CONCEPT NOTE FOURTH GHANA WATER FORUM (GWF-4) November, 2013 THEME: "MONITORING AND EVALUATION: KEY TO SUSTAINING AND UPSCALING OF WASH SERVICES"

Transcription

1 CONCEPT NOTE FOURTH GHANA WATER FORUM (GWF-4) November, 2013 THEME: "MONITORING AND EVALUATION: KEY TO SUSTAINING AND UPSCALING OF WASH SERVICES" 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background The Ghana Water Forum (GWF) is the major programme on the Ghana Water Sector Calendar. The GWF is organised by stakeholders in the Water Sector in Ghana, under the auspices of the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing. The concept for organising an annual Water Forum in Ghana was mooted at the annual Joint GOG/Development Partners Conference held at Akosombo in September Prior to this, the Water Directorate had organised the annual Joint GOG/Development Partners Conference, for five years, since the setting up of the Water Directorate in 2004 till At the 2008 conference, it was agreed that the annual conference should be expanded to include a broader range of stakeholders to meet and deliberate on issues affecting the sub-sector and to chart a path for the water sector to achieve sustainable water and sanitation delivery in Ghana. The expanded conference would also serve as a learning and sharing platform for the sector. The first three Ghana Water Forums were held from 2009 to In 2012, however, it was decided that there was the need to take stock and review the evolution the Ghana Water Forum series to ensure that the core targets for organising the forums were achieved. One of the key elements of the Water Forums was the review of performances of the Sector Agencies. This constituted the bedrock of the pre-forum activities under the GoG-Development Partners Annual Conferences. It was observed that in recent times this component of the programme had been relegated to the background. Key sector agencies were given limited time to make presentations on their performance, due to the heavy schedule on the programme on the first day of the conference, when the Concept Note GWF-4 1

2 opening ceremony overshadowed everything else. Furthermore, the scope of the performance review presentations were not adequately defined. In that, while the Annual Sector Performance Report gave the opportunity for sector agencies to give presentations on their performance, these presentations highlighted the major activities of sector agencies, without necessarily reflecting performance based on key sector indicators. Another element has been the inability of the forum to follow through the implementation of the targets set in Communiqués issued during the previous three forums. One major success of the Ghana Water Forums, however, has been the knowledge and sharing sessions, where sector stakeholders have been tasked to present papers on water and sanitation issues relating to the theme and/or other critical issues affecting the sector. At each of the Ghana Water Forums, over thirty such papers were presented during parallel sessions. The effort of coordinating and organising this component, which normally takes one full day of the forum, has tended to overshadow the performance monitoring component. Another major challenge that has faced the forum was the issue of ownership. It was felt by sector stakeholders including Developing Partners that the Water Directorate and the Organising Committee were the principal owners and organisers of the forum and not the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing as a whole. 1.2 Theme for the Fourth Ghana Water Forum (GWF-4) The fourth Ghana Water Forum is being organised with the intent of ensuring that the performance review of the sector is strongly projected and it forms the main component of the forum. It is a requirement for all Sector Agencies to set performance targets and to agree with the Sector Ministries and the State Enterprises Commission (SEC) on the said targets. The SEC assesses the performance of the agencies and reports on the outcomes to the Office of the Vice President for actions on their recommendation. While this engagement may be taking place at the Ministerial level, there have not been adequate mechanisms for the Sector stakeholders to interrogate the performance report and interact with these agencies on how they have performed. The fourth Ghana Water Forum IV is aiming at integrating Sector Performance as a key component of the forum. The theme for the fourth Ghana Water Forum (GWF-4) is "MONITORING AND EVALUATION: KEY TO SUSTAINING AND UPSCALING OF WASH SERVICES". Concept Note GWF-4 2

3 1.3 Pre-Forum Activities A number of modifications have been made to the preparatory activities. Key among them include the following: The Director of the PPBME at the Ministry is a member of the Organising Committee to strengthen the participation of the Ministry and to ensure the relevant Monitoring and Evaluation activities for the forum are well captured. A representative of the Research Directorate of the Ministry is a member of the Organising Committee in addition to the PRO of the Ministry who has been on the committee. A format for presentations approved by the PPBME will be prepared for sector agencies, and a pre-forum meeting will held where presentation details will be discussed, and a second meeting where the presentations will be reviewed prior to the forum. In this regard, it is anticipated that the finalisation of the Sector Monitoring and Evaluation Framework would consolidate key indicators, at all levels, for effective reporting at future fora. In the interim, the discussion with MDAs will identify key indicators for reporting at the Fourth Ghana Water Forum (2013). A series of meetings will be held with the Sector Working Group in preparing the position of Development Partners and to obtain their support in relation to the theme. This will culminate in the Ambassadors and Country Representatives of Development Partners and the Government of Ghana will hold high level discussions and make commitments on the way forward. These meetings will be chaired by the Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing. The Minister of Finance and the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development are also expected to provide the necessary support. Concept Note GWF-4 3

