In a bid to address longstanding questions about the allocation and utilization of state resources, the Government of Ghana has launched the Performance Tracker, a groundbreaking database that aims to showcase the administration’s accomplishments across various sectors and regions.
The initiative, according to the Minister of Works and Housing and Member of Parliament for Ofoase Ayiribi, Honorable Kojo Oppong Nkrumah marks a significant step by the government towards enhancing transparency, accountability, and citizen engagement in governance.
He noted that the Performance Tracker is accessible through both a website and a mobile application, which offers a comprehensive overview of government projects and initiatives spanning 267 districts, 28 ministries, and 16 regions.
“…But the question remains from 2020 till now, what does my government do with my money? A lot of work has gone on, as Professor Appea-du mentioned, and that work is what has led us to what we call today the performance tracker, or what some would call the tracker 2 .0.”
Honorable Kojo Oppong Nkrumah
The former Minister of Information further indicated that with over 13,000 projects validated and updated as of June 2023, the platform provides citizens, media outlets, academia, civil society organizations, and development partners with valuable insights into the government’s utilization of state resources.
He asserted that unlike its predecessor, the 2020 delivery tracker, which primarily focused on infrastructure projects, the Performance Tracker encompasses twenty-two broader spectrum of thematic areas, which include roads, education, health, and security among others.
The Honorable Oppong Nkrumah also noted that within these thematic areas, the platform features 105 categories, offering detailed information on specific projects and programs undertaken by the government.
“The Performance Tracker further breaks down the 22 thematic areas into 105 categories within which the various information on specific projects or programs are captured.
“For instance, when you take health as a thematic area you find several categories which include health infrastructure, recruitment, Agenda 111 etc while under education you equally find education infrastructure, free senior high school, TVET among many other”
Honorable Kojo Oppong Nkrumah
Performance Tracker to Serve as an Empowerment Tool
Furthermore, Honorable Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Works and Housing Minister emphasized that the Performance Tracker would serve as a platform for empowering the activities of the government, highlighting its role in fostering collective progress and tracking the government’s various projects and initiatives.
Honorable Oppong Nkrumah further recounted that the Performance Tracker is an empowerment tool which seeks to involve all stakeholders in monitoring the progress of all government projects and initiatives.
According to him, by providing detailed information on government initiatives, the Performance Tracker aims to address the persistent question of what the government does with taxpayer money.
Moreover, the Ofoase Ayiribi Member of Parliament disclosed that the Performance Tracker incorporates various features such as metrics, photos, videos, and infographics to enrich users’ understanding and validate the existence of the various government’s projects.
He noted that there is a very rigorous validation processes, including geo-tagging and photographing projects to ensure transparency and accountability in the reporting of government activities.
Honorable Oppong Nkrumah also stated that the platform also showcases major achievements that have been undertaken by government ministries, the Office of the Government Machinery, and regional and district administrations since the assumption of power by the New Patriotic Party administration.
He stressed that by offering what he deemed as an unprecedented access to information, the Performance Tracker aims to foster greater trust between the government and its citizens while encouraging active participation in governance processes.
The Minister of Works and Housing concluded his remarks by stating that he is optimistic about the potential of the Performance Tracker to promote transparency and accountability in governance.
He viewed the platform as a positive step towards bridging the gap between government actions and public perceptions, ultimately contributing to more informed decision-making and enhanced socio-economic development.
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