Social accountability is a vital aspect of CoST’s approach on improving infrastructure transparency, participation and accountability worldwide. Working with a variety of stakeholders to raise awareness, make recommendations and hold decision-makers to account can lead to better quality infrastructure, transforming lives.
CoST member, Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA), has been working hard in this area. They formed a citizen monitoring team, trained these members of the team, communicated their plans with government officials and then undertook a social audit. The citizen monitoring team included representatives from National commission of civic education, women association, works sub-committee chairperson, youth groups, Persons with Disability, CSO and media in the district. They then made key recommendations, which have been implemented. This social audit looked at two key infrastructure projects – a school and a fire station – which were completed but had outstanding issues.
A kindergarten school block was unable to be used due to the lack of furniture and educational materials, while also being used to store building materials. This means that students remained in existing overcrowded classrooms, preventing a good teaching environment, and posing health risks. The monitoring team recommended that the classrooms were furnished and that the contractors vacate the building. These recommendations were followed, and the school block has been utilised, enabling a better teaching environment. This has resulted in a 20% increase in attendance, and supported district goals around quality education for all.
In a local fire service station, there were tiling defects, outstanding landscaping required and an inadequate disability ramp. These issues meant that the fire station was not in use, and with the closest fire station being 19km away, it resulted in slow response times for fires – leaving lives and buildings vulnerable. The monitoring team recommended that landscaping, retiling and work on the disability ramp was complete to make the station operation. These measures were put in place, allowing the fire station to be operational. This has resulted in a significant reduction in fire response times while significantly enhancing community safety to reduce the number of fires in the long term. From their newly operational base, firefighters have been able to educate schools, businesses and residents on fire safety and emergency preparedness. Through this, people have felt safer knowing that, if there is a fire, help will arrive much more quickly – but also through being upskilled in preventing and responding to fires in the first place.
CoST STMA’s work on these projects has led to enhanced lives in the short and long term through better quality education, better access for disabled people, and reduced health and safety risks. This builds on the existing work of CoST members work around social auditing, including Honduras and the Dominican Republic.
CoST, the Infrastructure Transparency Initiative (CoST) is a leading global non-profit improving transparency, participation and accountability in infrastructure to deliver quality infrastructure that improves lives and strengthens economies. Stay up to date with our latest work through our newsletter and our social media: LinkedIn, Instagram, X/Twitter and Facebook.