubu Moro Modoc, Dr Charles Abugrie, Ms Basilia Nanbigne, Mr Anthony Kofituo Morrison, Rev. Fr. Clement Mweyang Apengnuo PhD., and Mrs Netta Forson Ackon.
She urged them to continue to advance the course of the strategy and play their role as an advisory body to organisations in implementing the strategy.
Dr Ayembilla said organisations thrived on leadership, hence bad leadership could affect the effective development in the context of sustainability of organisations.
He said the strategy if adopted would bring structural and system changes into institutions in Ghana.
Dr Ayembilla said the strategy contained realistic outcomes that could be achieved collectively within a short time frame, hence, “We must become drivers of the local leadership capacity strengthening in our various institutions.”
GNA