SEND GHANA marks 18th anniversary with launch of PM&E framework

SEND GHANA is celebrating its 18 years of promoting good governance and equality of women and men in Ghana. To celebrate this landmark, the Civil Society Organisation is launching its unique Participatory, Monitoring and Evaluation Network (PM&E) framework, a tool that drives its public policy advocacy work.

The manual will be jointly launched by Dr. Esther Ofei-Aboagye, a Social Policy Analyst and Development Management Consultant and Mr. Dominic Sam, the Country Director of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on Tuesday 16th August, 2016 in Accra.

The event, among other purposes, is expected to be used to explain the four phases of SEND’s social accountability processes: Policy Literacy, Research, Advocacy and Responsiveness.

The framework, which has proven effective over the years to ensure accountability, equity, transparency and participation, was developed in 2003 to assess Ghana’s Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) projects. Since then, SEND has applied it in monitoring government pro-poor policies, programmes and public expenditure in Agriculture, Health and Education sectors.

The successful application of the PM&E framework has led to the establishment of platforms for civil society–government engagement at the district, regional and national levels. At the national level, SEND GHANA has developed effective working relationships with various parliamentary select committees and key ministries with an objective of influencing government policies through citizens’ feedback mechanism.  

SEND GHANA’s Country Director Mr. George Osei-Bimpeh said “the manual will offer opportunities to civil society organizations and individuals to replicate the organisation’s methodology to hold government accountable.”

SEND GHANA’s 2014-2018 Strategic Plan titled Making Ghana Work for Equity moves into its second year with a much stronger determination to influence policy change and promote good governance. 

Through its three main programmes-Grassroots Economic Literacy and Policy Advocacy Programme (GELAP), Livelihood Security Programme (LSP), and SEND Financial NGO (SENDFiNGO), SEND GHANA has directly impacted on the lives of about 43,149 Ghanaians. These beneficiaries were in the sixty-five (65) poorest districts and from six (6) out of the ten (10) regions of Ghana.

The anniversary celebrations will be observed in all its offices across the country.

SEND GHANA is a policy research, advocacy and livelihood promotion organization established in 1998.