Bongo: The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has introduced a digital complaint dashboard and a service providers' scorecard mechanism to stakeholders in the Upper East Region. The pilot project is designed to improve the complaint systems of service providers and institutions, facilitating a platform for residents to conveniently lodge their concerns for prompt attention by the appropriate service providers.
According to Ghana News Agency, the platform operates via a website and a mobile app available on the Google Play Store. It is part of a two-year United Nations Peacebuilding Fund project, titled 'Enhancing social cohesion and social contract through empowerment of women and youth in three northern regions of Ghana.' The project is being implemented by UNFPA and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council and the Youth Harvest Foundation Ghana in the Garu, Bawku West, and Bongo Districts.
The initiative aims to engage with stakeholders to prevent and address the root causes of localized and spillover conflicts and vulnerabilities to violent extremism, particularly in border communities in the Upper East, Upper West, and North East Regions. Various stakeholders have been trained to improve service delivery to ensure access to social and public services, thereby strengthening trust and cohesion among the population.
Madam Selina Owusu, Gender Analyst at UNFPA, speaking at a training workshop in Bongo, emphasized that although Ghana had not experienced any attacks by violent extremists, the threats from Sahelian countries necessitate preventive measures to avoid spillover. She highlighted that improving service delivery to all individuals is crucial for promoting social cohesion and preventing vulnerable groups from joining extremist factions. The project has trained service providers on enhancing their services.
'We are now institutionalizing this complaint mechanism where communities will be sensitized on the services available, and can also provide feedback through the same mechanism for the service providers to attend to them,' Madam Owusu explained. She urged stakeholders, particularly district assemblies, to learn from the pilot project and extend the innovation to other sectors.
The digital complaint dashboard and service providers' scorecard mechanism currently cover health, security, social services, and social justice sectors, ensuring easy referral of complaints and resolution. Mr. Senanu Agbozo, the Consultant who developed the system, noted that the centralized dashboard aims to improve transparency, harmonize data collection, enhance cross-sector collaboration for faster resolution, and ensure accessibility through multi-channel complaint systems.
Ms. Franklina Amoah, a Public Health Nurse at the Bongo District Health Directorate, praised the initiative, stating it would enhance interactions between service providers and communities, enabling better service delivery.
