CATHOLIC COMMUNITY AGENDA FOR CHANGE (C2 AGENDA4CHANGE): AN ADVOCACY PLAN FOR THE PERIOD 2013 – 2016

November 23, 2012

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THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, NATIONAL CATHOLIC SECRETARIAT

CATHOLIC COMMUNITY AGENDA FOR CHANGE (C2 AGENDA4CHANGE): AN ADVOCACY PLAN FOR THE PERIOD 2013 – 2016

Introduction

The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC), as part of its restructuring, set up the Department of Human Development (DHD) as one of the major units of the National Catholic Secretariat. The restructuring is meant to achieve both efficiency and effectiveness through integration, sustainability and increased policy influence in favour of the poor and marginalized. The main purpose of the Department is to provide support for effective coordination, planning, capacity development and results-based monitoring of the effort of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) in ensuring effective development, good governance, justice and peace for all.

The DHD has designed an advocacy plan to advocate and intervene on the key issues that face the majority of Ghanaians including the need for good governance and anti-corruption. The effort is to ensure that policies and programmes designed are effectively and efficiently implemented and well targeted to the poor and marginalized in the society. The Advocacy Plan builds on the Medium Term Programme Critical Pathways (MTPCP) for the Department which was developed as the first generic framework for Diocesan Development Offices (DDOs) and Directorates at the National Catholic Secretariat working together and external partnership engagements.

To make the advocacy plan acceptable to the key stakeholders and secure their buy-in the DHD adopted a participatory approach, which involved three stages of consultations. The first stage of consultations involved all the 20 Diocesan Development Officers or their representatives in a one-day workshop facilitated by an external Consultant from Ghana. The participants identified the key issues that they would want to take up in their advocacy work and defined the main goal and objectives of such advocacy. The participants went further to identify the key stakeholders as well as the partners that they would have to work with to achieve success. Finally, these participants designed appropriate messages for advocacy and identified the effective messengers that they would use to ensure success.

The Consultant presented the work of the DDOs as a draft advocacy plan to the participants of the second tier consultation meeting. The second stage of the consultations involved 35 participants representing selected diverse Catholic societies at the national level, including Christian Mothers Association, the Justice and Peace Commission, Youth Council, Women’s Council, Knighthood Forum and some Catholic NGOs like MAREDES¹ and TEPPIA².

1. MAREDES: Marshallan Relief and Development Services is a non-governmental organisation established by the Knights and Ladies of Marshals – A Catholic friendly Society committed to charity and fraternal relations for its members.

2. TEPPIA: Tamale Ecclesiastical Provincial Partnership in Action is a non-governmental organisation established by the Catholic

Bishops of the Northern (Tamale) Province.

These organizations and societies will either be partners in the implementation of the advocacy plan or its beneficiaries.

The criterion for selection was based on those lay societies and commissions proactively involved in promoting Catholic Social Action! The participants of this second tier of the consultations built on the draft plan designed at the first tier, making additions and changes to the draft plan and refining it. The consultation was moved from operational to the political level at which the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, represented by the Episcopal Committee for the Department of Human Development, reviewed and approved the Plan on 20^th June, 2012. The Senior Leadership of the National Catholic Secretariat also participated in the final consultation process as they are the technical advisors to the Bishops’ Conference.

This plan provides a broad framework for operational advocacy plans and strategies at the Diocesan and national level through their relevant networks, units and directorates. However, ownership remains at the level of the Conference, represented by the Episcopal Committee, who will demand accountability for its implementation and also engage directly in high level policy dialogue meetings with public officials whenever necessary.

THE PROBLEM:

Deficiencies in governance and citizens’ apathy have led to low access to basic social services and high youth unemployment leading to social instability and high unproductive and risky migration

GOAL

To achieve improved access to basic social services, sustainable livelihoods for the youth and sustainable environment through citizens’ participation and the promotion of good governance.

OBJECTIVES:

For lack of access to quality formal education

a) To advocate for the full implementation of the FCUBE³, especially in the poor and rural areas.

b) To push for the expansion of the School Feeding Programme to cover all deprived communities throughout the country.

c) To advocate for the creation of an enabling environment and motivation for teachers with increased monitoring and supervision in all public and mission basic schools;

3. FCUBE: Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education is a national Constitutional provision as part of FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS in Chapter Five.

d) To advocate for increases in supply of teaching and learning materials in all schools, especially in rural and deprived schools;

e) To advocate for a clear and binding policy on the partnership between the state and Faith-Based organisations on education.

