By Philip Tengzu, GNA
Wa (UW/R), March 11, GNA – A social accountability evaluation report on the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) Project, has recommended increased budgetary allocation to the Local Economic Development (LED) component of the project, to expand its direct economic benefits to communities.
The report indicated that the LED interventions, particularly skills training initiatives, had demonstrated significant multiplier effects by enabling a trickle-down effect of the skills and short-term income generation.
The recommendation was presented during the dissemination of the report at Wa, conducted by the Youth Advocacy on Rights and Opportunities (YARO) in 15 districts, involving eleven in the Upper West Region and four in the Savannah Region.
Professor Adams Abdulai, an Associate at YARO, who presented the assessment report, stated that allocating more resources to the LED interventions would enable more vulnerable households to benefit.
“Within six months, a beneficiary who has completed training with some start-up capital can begin earning income.
That is why we believe more budgetary support should be directed to the LED component,” Prof. Abdulai, also a lecturer at the Department of Economics, University of Business and Integrated Development Studies, Wa, said.
The report indicated that the SOCO project had generally achieved its objectives of impacting lives and livelihoods in the communities.
“Clearly, the project has achieved its objectives across all the districts. When you look at the evaluation grid, districts were scoring 100 per cent, 80 per cent and 85 per cent across the domains, which is very encouraging,” he said.
Prof. Abdulai stressed the need for district assemblies and beneficiary communities to take ownership of the project to ensure proper maintenance and sustainability of its outcome.
Prof. Abdulai also urged district assemblies to reflect on the findings of the evaluation and incorporate lessons from the report into their regular planning processes to sustain the gains achieved.
Pognaa Fati Issaka Koray, the Upper West regional Coordinating Director, indicated that 315 sub-projects had been awarded on contracts under the SOCO project, with 177 completed between 2022 and 2024.
She observed that the project was vital in advancing community development, and it was therefore imperative to conduct regular evaluation of its impact along the implementation process.
Mr Douri Bennin Hajei, the Executive Director of YARO, commended the leadership and teamwork of the SOCO project team, which he said had contributed significantly to the success of the project.
He emphasised the role of Civil Society Organisations and the media in promoting transparency and accountability in the project implementation, as well as trumpeting its positive outcomes.
Mr David Yankey, the Wa Zonal Coordinator of the SOCO Project, said the involvement of an independent organisation to conduct the social audit was necessary to identify gaps that implementing teams might overlook.
He explained that recommendations from neutral evaluators helped project teams to appreciate the significance of certain challenges and take corrective actions.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/ Christabel Addo