4 2 OBJECTIVES, FEATURES AND OUTCOMES OF GWF Objectives of the Fourth Ghana Water Forum The main objectives of the fourth Ghana Water Forum (GWF-4) are the following: Creating a platform for all stakeholders in the water and sanitation sub-sectors in Ghana including the political leadership, sector institutions, decentralised structures, water sector professionals, NGOs, General Public and Development Partners to discuss and review performance of the sector; Taking stock of the status of the achievements of the Sector vis-a-vis National and MDG targets; and Identifying key challenges, as well as, proposing and building consensus on strategies and actions for accelerating the achievement of the water and sanitation targets. 2.2 Features of the Forum Programme The fourth Ghana Water Forum is expected to have about one hundred participants from the sector and a cross-section of the Ghanaian populace to have a maximum impact on the sector. Various activities to be held during the three-day forum will include the following: Opening Session: The opening session of the forum will be a high level plenary session. The Ministers for Finance, Water Resources Works and Housing, Local Government and Rural Development and Gender and Children s Affairs are expected to be present. Statements will be made by Development Partners, Business Community, Children and Youth of Ghana and Coalition of NGOs in Water and Sanitation (CONIWAS). The forum is expected to be opened by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana. Plenary Sessions: A number of plenary sessions will be held. These will include key sessions where the core WASH Sector Institutions and Agencies including the Water Directorate, GWCL, CWSA and WRC will make presentations on their performance during the year followed by plenary discussions and analysis. Concept Note GWF-4 4

5 Ministerial and Development Partners Roundtable (M&DPR): This session will be organised as a major side event of the forum. The M&DPR will be chaired by the Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing. Other Ministers to be present will be the Ministers for Finance and Local Government and Rural Development. Ambassadors and Country Representatives of Development Partners and the Government of Ghana will hold high level discussions and make commitments on the way forward. Ghana Youth and Children s Forum (GYCF): The GYCF will be organised by the youth and children of Ghana under the auspices of the United Nations Children s Fund (UNICEF). The main purpose of the GYCF is to create an awareness of future leaders of the nation with respect to the importance of water and sanitation for the overall socio-economic development of Ghana. The GYCF will come out with their position on water and sanitation issues. In order to ensure structured proceeding and efficient time management during the forum, relevant information in hard copy will be provided for participants. These will include: Presentation on the State Enterprises Commission performance Contracts with the MDAs. MDA performance reports. Revised SWA Compact. MDBS Framework (2012 & 2013). Communiqué from Ghana Water Forum (2011) 2.3 Main Outcome of GWF-4 The fourth Ghana Water Forum (GWF-4) is expected to provide a national platform where stakeholders in the water sector will come together for a review of the performance of sector institutions and to set the framework for future performance reviews of the water sector in Ghana. 2.4 Other Outcomes The forum is expected to achieve the following outcomes also: Concept Note GWF-4 5

6 Policy makers will be made aware of the need to ensure that the relevant water and sanitation services are planned and developed before new communities are established. There will be clear cut arrangements in place to ensure that urban areas which fall under different assemblies (local authorities) plan and manage their water and sanitation services in an integrated manner since the interdependencies and linkages between the assemblies cannot be ignored. There will be increased collaboration between Government (Central and Local), Civil Society (NGOs and CBOs), the Private Sector (including the Business Community) and all citizens to ensure water and sanitation services are managed in an efficient manner and all stakeholders play their various roles effectively. 2.5 Forum Outputs The following outputs are expected from the Forum towards the realisation of the outcomes outlined above: A Forum Communiqué embodying the major consensus reached for the consideration of all key stakeholders including Government, CSOs and Development Partners (DPs). An Action Plan (linked to the Communiqué) identifying the main actions to be pursued, key actors and timeframes, which will be tracked by the Water Directorate and the Water and Sanitation Sector Working Group. Concept Note GWF-4 6

7 3 IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS FOR GWF Organisation of the Forum The fourth Ghana Water Forum (GWF-4) is being organised as a collaborative effort between all sector stakeholders. The organising committee for the forum consists of representation of the following: MWRWH (WD, PPBME, RIMS) Environmental Health and Sanitation Directorate of MLGRD Ghana Water Company Limited Community Water and Sanitation Agency Water Resources Commission Water Research Institute Water and Sanitation for Africa World Vision International Coalition of NGOs in Water and Sanitation (CONIWAS) Ghana Watsan Journalists Network Association of Ghana Industries UNICEF IRC, RCN and Triple S Private Sector Allied Sector Agencies/Collaborators providing support to the Organising Committee include: Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection Hydrological Services Department Environmental Protection Agency International Water Management Institute Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS) Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies. All members of the OC together with collaborating partners are expected to play significant roles in discussions during thematic and plenary presentations and discussions in their areas of expertise. They will also be expected to carry the outcomes Concept Note GWF-4 7

8 of the forum to the various constituencies they represent across all spheres of the Ghanaian society. 3.2 Key Milestones Attached is the work plan of activities to be carried out to ensure a successful organisation of GWF-4 in November Concept Note GWF-4 8