For Lack of access to quality health care

a) To advocate for increased efforts to reduce the prevalence rate of malaria and HIV/AIDS, especially in deprived communities;

b) To advocate for the implementation of the aspects of the NHIS⁴ on indigents⁵ and the aged;

c) To create awareness on preventive health care and healthy living in the context of Public Health services;

d) To advocate for strategic deployment of national resources (both human and material) in the health sector.

e) To ensure the right to health is guaranteed in national laws or other relevant policies.

5. For High youth unemployment leading to increased social vices and risky/unproductive migration

a) To advocate for a comprehensive rural development policy and agenda in Ghana, especially at the decentralized level.

b) To advocate for the implementation and review of national youth policy, especially at the decentralized level;

c) To campaign for policy attention to the informal sector, especially absorption of the unemployed on the streets of the cities;

d) To lobby for the implementation of the technical and vocational training policy that focuses on the employability of young people in the private and informal sector.

6. For Environmental degradation, poor sanitation and lack of safe drinking water

a) To advocate for increased access to quality water at both national and local levels, including rainwater harvesting;

b) To promote relevant polices aimed at conserving the environment

c) To advocate for the practice of good attitudes and the enforcement of environmental bye-laws by people and the MMDAs⁶.

4. NHIS: National Health Insurance Scheme. A mechanism of health care financing in Ghana which does not deter the poor and vulnerable from seeking health care when the need arises.

5. INDIGENTS: The National Health Insurance Regulations, 2004 (L11809) defines a category of people as indigents for exemptions from the payment of premiums: The person (a) is unemployed and has no visible source of income. (b) does not have a fixed place of residence according to standards determined by the scheme. (c) does not live with a person who is employed and who has a fixed place of residence; and (d) does not have any identifiable consistent support from another person.

6. MMDAs: Metropolitan Municipal and District Assemblies are local government structures in Ghana.

7. For Low citizens’ participation and poor governance at both local and national levels

a) To advocate for a more equitable distribution of national resources through an effective decentralisation system;

b) To advocate for increased and more effective citizens’ participation in local governance, especially women’s participation, for better development.

c) To advocate for change in attitude of the general citizenry with regards to corruption and bribe-giving as well as more effective policy and legal reforms to reduce corruption in the public sector, including strengthening relevant accountability institutions;

d) To advocate for the strengthening of control systems and procedures to ensure there is fairness in delivery of social and public services;

e) To advocate for and promote a conducive environment and equal platforms for all political parties to campaign and contest elections in a free, fair and peaceful way;

f) To advocate for the strengthening of the Electoral Commission and similar institutions to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections

Problem areas and their causes

Problem Areas

Causes

Stakeholders

Partners

i. FORMAL EDUCATION:

· Poor performance in Basic Education Certificate of Examination (BECE)

· High drop- out rate of school by girls at basic school

· Lack of clear policy on the partnership of the State and Faith-Based Organisations.

· Inadequate trained teachers with the required motivation and commitment

· High numbers of out of school children.

· Teenage pregnancy

· Lack of sanitation facilities in basic schools for girls

· Lack of parental control

· Poverty and child labour

· Inadequate trained teachers

· Lack of teacher commitment and absenteeism

· Parental preference for boys to girls’ education;

· Lack of clear policy on education that spans all governments

· Inability of churches to run mission schools

· Use of untrained and non- performing teachers

· Inadequate Teaching and Learning Materials (TLM)

· Tensions between Government and Faith-Based Organisations in the management of schools.

· Children

· Parents

· Ghana Education Service (GES)

· Ministry of Education (MOE)

· Religious bodies

· Parent/Teacher Associations(PTAs);

· School Management Committees (SMCs)

· Traditional Authorities

· NGOs in education

· MMDAs

· Religious bodies

· Traditional authorities

· Development Partners

· Private sector

· National Commission on Civic Education

ii. HEALTH

· Low access to quality health care, especially for the poor and rural communities

· High prevalence of HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other communicable diseases

· High morbidity and mortality rates, particularly amongst children and pregnant women

· Inadequate public education about HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases

· Poor sanitation waste management practices

· Inadequate public health services, including education.

· Weak enforcement of sanitation bye-laws by the MMDAs

· Inadequate guarantee to the right to health for citizens.

