2024: The FAR, Federal Acquisition Regulations - Part 29
Engaging citizens
1. Engaging Citizens: A Game
Changer for Development?
Citizen Engagement Project
(Digital Artefact)
By Janix Kwabena Asare
Topic : Assessment Elections and Electronic
Feedback machine for
Citizen Engagement in Ghana.
2. Problem:
• Like most countries the government of Ghana has a
four- year term and after there is election. I think the
Presidents of Ghana and Members of parliament
undertake very few developmental projects to meet
the needs of the citizens.
• There is bribery and corruption; and poor Service
delivery from the government institutions.
3. Solution and objectives:
• Assessment Election for the citizens of Ghana
to assess the performance of every President
and the Members of parliament after two years
in government.
• The assessment elections
and electronic feedback
machine should be
a constitutional mandate.
4. Solution and objectives cont’d
• Electronic Feedback machine to serve as
Citizens Report card to monitor and improve
service delivery in various government
institutions in Ghana.
5. KEY ACTORS, TARGET AUDIENCE & PARTNER
ORGANIZATIONS/BODIES?
• The key actors are the Alliance For Accountable
Governance and politically active & influential
organizations and interest groups such as the Trade
Union Congress (TUC), Ghana Bar Association (GBA),
Christian Council of Ghana (CCG), Ghana Journalists
Association, National Union of Ghanaian Students
(NUGS), National House of Chiefs.
• Partner bodies are the Electoral Commission of
Ghana, Parliament of Ghana and Ministry of
Information Ghana.
• Target audience are the citizens of Ghana.
6. TOOLS AND WORKABILITY
• Assessment Elections organized by the Electoral
Commission of Ghana.
• The Assembly men and women will
formerly meet the non-computer illiterate
citizens and report to the MMDA (Metropolitan,
Municipal, District Assembly) Chief Executives.
• The very computer literate citizens will then
address their grievances by signing in the MMDA
websites (ghana districts) or constituency
website online .
7. TOOLS AND WORKABILITY cont’d…
• The MMDA Chief Executives ( represent the
President of Ghana) will then report the feedback to
the Regional Ministers and to the President of
Ghana.
• The President of Ghana and the Members of
Parliament in power will know the developmental
needs of the citizens and fulfill them.
• It is the duty of President or Member of Parliament
to ensure development . So they would like to know
the developmental needs of the citizens and fulfill
them in order to be re-elected.
8. REPRESENTATION OF TOOLS AND
WORKABILITY
Development by MMDA
Chief Executives(on
behalf of President)
Improved Service
Delivery by Government
Organizations
Grievances of Citizens to
assembly men/women
Citizens Report
card (CRC)
Assessment Elections
Electronic feedback
machine
User perspectives regarding
service delivery
Meetings and Online
9. Citizens Report card (CRC)
• CRC will be used to solicit user feedback on
service provider performance of the
government organizations.
• During the CRC process, quantitative and
perception-based information from statistically
representative surveys will be collected.
• Credible feedback on user perspectives
regarding service delivery will be obtained
through an electronic feedback machine.
10. RISKS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Opportunities:
• The assessment election will test the electoral
system so as to know and address the weakness of
the biometric system adopted for voting in Ghana
before the major elections.
• The President of Ghana, the District Chief
Executives and Members of Parliament will know the
developmental needs to address in their
constituencies and districts.
• The Citizen Report Card will improve Service delivery
in the Government organizations in Ghana.
11. RISK and CONTROL
A District Chief Executive or Member of parliament:
1. may not want to engage the citizens because they fear
they may not be able to meet the developmental needs
the citizens propose.
1. may not engage the citizens because they think the
citizens do not matter, or the citizens do not have better
ideas than they do.
12. RISK and CONTROL cont’d…
3.There will be provision of proper security to
avoid chaos during elections.
4. Citizens will be educated on the importance
of the assessment elections and Electronic
feedback machines to avoid low turn-out which
will result in waste of time and money.
13. IMPORTANT METRICS/INDICATORS TO EVALUATE THE
SUCCESS OF ASSESSMENT ELECTIONS AND CITIZEN
REPORT CARD.
• Credible feedback on user perspectives regarding
service delivery will be obtained through an
electronic feedback machine
• During the CRC process, quantitative and perception-
based information from statistically representative
surveys will be collected.
• The CRC will be used to assess a wide range of
services, including electricity, water and sanitation,
solid waste, police and security, street lighting, road
and local transportation, health, and education.
14. EVALUATING THE SUCCESS OF ELECTRONIC
FEEDBACK MACHINE.
• The findings will be the indicators because they
reflect the opinions and perceptions of the citizen
in each district or constituency from which input
and information is being sought.
• If Positive feedbacks are continuously obtained it
implies that there is an improved service delivery
hence Citizen engagement through Assessment
election is successful.
15. EVALUATING THE SUCCESS OF
ASSESSMENT ELECTIONS
• A survey will be conducted for the non-
computer literate citizens and another survey
online for the computer literate citizens to
find out if the grievances addressed were
catered for (meaning the assessment election
was successful).