THE RIGHT TO COMMUNICATE THROUGH COMMUNITY RADIO PROJECT
The objectives of this project is to double the number of Community Radio frequency authorizations, thus also doubling the number of communities in Ghana that can potentially exercise their Right to Communicate through Community Radio and facilitate the participatory design of Community Radio station operations, ensuring that Community Radio stations not only increase in numbers but also actively foster the Right to Communicate for their communities, especially those who are least voiced.
PDA is mandated to facilitate the establishment of seven community radio stations in seven districts in the Ashanti and Western regions and also support newly on-air community radio station to deepen their participatory design in other regions. PDA is facilitating this process with the support of District Based NGOs who have proven to be strong civil society organisations (CSO).
Specific activities under the project include initial orientation of selected District CSO, community mobilisation and sensitisation, selection of community and district representatives for training, training of District stakeholders in Community Radio Participatory Research and Design, providing technical support to Community Radio District Coordinating Committees who are in charge of implementing the project in proposal writing, fund raising strategies, the conduct of effective meetings. PDA also supports the communities and GCRN in the development of relevant frequency applications and advocacy to the national regulatory authority for approval.
The project is a partnership between Participatory Development Associates and Ghana Community Radio Network with funds from the United Nation Democracy Fund (UNDEF).
Contact Persons: Tony Dogbe- This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Bismark Quartey PDA/GCRN-UNDEF Project co-ordinator This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
The Project is ongoing since February 2009.
Business Sector Advocacy Challenge Fund (BUSAC FUND)
www.busac.org
PDA is a Service Provider for associations who wish to access the BUSAC Fund for their business advocacy actions. Presently, there are no activities under the BUSAC project. Grantees have successfully completed their advocacy actions and submitted their final reports to the BUSAC fund Office in time to end the first phase of the BUSAC project.
PDA is preparing for the second phase of the project, expected to commence later in the year. Thus business associations wishing to undertake advocacy activities to improve themselves and their working environments can contact:
Bertha Gakor: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Kofi Boadi: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
On-going since 2006
Client: BUSAC
DEMAND DRIVEN EXTENSION SERVICE (CSSP) PHASE II
With the phase I of the CSSP ending in December,the STCP Cocoa Services Sector Programme (CSSP) phase II commenced in November 2008 with the district and community sensitization to inform the stakeholders of the forthcoming project.
The objective of this phase is the demand driven nature of the project with emphasis on the formation of farmer organisation. Sensitized communities are required to apply for the Farmer Field school (FFS) and also state the support that will be given to their facilitator.
PDA as consultant on this project is mandated to strengthen the formation of the community farmer organisations. This will be done in collaboration with the Department of Community Development.
The project is being implemented in 56 communities in the Western and Ashanti Regions of Ghana.
The objectives of the phase I has largely been achieved with neighbouring communities now demading for the services of the Farmer Field School.
The iMPACT PROJECT
www.cocoasusutainability.mars.com
PDA is part of a partnership inspired by the MARS Company comprising AFRICARE, GTZ, ICI, IFESH, MARS Inc, Rainforest Alliance and STCP. The Mars Partnership for African Cocoa Communities of Tomorrow (iMPACT) is a three-year program with funding from Mars Incorporated, starting January 2008.The target group is rural communities of Ghana who are reliant on cocoa as a means of income and living. The project is being piloted in 18 communities in two districts in Ghana. The pilot districts are Wasa Amenfi West (Asankrangwa) and Assin North (Assin Fosu).
The partnership’s aim is to demonstrate that an integrated approach that includes agriculture, environment, education and health can lead to distinct changes in the incomes and welfare of rural communities. The purpose of the iMPACT program is to develop the capacity of cocoa farming communities in Ghana to identify and improve their social, economic and environmental situation. The achievement of this purpose will contribute to the development of cocoa farming in Ghana as profitable, socially rewarding and environmentally sustainable livelihood for families and an attractive occupation for the coming generation. OASIS Foundation in Assin North and CODESULT Network in Wassa Amenfi West, both districts based NGOs are the Community Engagement Partners(CEPs), the face of iMPACT at community level.
