Can citizen monitoring save the public purse?

In many developing countries, the challenge of delayed and abandoned infrastructure projects is common. This reality is all too familiar in Ghana.

However, the introduction of citizen monitors, a novelty under the Monitoring for Financial Savings (M4FS) project, has begun to turn the tide. The M4FS project implemented by SEND Ghana, an NGO, in partnership with Integrity Action UK, is rooted in the belief that engaging citizens as active participants in monitoring and oversight activities can help governments save money and achieve better outcomes for infrastructure projects.

Monitoring for Financial Savings Project (M4FS)

The M4FS project was implemented from 2021 to 2023 in the Tamale Metropolis, Savelugu and Yendi Municipalities and Tolon District of the Northern Region, and the West Gonja Municipality of the Savannah Region.

It was to strengthen citizens’ capacity to effectively monitor infrastructure projects in education, health, and water, sanitation and hygiene across the five assemblies.

Mr Mohammed Mumuni, Regional Programme Manager, SEND Ghana, who gave details of the project, said as part of the project, selected citizens in the five assemblies were empowered to appreciate citizens’ led monitoring of infrastructure projects.

He said “There has been capacity building for citizens to be able to effectively monitor how infrastructure projects are delivered. And for this project also, we had a hypothesis basically to test whether effective and efficient citizens’ monitoring had the potential to ensure value for money and by that, make sure we save money in our resource basket.”

Trainings for citizen monitors and their exploits

Under the project, 40 citizens were engaged to act as monitors across 10 communities (four monitors per community) in the five assemblies.

They consisted of individuals from various social backgrounds ensuring that both men and women as well as socially marginalised groups were represented. They were trained in accessing information like infrastructure contracts, the checklist, or the guidelines for what to look out for when monitoring infrastructure projects.

They were also given tablets with a specific app known as DevCheck to help collect data or information on infrastructure projects and share the same with officials of the assemblies. With this, they went to project sites to observe progress of work and report any defects or problems to the assemblies to act for the contractors to execute the project according to specification. They were actively involved in finding solutions by convening service providers, officials, community members and other stakeholders and sometimes turning to other strategies to ensure that contractors did the right things.

With the targeted training and effective tools, citizen monitors became a vigilant force ensuring that public infrastructure projects met completion deadlines and the high-quality standards their communities deserved.

Madam Zaria Mohammed, a citizen monitor in the Yendi Municipality, spoke about how they went about their work saying “You know, we do not report early. We must find proof before you report back to the assembly. So, you must contact the contractor first to find out why this should have been. Why is it this? You must ask first. So, to hear from the contractor, before you go, if the contractor is proving difficult, you go back to the assembly for redress.”

Mr Mahama Dagara, also a citizen monitor in the Yendi Municipality said “If you see anything wrong, you are not going to fight with the contractor. You only come back and report it to the authority. This is what I found out from the project. So, the authority will go and meet the contractor to discuss, and the problem will be solved.

Mr Iddrisu Zakaria, another citizen monitor in the Yendi Municipality said, “If we come to the site and we see the problem and we lodge the complaint with the contractor and we are not seeing response, we move to the assembly.”

The situation before the M4FS project started

Whilst the assemblies initiate infrastructure projects, due to resource constraints and other challenges, they, most of the time, are not regular in monitoring such projects. In view of this, they miss the opportunity to assess the projects at various stages.

Some contractors, therefore, take advantage of the situation to shortchange the assemblies in terms of quality of work. In other instances, the cost build-up increases making the projects more expensive, and eventually, some are delayed and or abandoned because of lack of resources.

Mr Mustapha Adam, West Gonja Municipal Coordinating Director shared his perspective about the project saying “The fact is that most of the time, due to the assembly’s financial constraints, we are not able to monitor the projects as and when they are being implemented. And sometimes contractors do certain things that the assemblies end up losing resources or spending more on the projects. And in the end, we spend the little resources that should have been used judiciously on one or two projects.”

Results and testimonies from the Assemblies

The engagement of citizen monitors has been crucial in reducing construction delays, improving material quality, and bringing contractors back to complete abandoned work, driving tangible improvements during construction.

In Savelugu Municipality for instance, a stalled GETFund project at Kpalyugu came back to life when the monitors engaged the officials of the Municipal Assembly. The GETFund, in consultation with the Municipal Assembly, took proactive steps to terminate the initial contract, and re-awarded it to a more capable contractor, who has since been actively and effectively working on the project.

With their eyes on the ground, the monitors worked in tandem with district officials and contractors. From the assemblies’ perspective, the intervention has introduced a novel approach; one where project timelines are not just a suggestion but a commitment.

Hajia Ayishetu Seidu, Savelugu Municipal Chief Executive, shared her impression about the project saying “It has actually put us on our toes because with the engagement that we had with them, they are always there reporting on the ground as to what they are seeing and where we have to meet with them…..I think it is good.”

Rashida Mohammed, Yendi Municipal Planning Officer also shared her impression about the project saying “Honestly, it is excellent because for the assembly, even though we have contracted people to work on our behalf, it is not every time we can be at the community level to monitor such projects. The work of the citizen monitors ensures that projects get implemented on time. It ensures accountability and service delivery on time so that our beneficiaries will move into the projects that are being done.”

She spoke about the current state of infrastructure projects in the Municipality saying currently, all projects that were awarded in 2022 were all completed, and in use except one project at Pion, which was yet to be handed over to the Ghana Health Service.

She said, “And so let me say we attribute some of these successes to the monitors that are on the ground.”

Mr Mustapha Adam, West Gonja Municipal Coordinating Director shared his perspective about the project saying “With this intervention, I think that once we have people on the ground monitoring, once the contractor is not doing what is right, the attention of the assembly is drawn to that and we quickly move in to ensure that the right things are done. This also enables the communities to benefit fully from their projects because all the aspects of the project that is being implemented will be carried through with the help of the citizen monitors.”

Haleem Abdul Aziz, West Gonja Municipal Planning Officer said “The intervention has been so good if not excellent. In West Gonja Municipal Assembly, eight projects were identified for monitoring. Out of the eight, it is only one that is still not completed and that is the market construction funded by the District Assemblies Common Fund.”

The way forward

Government officials among other stakeholders attest to the tangible improvements in the delivery of infrastructure projects following the introduction of citizen monitors under the M4FS.

 The project’s triumph lies not just in the concrete and steel of the infrastructure but also in how much it has been able to save the public purse. It has been proven that when citizens keep a watchful eye and get involved in the infrastructure development process, the outcome should be the provision of better education, health, and WASH facilities.

By Albert Futukpor
Source: GNA

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