By James Amoh Junior, GNA
Accra, Nov 15, GNA – The STAR-Ghana Foundation has launched its Second Strategic Plan (2025–2029), outlining an ambitious five-year roadmap aimed at strengthening citizen participation, civil society collaboration, and accountability in governance across the country.
The plan builds on lessons from the organisation’s first strategic cycle (2018–2023), which marked its successful transition from a donor-funded programme into a fully independent national non-profit organisation and key convener in Ghana’s civic space.
Mr Ibrahim-Tanko Amidu, the Executive Director of the Foundation, speaking at the launch in Accra, said the new strategy sought to expand citizen voice and influence in governance processes at all levels; national, local, and within social and economic sectors.
He said the Foundation would focus on ensuring that decisions affecting public service delivery, resource allocation, and development outcomes reflected broad citizen participation.
The Executive Director said at the end of the five-year period, STAR-Ghana expected to see significantly improved civic engagement and measurable changes in democratic accountability, public sector responsiveness, and social inclusion, particularly among young people, women, and persons with disabilities.
He said: “We are looking at improved citizens’ participation in the governance of this country in all its dimensions,” he stressed. “Particularly the participation of young people, the participation of women, and the participation of persons with disability.”
Mr Amidu expressed concern that despite increased awareness of governance issues, active engagement remained limited due to political polarisation and weakened trust in public institutions.
He noted that civic participation should not only be associated with partisan activism or street protests but include constructive community-level engagement, dialogue with decision-makers, and monitoring of public policies.
“People are scared of coming out to do things because you are seen either as for the government or against the government,” he said, calling for stronger, safer, and more structured channels for citizens to interact with duty-bearers.
The first Strategic Plan enabled STAR-Ghana to consolidate its role as a distinctive institution combining strategic grant-making with catalytic advocacy support and civil society mobilisation.
This, according to the Foundation, helped reduce competition among civil society organisations and encouraged coordinated sector action.
The period also strengthened internal systems, institutional sustainability and enhanced collaboration with both government and civic actors.
The second strategy deepens the organisation’s signature 3CL approach; Convening, Catalysing, Coordinating and Learning, while introducing five thematic priority areas: Civil Society Strengthening; Democratic and Inclusive Governance; Right to Services; Peace and Security; and Natural Resource Governance & Climate.
These themes reflect emerging national and global pressures such as shrinking civic space, reduced donor funding, climate threats, digital activism, economic constraints, a growing youth population, and declining public confidence in leadership.
The Foundation said its new focus included empowering community-based action groups, building the advocacy capacity of civil society organisations, promoting policy reforms, and supporting peacebuilding, conflict prevention, and sustainable resource management.
It will also intensify support for marginalised groups and expand local philanthropy to reduce dependence on external donors.
Hajia Hamdiya Ismaila, the Chairperson of the Governing Council, described the new strategy as a timely intervention to strengthen democratic resilience and prevent the exclusion of vulnerable groups from national decision-making.
She emphasised the importance of investing in civil society as a foundation of good governance and social stability.
Hajia Ismaila said the shrinking of traditional donor support for civic organisations meant Ghana must explore sustainable domestic funding models, including state-backed but politically neutral funding frameworks.
The Strategic Plan sets out expected outcomes by 2029, including: a stronger and better-resourced civil society coordinating collective action; improved peace and security and mitigation of conflict risks; measurable improvements in access to quality basic services in health, education and social protection; and more resilient natural resource and climate governance.
It also outlines mechanisms for tracking progress through annual reviews, performance dashboards and monitoring and evaluation frameworks.
The Foundation described the strategic plan as more than a guiding document but a national call to action encouraging citizens, government, private sector, academia, media and development partners to collaborate in shaping Ghana’s democratic future.
The STAR-Ghana Foundation reiterated its belief that empowered and informed citizens are essential to achieving a democratic, peaceful and prosperous nation, and called on all actors to join efforts to protect and broaden civic space and accelerate development outcomes.
GNA
Edited by Christian Akorlie