PDA as part of the partnership has the responsibility to provide capacity building support to the community engagement processes. These include the training of Community Engagement Partners (CEPs) and key district stakeholders in the use of participatory methodologies to conduct Dialogue & Sensitisation and Participatory Planning and elaboration of community action plans. Also PDA is to coordinate, provide backstopping in the community engagement process and monitor the support the CEPs give to the communities in the implementation of their community action plans.
Contact Person in PDA: Joshua Roland Baidoo (Programme Coordinator)
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STCP-DEMAND DRIVEN EXTENSION SERVICES
This Demand Driven Extension Services is an initiative by the Sustainable Tree Crops Program (STCP) which is a public-private partnership that aims to improve the socio-economic well-being of smallholder tree crop farmers in West and Central Africa. The project, which is being implemented in two (2) districts (Adansi South and Sekyere East) in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, is training farmers in Integrated Crop and Pest management (ICPM) using the Farmar Field School (FFS) methodology.
The objective is to develop new community-based institutions or arrangements for a demand-driven production services, mainly extension services. The project is being implemented with locally based NGO's and the district office of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture(MOFA) as implementing partners and service providers (IPs/SPs) who showed an interest in the project.
Four (4) communities in each district were selected in consultation with the IPs/SPs for the project implementation.
PDA is the Coordinating Agency for this project with an Activity Coordinator and a volunteer supporting the district NGO's and MOFA.
In the long term, STCP believes the success of the project will entice other communities to demand the same service to enhance their cocoa production and improve their livelihoods.
Contact person in PDA: Tony Dogbe -
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Ongoing since December 2007
PDA's Open Courses
Facilitator Development Series (programme information )
The Facilitator Development Series is a newly developed, advanced facilitator development programme run by PDA in collaboration with Ibis West Africa - the first in the series took place in October 2007.
Other courses available are:
The Productive Meetings Series - designed to enhance the meetings skills (chairing, minute-taking, organising logistics, participating effectively) of people in groups and organisations.
The Skills for Life Series - these are courses in essential life skills such as listening and speaking effectively, giving and receiving feedback and managing conflict.
Facilitating Community-Driven Development - designed for people working at community level.
Contact person in PDA: Tony Dogbe
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Yen Daakye Programme with the International Cocoa Initiative
www.cocoainitiative.org
PDA is the Local Coordinating Agency for ICI in the implementation of the ‘Yen Daakye’ (‘our future’) Project. Yen Daakye is a programme of community driven initiatives for the elimination of the worst forms of child labour/forced labour in cocoa production and marketing, through a child-centred development strategy. The pilot programme which ended in December 2006 was implemented in three districts in Ghana, namely New Edubiase in the Ashanti Region, and Daboase and Asankrangwa, both in the Western Region. Plans have just been finalised between PDA and ICI to scale up the programme to new districts and in 300-500 communites by 2009.
Our approach to the YDK programme is work through district-based Implementing Partners (NGOs), who carry out the work at the community and district levels. A PDA team, comprising two Zonal Field Facilitators, a M&E and Advocacy Co-ordinator, a Programme Manager and a Community Technical Consultant, supports them. (See WWW.yendaakye.org)
Contact person in PDA: Joshua Baidoo
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On-going since Nov 2004
Client: International Cocoa Initiative
Community Driven Initiatives for Food Security (CIFS)
PDA provides the Capacity Development Specialist on this 6-year bilateral programme funded by CIDA and implemented through the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. The overall goal of CIFS is to contribute to increased food security in northern Ghana through an approach that is environmentally, economically and socially sustainable. The purpose is to demonstrate that community-driven initiatives, implemented within the existing framework for district planning, are an effective and sustainable way of increasing food security in northern Ghana. The project covers 10 districts in the eastern corridor of the Northern Region and employs capacity building as a key strategy for implementation in a manner that enables learning across districts and ensures that lessons and experiences from one district inform the way activities are implemented in other districts.
Contact person in PDA: Tony Dogbe
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On going since May 2004
Client: MLGRD & CIDA