SEND-Ghana organizes validation meeting on draft MMDAs guidelines

SEND-Ghana in collaboration with the Institute of Local Government Studies on Wednesday held a validation meeting on the draft guidelines of managing Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) regarding their relationship with the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs). The meeting is meant to review the draft guidelines on managing the relations between MMDAS and the CSOs so as to deepen the decentralization in the country and empowering local structures to cater for their development needs. The event was on the theme: “Maximizing the participation of non state actors in local governance for increased accountability, transparency and responsiveness”. Mr. Simon Boker, Dean, Management Development and Training at the Institute of Local Government Studies, says the draft guidelines would inform MMDAs on how to go about formulating and implementing their governance and management arrangement with the CSOs. He says local government is required to partner with the CSOs for regular interactions to enhance the quality of life and the involvement of people in the local governance process. According to Mr. Simo Boker, as part of the National Decentralization Policy framework of 2010, it has become necessary that a deliberate effort was made to capture the areas of partnership and collaboration between MMDs and CSOs. Mr. John Nkaw, Northern Regional programme Officer of SEND-Ghana, in an address says traditional leaders and civil society organizations have roles to play in the conduct of local governance in the MMDAs draft guidelines. He said it was a challenge for traditional leaders and CSOs to be involved in local administration of the MMDAs for the past few years.

Source: GNA