· Ghana Health Service (GHS)

· Patients

· MMDAs

· NGO/CBOs

· Ghana AIDS commission

· Health workers associations

· Pregnant women and children under five

· Youth

· Christian Health Association of Ghana

· Traditional medical practitioners and herbalists

· MMDAs

· Ghana Health Service

· Ghana AIDS Commission

· NGO/CBOs

· Religious bodies

· Media

· Health workers association

· Medical schools

· National Commission on Civic Education

iii. SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS

Lack of employment opportunities, especially for the youth
Increasing poverty levels leading to violence and other social vices
Risky and unproductive migration, especially of young people;
A weak rural development policy agenda
Inadequate linkage of vocational and technical training to employable outcomes

· Lack of employment and sources of livelihoods for the youth and women

· Lack of employable skills

· Underdeveloped agricultural system.

· Unattractiveness of agriculture to the youth.

· Rural and urban poor

· Religious bodies

· Ministry Of Food Agriculture

· Ministry Of Women and Children

· Peasant Farmers’ Association

· National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP)

· Ghana Private Road Transport Union

· Traders associations

· NGOs

· Financial institutions

· MMDAs

· Religious bodies

· Private sector

· Media

· Development Partners

· Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO)

· World Food Programme (WFP) ,

· United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

· MLGRD

· MESW

· MMDAs

iv. ENVIRONMENT, SANITATION AND SAFE DRINKING WATER:

· Widespread communicable diseases;

· Increased desert-like conditions.

· Shrinking cocoa industry in the country;

· Loss of livelihoods.

· Environmental degradation

· Poor sanitation practices

· Inadequate refuse collection points ( bins)

· Low enforcement of sanitation laws

· Illegal mining, sand winning and charcoal burning;

· Erratic rainfall pattern.

· Negative attitudes towards tree planting and forestation

· Illegal logging by chainsaw operators

· Mining communities

· Environmental Protection Agency

· Ministry of Environment Science and Technology

· MMDAs

· NGOs

· Ghana Water and Sanitation Agency

· Religious bodies

· Traditional rulers

· Charcoal burners association

· Timber Industry actors

· Forestry commission

· Ghana chamber of Mines

· NGOs

· Education institutions

· Religious bodies

· MMDAs

· Traditional authorities

· The mining sector

· Media

· Waste Management companies

· Construction firms

· National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE)

v. GOVERNANCE AND THE DECENTRALIZATION POLICY:

· Creeping violence , impunity and interference in the electoral process;

· Widespread corruption and inability of relevant institutions to curb it;

· Ineffective decentralization policy;

· Weak Political Parties financing laws and lack of enforcement of these laws.

· Lack of transparency and accountability in the management of public resources

· Bribery and corruption

· Weak institutions and non-enforcement of anti-corruption laws

· Low participation of the citizenry in governance

· General apathy and irresponsible citizenship

· Political intolerance and election violence

· Political patronage

· Lack of patriotism

· Public

· Members of Parliament

· Relevant state agencies

· Civil Society Organisations

· Religious bodies

· Traditional authorities

· Law enforcement agencies

· The Media

· Political Parties

· Accountability institutions

· The Legislature

· Public

· Religious bodies

· Media

· Traditional authorities

· NGOs/CBOs

· MMDAs

· The Executive

· Judiciary

· Development Partners (Bilateral and Multilateral)

Possible Action Areas and Monitoring Indicators

No	Possible action	Progress indicators
1	Collect and compile baseline data on problem areas	Number of sets of baseline data collected for relevant problem areas. Evidence of baseline data being used to track changes occurring.
2	Hold high level meetings with the President, Parliament, Ministers and relevant agencies	Number of meetings held with the President, Parliament and/ or their representatives. Policy issues raised and taken-up.
3	Policy briefs, petitions and press statements on relevant issues	Number of policy briefs and petitions sent to the President, Parliament and/ or their representatives Media attention given to issues raised.
4	Create awareness through workshops, seminars, media discussions and sermons	Influence on public policy Agenda. Evidence that citizens and communities are changing negative attitudes and practices.
5	Print and distribute posters on key messages	Number of flyers and posters on relevant problem areas printed and distributed
6	Hold stakeholder meetings to obtain buy-in, solicit support and establish partnerships and identify collaborative efforts	Number of joint stakeholder meetings held, networks formed and collaborative activities planned and undertaken Number and quality of partnerships/networks established to fight corruption and corruptible practices
7	Identify policy and legal gaps in problem areas, especially on corruption, for redress	Formal recognition of need for partnerships by Government. Existing laws amended and new laws enacted . Increased budgetary allocation to accountability institutions, CHRAJ[1],EOCO[2] and Audit Service . New policy reforms/initiatives adopted and implemented.
8	Track resource allocation and utilisation	Equity in budget resource deployment Status of Implementation of rural development policy by the MMDAs. Increase accountability to citizens by Government structures.
9	Track implementation of policy initiatives, laws and bye-laws	Policy initiatives successfully implemented Deterrent actions in relevant areas; especially on sanitation, environmental degradation and corruption taken.
10	Peace matches, demonstrations, rallies to demand action from the government and its agencies on problem areas	Level of mobilization of citizens to engage or participate in public actions. Evidence of Government or policy response to actions. Media attention given to public actions.

