Environmental policy and administrative management

BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT To allocate funds directly into the rural communities and their CBO has been a great challenge to the GEF/Small Grants Programme in Ghana. This is because most community groups lack of solid managerial competence to formulate their projects and the governance and financial structures to maintain them. Poor management of logistics and the inability to sustain projects after funding has ceased has also characterized most of the projects. The success of a project executed by a community depends on technical competence and commitment of the local people to their objectives. Although it is a real challenge to allocate funds directly to communities, yet it is the only safe way that the communities would obtain a true project empowerment. Further, it helps the people to develop new abilities that would raise their self-esteem, which will make them key people in the collective investment and in the horizontal development of relations with the programme. However the most important part of all this is that the community receives the funds and manage them, establish internal controls and assume technical and management control over the project resources in order to achieve the desired goal and objectives. The SGP is making a lot difference in the life of rural people who are gaining self-esteem, self-confidence, respect and being motivated. The main goal is not to give money to people so that they can buy or build things, but to help them develop their own skills in order to become pillars of development in their communities. Whenever, communities have engaged consultants to prepare project for them it was not possible for the people to choose what they wanted because the consultants do not fully understand the community needs and aspiration. Working within time the consultants will always set their agenda and submit final reports without the communities knowing fully the contents. In such situations, the project becomes unsuccessful and unsustainable. Asset-based community development (ABCD) has become an innovative strategy for community-driven development in rural communities. It is a response to dramatic changes in the social, political and economic landscape. However, such strategies are not being applied when formulating rural projects 2.2 DEFINITION OF PROBLEM Most pro-poor communities are unable to access GEF/SGP funds because they are unable to meet the conditions. In situations when project are approved, their execution capacity are poor during the project life-time and become unsustainable when funding ceases. The reasons for poor execution of projects are Inefficiency in project implementation strategy and inadequacy of requisite skills in project management. Unrealistic expectation and demands on the part of beneficiary- communities, local and public organizations, and other relevant stakeholders. Low level (or total lack in some cases) of collaboration between GEF-SGP assisted or partner organizations and other relevant stakeholders (public, traditional authorities and government). Overdependence on GEF-SGP funds for project implementation and running of the projects. Lack (inadequate) of community entry and grassroots participation skills. Ineffective networking among local organizations and line agencies. The effects of such situations has been Over-reliance in external experts and consultants at the expense of project personnel. Apathy on the part of very strategic stakeholders. Non-realization of project goals coupled with a worse post-project situations compared to the pre-project era. Mobilization therefore becomes more difficult than before whilst the bad situation persists waiting for solution nobody is capable of providing. Unsustainable projects as they implemented half-way. Uncompleted projects very soon become white elephants no one wants to identify with. Suspicion of project and all its associates (GEF-SGP inclusive). Apathy, or even hostility sets in and all financial and material resources and man-hours invested go down the drain as no one really cares about the project. At best, the project is hijacked by the group s leader or a set of individuals. Experiences of other organizations and communities are not tapped for the benefit of the implementing groups and target communities. 2.3 Project Objective The objective of the project is to train and empower local organizations in assets-based community project formulation, participatory project management monitoring, and evaluation in the GEF/SGP focal areas, and network environmental CBOs and NGO at district levels. 2.4 Project Rationale Under the Third Operational Programme of the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme, Ghana intends to promote community-based initiatives that simultaneously conserve the environment and promote sustainable development through the implementation of local, community-based projects. This project aims developing the capacity of community-based organization to support the strategic initiatives by GEF/SGP and the GPRS by: Improving community forest and wildlife resources management capability through equitable sharing of management responsibilities and benefit flows to local stakeholders, especially the rural poor. Improving governance in the public sector such as participation, transparency and accountability. Mainstreaming collaborative resource management (CRM), by promoting the rights of farmers other marginalized groups building capacities and strengthening loc

Ghana