The Advocacy Messages, the Channels for the messages and the messengers

Thematic Areas

Messages

Tools

Messengers

FORMAL EDUCATION

· The future is in danger without education, a lot of children of school-going age are at home, enforce the Free, Compulsory and Universal Basic Education (FCUBE);

· Our children need quality education

· Many children of school going age are out of school

· The future development of this country is dependent on education

· Mr. President, enforce the FCUBE policy to stop school dropout in basic school

· For gender equity, keep your girl child in school

· Stop child labour and trafficking

· Quality education is a right

· Give the schools back to the churches

· Media

· Posters

· Publications

· Drama

· Lobbying

· Jingles

· Personal meeting/visits

· Petitions and letters

· Telephone texting

· School children

· CSOs in the education sector

· Media practitioners

· Community information centres

· Churches

· Traditional councils

· Public/social gatherings

· Telecommunications actors

HEALTH

· Make Ghana malaria free

· No Ghanaian should die of malaria

· Malaria is a killer, kill it!

· The person living with HIV/AIDs could be you, stop the stigmatisation

· Make anti-retroviral drugs free and available

· All hands on deck in the fight against HIV/AIDS

· HIV/AIDS has entered our bedrooms, dodge it

· HIV test is free, go for it

· HIV test is for life

· Make washing of hands part of life

· Stop littering the environment

· The rural areas need the health workers

· Communicable diseases can be prevented, work on it

· Uphold Rights to good health

· Drama

· Posters

· Pulpit

· Information vans

· SMS texting

· Media

· Durbars

· Lobbying

· Telephone texting

· Campaigns

· Media practitioners

· Posters

· Public information centres

· NGOs/CSOs

· Telecommunications actors

SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS

· Give us jobs for our livelihoods

· Hunger is dangerous to our health

· We want to fish, give us nets

· Revive our local industries

· A hungry man is an angry man

· Hands are for working not for begging

· Learn a skill for self sustenance

· Hard work pays

· Save for a rainy day

· Petitions

· Lobbying

· Radio

· TV

· Project visits

· Drama

· Floats

· Media practitioners

· Posters

· Public information centres

· NGOs/CSOs

· Telecommunications actors

ENVIRONMENT, SANITATION AND SAFE WATER

· Enforce environmental and sanitation policies

· Ensure that waste management companies do their work properly

· Enforce waste management bye-laws

· Provide safe water to deprived communities

· Keep your environment clean

· Gutters are not litterbins

· Stop indiscriminate defecation

· Cleanliness is next to godliness

· Ban plastic bags

· Water is life, give us safe water

· Dialogue and lobbying

· Visits and Meetings to relevant institutions

· Workshop and seminars

· Message texting

· Media practitioners

· Posters

· Public information centres

· NGOs/CSOs

· Telecommunications actors

GOVERNANCE AND DECENTRALIZATION

· Stop collecting bribes, it is corruption

· Uphold the Constitution, declare your assets publicly

· Don’t take us for ride, tell us the truth

· If you have nothing to hide, declare your assets

· We are one people , let us live in peace

· Be tolerant and accept diversity

· Unity in diversity

· The rule of law satisfies all manner of people, uphold it

· Local governance is your concern, get involved

· Show interest in local governance

· The district assembly is your servant not your master;

· Strengthen the Electoral Commission for fair elections;

· Voting is by choice and not by coercion;

· STOP the VIOLENCE in ELECTIONS

· Media

· Drama

· Church pulpits

· Posters/Flyers

· Meetings with appropriate authorities

· Media practitioners

· Posters

· Public information centres

· NGOs/CSOs

[1] CHRAJ: Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice.

[2] EOCO: Economic and Organized Crime Office